Growing your own food, whether in the back yard or a community garden, is a concept that is gaining popularity, and a workshop is being held to empower first-time gardeners to go home and grow their own food successfully.
“It has come back full-circle from the war era and earlier when people grew their own food out of pride, necessity, and a sense of nationalism,” said Township of Langley arts and culture programmer Maggie Lukban. “Currently, people are interested in growing food for many reasons, but the main reason seems to be a concern for what is in and on their food, as well as allergies.”
To help cultivate the public’s interest, Langley Centennial Museum at 9135 King Street in Fort Langley is holding a Seeds to Supper program that offers two unique workshops in one day. On Saturday, May 9, Backyard Bounty will be offered from 2 - 3:30 p.m. and Salad Container Gardening will run from 4 - 5:30 p.m.
The workshops are free but pre-registration is required.
The Backyard Bounty workshop is designed for more advanced gardeners, and will go through the benefits and drawbacks of raised bed gardening, timing, and using transplants versus direct sowing. During the workshop, participants will receive suggestions of veggies that are easily grown locally, as well as recipes for what to do with the harvest.
The Container Gardening workshop is for people who live in small spaces and would still like to grow their own food. As soil from the ground outside is not the same as potting media, this workshop will outline the differences, as well as the pros and cons of various container materials. Not all veggies can be grown in containers, so varieties of vegetables will be discussed. Participants will also be introduced to companion planting, outlining how some plants grow well together and even benefit from being in the same container, while others will compete with one another and don’t get along.
To register for Seeds to Supper, visit RecExpress.ca, drop in to any Township community recreation facility, or call the Langley Centennial Museum at 604-532-3536.
Lukban noted that those interested in growing their own food can find inspiration from several local authors, who have written books including "The Zero Mile Diet,” "Sugar Snaps and Strawberries,” and "The Book of Kale.”