Gardening Courses Calendar

A certificate program for adult learners with instructors who are well-known and very well-respected in the organic and horticultural community across the province. For more information....

The Multicultural Heritage Centre of Stony Plain (MHC)

In this two-hour session you will take a peek into that rich sweet history and learn about honey in the world today. Topics covered will include: how honey is good for you, what is the most expensive honey on the planet, what is the healthiest honey in the world, the difference between a dark and a light honey, where to find different honeys to taste. You will spend two hours immersed in everything honey and emerge from this class with an in-depth understanding of this wonderful bee-made product. You will never look at honey the same way again.

This course will cover stand-alone solar system design including load assessment, component sizing and appropriate equipment choices. Details concerning battery care and safety will be offered along with guidance regarding back-up generators. You will get a sense of the on-going system maintenance and lifestyle requirements of off-grid living.

If you have a desire to keep bees--for fun or for profit--this two-hour seminar will give you an idea of the steps you need to take to set up your very own hives. We will cover costs, equipment, site selection, bee behaviour, and where/how you can get your hands on some bees!  Whether you are just curious and want to see if it's for you, or whether you are serious and want to get started, you will have the knowledge you need to go forward.

Learn how to start seeds indoors in time for planting this spring. Not only does starting your own seed save you money on the cost of buying bedding plants, it gives you access to a far greater variety of plants to grow in your garden. From when to plant, to what kind of potting soil pots to use, to light, heat and water needs, this session will get you started growing veggies, flowers and herbs for your garden. Collecting and saving seed from your garden will also be addressed.
 

This workshop will take you through all of the basic planning and skills you need to be able to produce your own fresh organic food right in your own backyard. We will explore the basics of edible garden design, preparing the soil, easy steps for converting lawn to garden, choosing annual and perennial vegetables, herbs and fruits for Alberta gardens, plant spacing’s, strategies for low-maintenance gardens, companion planting, community gardens and more.

Soil is the mysterious and wonderful place where earth, air, water and energy combine to create the conditions for life to flourish. Learn some age-old techniques that gardeners and small farmers can use to nurture a healthy, vibrant and resilient soil and plant community. This session will include a combination of theoretical and very practical approaches to understanding and working with soil.

With careful and creative planning even the smallest urban lot can produce an abundance of fruits, berries, veggies and herbs. This workshop will include an exploration of the "bio-intensive" high yield gardening method, making use of vertical space, polyculture planting, crop rotations, growing in pots, and an examination of the range of edible species that grow well in Alberta.

Join the growing movement of gardeners and homeowners who are choosing to protect their health and the health of local eco-systems by gardening organically. By working with natural processes, rather than against them, organic gardening offers preventative and safe methods for dealing with potential pest problems. Grow healthier and more resilient plants than you ever thought possible.

This workshop will be a combination of theory and practical approaches to using mycorhyzal beneficial mushroom species; propagating mushrooms in mulch beds, garden beds and logs; and identifying some local wild edible mushroom species.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s, Cuba quickly lost most of their fossil fuel and agricultural imports resulting in widespread food shortages and the breakdown of their agricultural system. In response to the crisis, Cuba underwent a dramatic shift towards low-input, ecological agriculture encouraging more citizens to grow food in rural and urban areas alike.  Join us to find out what lessons we can draw from Cuba’s experience to increase food security in our own communities.

This class will provide an overview of solar hot water systems including basic system design, system components and economics. Topics will include: uses of solar thermal energy, design principles, system components, terminology, types of collection systems, design rules of thumb and solar hot water resources.

Delivered by the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society
Spruce bogs are a natural habitat found in Northern Alberta. They are, literally, the half-way world between land and water. Spruce bogs are very unique ecosystems because the acidic soils create harsh conditions for plants and animals to live in. The sphagnum and peat mosses that make up the forest floor are so thick that it is like walking on a water bed. Come explore the mystery of a spruce bog with Forest Educator, MJ Munn-Kristoff. She will take you on a virtual tour of the spruce bog habitat and identify the vegetation, insects, birds and animals you will find there. Join us for a two-hour adventure while keeping your feet dry.
This session is in partnership with the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society.

Delivered by the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory
Every spring, our world comes alive with the amazing sounds of billions of songbirds that migrate north in search of a place to raise a family. Located in the vast boreal forest of Northern Alberta, researchers at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory have been studying migratory and breeding birds since 1994. In this two-hour session, you will learn about some of the birds that migrate into our region, how we monitor bird populations during spring migration, and why the boreal forest is so important for the survival of these tiny migratory marvels.
This session is in partnership with the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation.

(Last meeting will be a LIVE Online chat with the author)
Grab a cup of coffee or tea (or even a glass of wine) and come and join us for a LIVE Online Book Club. Our pick -  “The Antagonist” by Edmonton author Lynn Coady. Lynn’s very Canadian book (it features a former hockey enforcer) was short-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in October. An initial meeting on February 2nd will set the tone for the Book Club and we will wind-up on March 15th with a LIVE Online chat with the author, Lynn Coady.

Here is a snapshot of the book:
Gordon “Rank” Rankin is a former hockey enforcer that has faced tragedy and has run away from his past. Twenty years later his past catches up to him when he finds out that his ex-best friend has written a novel based on “Rank’s” youthful transgressions.

This is Lynn Coady’s fourth novel and it is sure to open up great discussion as we delve into “Rank’s” past and present.

Following a year-long visioning process the T’Sou-Ke community embarked on a program to achieve energy autonomy, economic self-sufficiency and food sustainability while utilizing the ancient wisdom and skills still available within First Nations communities. Their ongoing achievements include three solar electric systems, 38 residential solar hot water systems and an ambitious energy efficiency program along with indigenous plant propagation and food-producing greenhouses. Join us in a conversation with Andrew Moore, project manager, to talk about how T’Sou’Ke First Nation became the most solar-intensive community in Canada,  what has been achieved so far, the training they incorporated and what the future is looking like for their community.
www.tsoukenation.com