Startgreen
You are looking for
This year you would really like to have a vegetable garden even a tiny one because you are convinced that it is good for your health, it is a great experience for your children and a plus for the planet. You already have a spot in mind and you are aware that you might need to set up a fence.
Your challenges are
You have little gardening experience and your plants tend to wither. You are not sure how to go about it and where to start. You have young children and you would like them to get involved. You have little time and you would like to be efficient.
What you need
You want to know what to plant where and when to maximize your harvest. You want to learn all this with your children through playful games/activities. You would like to start your seeds yourself.
"Startgreen" gives you the keys to start your vegetable garden off right.
Learn what to plant when and with what and create your mini pretend vegetable garden.
Start your own transplants by planting some good seeds of vegetables crops in little pots and bring them back home.
Ask me all the questions you have regarding your particular situation and I'll try to help.
Ready to start your vegetable garden?
Sessions are on Saturdays 3.30PM
Raindate: following Sunday 3.30PM (except for 03/12, rain date will be on Saturday 03/19)
To sign up, please contact me
and tell me in which session you are interested in
Here is the session schedule and the crops that could be started at that time. (For the crops in the table, I have brand new seeds with a high germination rate)
SESSION | RIGHT TIME TO START TRANSPLANTS OF |
|---|---|
SESSION March 5 | Lettuce * artichoke * beets * onions * monarda * oregano |
SESSION March 12 | Lettuce * artichoke * beets * monarda * oregano |
SESSION March 26 | Lettuce * mini pepper * monarda * rhubarb |
SESSION April 9 | Lettuce * mini pepper * eggplant * Chinese cabbage * cherry tomatoes * stevia * monarda * rhubarb |
SESSION April 23 | Lettuce * Chinese cabbage * tomatoes * cucumber * melon * Mexican sour gerkhin * stevia * monarda |
Seeds from last year that I also would like to share and give a try:
Flowers: marigold, sunflower, nasturtium
Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley
Vegetables: baby watermelon, butternut, carrot, white pumpkin, big pumpkin, tiny pumpkin, Chinese pole beans, tomatillo, turnip
Price: by donation (recommended: $10/family)
This price includes:
- the activity on planning your vegetable garden
- supplies: seeds, soil & containers to create your own transplants right away or to bring back home for later planting
The sooner you register, the better I can plan and get the right amount of supply.
To sign up, please contact me
and tell me in which session you are interested in
I value reuse and recycle
Bring your own 'reuse containers' and get $1 reward!
You can either use old containers such as one-serving yogurt pots or reuse some old pots you already have. If you plan to reuse old pots, I recommend that you wash them with a 10% bleach solution to kill any remaining bacteria or fungus that could harm your seedlings.
Why should I plant leeks if nobody likes it?
The beauty of Integrated Pest Management
Did you know that leeks and carrots repel each other pests.
Yep every vegetable can be subject to so insects pest and every gardener learn that at some point.
One of the leek pest is onion flies and carrots will help to repel them.
On the other hand, carrots are prone to rust flies and leeks repel them.
Therefore, if you plant some carrots, interplant some leeks with them.
Who am I?
My name is Mathilde Burlion, mother of 4 children aged 9 to 1. My wish is to raise kids awareness to a sustainable future. I offer nature and gardening workshops for children accompanied by an adult. Children get to know their surroundings better through fun stories and activities that leave them great memories.
See what parents who participated in a workshop said about it
FAQ
Where do the seeds come from and are they organic?
I get my seeds at Johnny's because they support and provide seeds for the Rows for the Hungry mini-farm where I complete most of my volunteer hours as a Master Gardener. The seeds are non-GMO and some of them will be organic. When choosing my seeds I focus on criteria such as disease-resistant varieties for cucumber, heat-tolerant for lettuce.
I don't see crops such as carrots and radishes... why?
Some plants do better when they are sown directly. It is the case with carrots and radishes. During the sessions we focus on transplants so we'll work with crops that do well when they are started indoor and then transplanted in the garden.
How do I care for my transplants back at home?
They should be put somewhere when they will receive plenty of light and where you can check on them regularly to make sure they don't dry out.
I would really like to start a vegetable garden but doing the raised beds and the fence seems overwhelming to me. What do you recommend?
I recommend you start little with the resources that you have. Surrounding mammals are likely to share the harvest with you, especially deers. But you don't necessarily need a big fence (whatch the video on top of this page for more details). As for raised bed, they make things look neat and pretty but they aren't the unique option. Personally, I love the farm style so I created rows. Tomatoes grow well on a straw bale.
What if I go on vacation during summer?
The best is to try to find a neighbor willing to help watering and weeding. Usually people love doing that knowing that they can get the ripen fruits.
How many people will attend a session?
4 families.
What about COVID and In-person workshops?
The activity will be outside.
I do not provide any insurance cover for the participants. By participating, you assume any risk, and take full responsibility and waive any claims of personal injury and disease, associated with Grow Little Gardener activities.
Wearing a mask help us not spread the disease.