From the Ground Up is our Education Committee’s monthly series. It aims to provide a solid foundation for people new to native plant gardening: from soils to design to managing plant health. Upcoming dates and locations will be added soon, and recordings will be uploaded after each virtual program.
Session 1: It Starts With the Soil
Jen Johnson of Native Roots, Inc. shares how to get started with native gardening by establishing a solid foundation in the soil. This workshop addresses how to identify soil conditions and drainage patterns, soil testing, and how to interpret and take action on the results of soil tests.
Upcoming programs
Session 2: How to pick plants for your growing conditions (May)
Danielle Squire of Lorain Community College’s Specialty Gardens will lead this in-person workshop on identifying native plants that will best align with the soil and growing conditions in your garden.
Session 3: How to identify and mitigate invasive plants (June)
This workshop will provide a crash course in the most common invasive species in the Greater Cleveland area, their impact on native biodiversity, and how to remove or mitigate them.
Session 4: How to design your native garden (July)
This workshop will teach participants the fundamentals of native garden planning and design. Topics covered will include: designing for different garden sizes, designing features for desired purposes/outcomes, and long-term/multi-year garden planning.
Session 5: Integrated Pest Management/pesticide alternatives (August)
This workshop will cover the negative impacts of the most popular consumer pesticides, and holistic alternatives to pesticide use.
Session 6: Putting it All Together: Tours of established native gardens
This tour (or series of tours) will give gardeners of all skill levels access to examples of established native gardens and “re-wilded” spaces.