We don’t need to tell you about the importance of gardening. From its ability to save gas, to a way to help feed your neighbors, to a way to help local wildlife, we all know using your land to grow plants is useful. We are so lucky to have people like Susan Delattre in our neighborhood. She is going to teach a few classes about how to gather seeds from your garden and plant them next year.
Susan is a self-described “lifelong gardener”. She used to live on a beautiful south-facing hillside in Vermont and grew food for 25 years. During this time, she took a summer-long course with a professional seed saver. The teacher had an entire garden devoted to saving seeds. “There’s a lot to learn about seed saving” Susan told me—some plants are easier to save seeds from than others. There is a way you need to collect them and dry them. (You also need to make sure to collect some kinds of seeds before the wind does!)
“If you like gardening, I bet you’ll like seed saving… It lets you get to know your plants really well.” Her passion is infectious. “You’re helping the plants get all the way through the season to harvesting the seeds…It's an intimate way to get to be with plants—you’re nurturing them through.” As somebody with a black thumb who spent too much money on seeds last year, I know that I will attend her free class to learn how to save seeds and grow my own plants for nearly free next year.
Saturday, February 17
general introduction and helping participants plan their project, providing examples of heirloom seed catalogs
Saturday, August 17
demonstration of how to harvest seeds
how to store the seeds once they are dried and cleaned
Saturday, October 19
bring seeds saved and swap
talk about successes and challenges and what everyone has learned
What will we grow out next year from our saved seeds?
All workshops will be held at The Nokomis Square Community Room (5015 35th Ave South 55417). Please note that the later workshop dates may change due to weather—we all know how unpredictable Minnesota can be, and the plants should be able to have enough time to make the seeds we’re saving! If you have any questions, please email Susan at: sbdelattre@yahoo.com