Though the days are getting longer, and we have occasional moments of sunshine warming our skin (hello, old friend, we missed you!), we still have a ways to go until spring.
And yet, though you may currently spend most of your time cooked up with a thick blanket and hot beverage, winter is the perfect time to prepare for gardening. A great place to start your garden education is with the Tilth Alliance, a local nonprofit that focuses on issues surrounding growing organic food, such as sustainability, education, and justice.
Marni Sorin, the Community Education Project Manager for Tilth Alliance, reminds us that in winter, there is “more space for us to physically see and envision [our gardens] in our heads.” During this season, we can take inventory of our seeds and supplies, research new ideas, and spend time learning as we anticipate the upcoming active days of gardening. And throughout the year—including this winter—Tilth offers gardening classes for all levels of gardening.
New to gardening and not sure where to start? Perhaps a class like Planning Your Garden or Fundamentals of Organic Gardening might be the best fit for you. These classes offer bigger-picture views of gardening in the Pacific Northwest.
Have a few years of gardening under your belt and want to expand your knowledge? Classes such as Companion Planting or Growing Your Own Plant Starts might be worth checking out.
Most classes are taught by staff or guest instructors, all of whom have direct experience and expertise in the class topic. Currently, Tilth offers classes online, in-person, or in a hybrid model, and the classes are a mixture of lecture and hands-on opportunities.
Sorin notes that each teacher “allows people to practice what they learn” during the class. So if you think you’re going to a class just to listen and take notes, think again! You just may leave with some soil under your fingernails.
If you want to explore other resources before signing up for a class, be sure to check out Tilth’s Maritime NW Garden Guide, a month-by-month guide to gardening in the Pacific Northwest. You can also visit one of the Tilth Alliance’s learning gardens (where many of the in-person classes take place) to see what’s growing, how the garden is structured, or even volunteer at a community event.
As you dream about what you might sow in your garden space this spring, consider the advice Sorin offers: visit your garden space often and record your observations – these will be valuable resources for you on your gardening journey; check out what family, friends and neighbors are doing in their garden; remember that you can still be a great gardener without knowing everything. Every gardener is constantly learning! And last, but not least, plants and the garden are our very best teachers.
READ MORE: 8 things to do now so your PNW garden grows later
Ellie White is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. Follow her on Instagram.
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