GARDEN GURU 2020: GARDENING FOR HOPE AND HEALING
Garden Guru was launched last year. Gardening experts attended Iowa City gardens at regular times throughout the growing season.
Topics this year are designed to help communities cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Hope and wellness can be found by going outside and getting your feet and fingers in the soil. This is one activity that is still allowed and it may be exactly what is needed for long-term well-being.
SOCIAL-DISTANCED GARDEN EDUCATION:
Until public gatherings are safe, events will be presented in a virtual format, including live streaming on the Backyard Abundance Facebook page.
From May through October, join us (virtually) at this mature edible forest. Learn about...
· Increasing yields in vegetable and herb gardens
· Harvesting free food.
· Maintaining large plots of fruit trees and berry bushes.
· Growing pollinator and bird habitat.
· Increasing soil health.
· Regenerative agriculture.
· Mitigating the impact of climate change through gardening
Follow our page and watch for events so you can participate and ask questions of the gurus.
Visit the Wetherby Park Edible Forest after each event to see what was done, tend the garden, and harvest food. Please follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines to keep yourself and your community safe.
2020 WETHERBY SCHEDULE:
May 3 -- Wake Up, Garden. Wake up, Tools
May 17 -- Sow Resilience; Veggie and Herb Planting
June 7 -- Inviting Wildlife Into the Garden
June 21 -- Healing with Tea from the Garden
July 5 -- Art in the Garden
July 19 -- Tour a Residential Edible Forest
Aug 2 -- Fairies in the Garden
Aug 16 -- Herbal Syrup Making Postponed
Sept 6 -- Get to Know Aronia Postponed due to audio issues
Sept 20 -- Pollinator Garden Prep - Volunteer Workday
Oct 4 -- Facebook Live: Design a Pollinator Garden
Oct 18 -- Facebook Live: Establish a Pollinator Garden
MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAFE GARDEN LEARNING:
Virtual programming will also include Garden Guru at Creekside Park Edible Forest and Garden Guru at the Edible Classroom.
To learn more, please visit www.backyardabundance.org/guru
We wish you an abundance of wellness!
SPONSORS:
This program would not be possible without our amazing sponsors:
Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department
Hills Bank
Collins Aerospace
#FeedABee: https://www.feedabee.com
#IowaCityClimateAction: https://www.icgov.org/project/climate-action
Rapids Reproductions
Green Iowa AmeriCorps - Energy & Community
GreenState Credit Union
Earl May Garden Center
New Pioneer Co-op