Health & Fitness
Low Cost Basic Spring Garden Classes Begin on Westside
Start your spring garden with low cost classes taught by UCCE/LA County Master Gardeners, five four-week classes offered on the Westside.
Taught by UC Certified Master Gardeners at WLA Veterans Garden (Grow Native Nursery), Local High Schools and Community Gardens
On Saturdays and Sundays in April, May, and June, at 25 locations around Los Angeles County, University of California Master Gardeners will teach low-cost, four-weekend workshops with lots of hands-on, get-your-fingernails-dirty activities through The Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative (GLAVG). These low-cost classes are open to everyone who wants to learn the basics of gardening. Some 2000 gardeners at all stages of gardening experience have come through these training programs and are now qualified to “grow their own” and share their knowledge with neighbors and friends.
Offered seasonally in Fall and Spring, the current crop of 25 classes includes five weekend series on the Westside: at Grow Native Nursery in Westwood (starting April 14), The Learning Garden at Venice High School, Venice Community Garden (two classes) and at Culver City High School. Details on all classes can be found here:
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The GLAVG series at Grow Native Nursery, located at the Veterans Garden in Westwood, will be helmed by LA County Master Gardener Don Smith.
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Professionally a specialist in complex accounting software, Smith is certified in Permaculture Design, and is a Soil Food Web Advisor, as well as a member of the LA Mycological Society. He volunteers at University High School’s garden, which he helped design and build. Vermicomposting (composting with worms) is his passion.
Smith’s class series dates are April 14, April 28, May 12 and May 26. Space is limited; early registration is strongly recommended. The cost is $75 for the series or $20 per class. Contact smithdon@mac.com for details on registration and location.
Yvonne Savio, director of the LA County Master Gardener program, says that the GLAVG initiative, now 3-1/2 years old, was propelled by the public. “The bad news about the economy, publicity on diabetes and obesity all resulted in many more requests for our help on how to start a garden. We were determined to offer public basic gardening classes throughout LA County, and Dr. Rachel Surls (former UCCE LA County director, now Sustainable Food Systems Advisor) found the funding.”
Classes cover the basics in seed starting, transplanting, healthy soil, backyard and worm composting, weed and pest management, container gardens, beneficial insects, propagation, harvesting and more. Prior attendees called the workshops “life changing” and said they “loved interacting and meeting with people who are just as passionate about social change and food security as myself.”
Savio’s goals for the GLAVG Initiative include community building: “We hope that gardeners will register for the class session that’s closest to them, so they can join an ongoing local Neighborhood Garden Circle and share not only their excess produce but their knowledge and experience as well.”
Yvonne Savio maintains an active email list that the general public can join. She says, “Anyone who’s interested in gardening is invited to join either or both of my resource e-lists: 1) Community Gardening and Food Security; 2) School Gardening. Send me an email at: ydsavio@ucanr.edu.”
For Grow LA Victory Gardens class locations and registration information visit http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/Grow_LA_Victory_Garden_Initiative_Classes/.
