Start a Garden

Learn how to build an instant garden *on top* of your lawn. No more digging, removing of sod, or building of raised beds.
We will create an instant garden in a community member's yard by imitating how a forest builds soil using the "sheet mulching" technique.
Through this method, we can plant directly into the new soil--as long as mother nature is done with her frost and snowstorms for the year.
 
Teacher:  Adam Brock (Certified Permaculture Instructor)
Location: 2131 York St. Denver, CO 80203
Investment: 15-20 Dollars, Sliding Scale
 
Facebook Event
 
To register, visit www.livingearthcenter.org
 

Excited about local food, but not sure how to go about eating local in Colorado? With 8 months in which temperatures can dip below freezing and parching heat in summer, it often seems that options for growing or purchasing local food may be limited.
Our new Local Foods Festival at Chatfield will help you navigate our regional resources and discover the many tasty options available to you. Meet local farmers and learn about CSAs (Community-Supported Agriculture), area farmer’s markets, and other places to get fresh local veggies. Meet producers of local delicacies like honey, goat cheese and gourmet mushrooms. Learn to make your own garden more productive with organic gardening tips and products. Take an herb walk to learn about the wild medicinal and edible plants growing near your home. Chat with chefs from restaurants that serve organic, locally sourced foods.
Other attractions will include a “local food court” where you can purchase lunch, snacks or beverages; children’s activities; cooking demonstrations; and of course our own heritage chickens and historic homestead. Chatfield’s rural agricultural setting is perfect for an event focusing on Colorado’s vibrant food heritage and culture.
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, in and around the Green Family Barn at Chatfield.
Admission is $8 per vehicle members, $10 non-members$3 per bicycle or pedestrian member, $5 non-member

Yes, you can grow food in the mountains! Mountain food growers Penn and Cord Parmenter are offering this class to help save people from believing they can’t. Wind, hail, deer, bears, extreme temperatures, they’ve heard it all. The Parmenters have been growing organic food at 8,120 ft. for 17 years and their techniques and experiences apply to all Colorado’s elevations and hardships. This class will cover many great foods that thrive in the mountain’s cool weather; wind-proof season extenders; hail covers; raised bed preparation; compost options against bears; crop rotation, companion planting and succession planting; vegetables for the shade; mulching; and more. The Parmenters will also touch on their success with their sustainable solar greenhouse and vegetable seed starting using recycled materials. You, too can grow fresh, succulent greens, beans, squash, Pac Choi, and yes, even sweet corn and pumpkins in the mountains! Join us for a day of learning and inspiration. $52 member, $59 non-member. Day of class: $62/$69. Instructors: Penn and Cord Parmenter.Gates Hall
www.botanicgardens.org

DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS EDUCATES PUBLIC ON EARTH-FRIENDLY PRACTICES Sustainability Fair April 20, 2008, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
A leader in sustainable gardening and horticulture in the Rocky Mountain region, Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting a Sustainability Fair two days before Earth Day. The Gardens’ Green Team is coordinating the event. The Team’s mission is to implement earth-friendly practices at the Gardens and to educate the community about ways they can do the same.
The Fair will feature an exhibition hall filled with more than 50 environmental organizations and sustainable businesses. The Fair will also include educational activities such as tours explaining low-water gardening and the benefits of medicinal plants. There will be short presentations on topics such as organic gardening and the use of green cleaning products. Also, experts will deliver "urban homesteading" demonstrations around subjects like organic beekeeping and composting tips.
“The Sustainability Fair is another example of our commitment to conservation and sustainability,” said Brian Vogt, Chief Executive Officer of Denver Botanic Gardens. “Our goal at the Gardens is to not only be a haven of natural beauty, but to also be a source of environmental education for the community. By offering events like the Fair, the Gardens remains relevant in our community.”
In addition, Executive Recycling will be accepting used electronic devices including computers, printers, CRT and LCD monitors, Fax machines, DVD players, VCRs, stereo receivers, laptops and any other electronic device that does not contain hazardous materials (Freon, radioactive material, bio-waste, chemicals). There will be no cost for recycling electronics at this event, with the exception of televisions ($20 each).
All visitors who use alternative forms of transportation (bus, bike, or foot) to get to the Sustainability Fair will receive $2 off admission to the Gardens.
Visit www.botanicgardens.org for more information.
About Denver Botanic Gardens: Rooted a mile high, Denver Botanic Gardens has been a favorite Denver destination for more than 55 years, and is considered to be one of the top ten botanic gardens in the nation. Art and science unite in the Gardens’ spectacular urban oasis, offering an unforgettable artistic garden experience for the whole family, as well as a living laboratory for education and plant conservation programs. Additional sites at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, a 750-acre wildlife and native plant refuge in Littleton; Mount Goliath, a high altitude trail and interpretive site on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway; and Centennial Gardens, a five-acre formal garden with a Colorado native plant palette in downtown Denver, extend this experience throughout the Front Range.
Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 1005 York Street in Denver, Colorado. Denver Botanic Gardens thanks the citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.