Using your garden as a springboard to refresh your home may sound like a tall order for some. From growing fruits and veggies to attracting colorful birds and pollinators, there are a variety of workshops scheduled on the North Fork that can make it simple to better connect your home and garden this spring.
Start a kitchen garden
If you’ve ever thought about growing your own vegetables and herbs, May is the time to get started. Beginners can learn all the basics from Denise Markut, senior manager of stewardship for the Peconic Land Trust, at a workshop at Charnews Farm in Southold Saturday, May 4. Learn the best practices for preparing a home kitchen garden as well as tips on when to plant, how to improve soil and insights for growing in a small space for a long season of fresh food right at your fingertips.
The class starts at 10 a.m. at The Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm, located at 3005 Youngs Avenue in Southold. Advance registration is required. To sign up, call the Peconic Land Trust at 631-283-3195 or emailing [email protected]. The cost is $5.
Attract birds and butterflies
Nothing says spring quite like a lively garden humming with birds and bees. Turn your garden into a sanctuary for wildlife. Join Herricks Herbs & Heirlooms Organic Nursery for a guided tour of the gardens and a discussion on sustaining birds, bees and butterflies throughout the year. The talk covers specific plants as well as planning a wildlife buffer or zone in your yard.
The event is set for Saturday, May 4, at 9 a.m. at Herricks Herbs & Heirlooms Organic Nursery, 81 Herricks Lane, Jamesport. It is free, but advance signup is requested. Register at herrickslanefarm.com.
Grow your own berries
This make-and-taste class at Garden of Eve Organic Farm in Riverhead includes plants and materials to make your own take-home strawberry planter or a berry bush planter — plus the know-how to keep them fruitful. The $25 fee includes organic potting mix and a large planter pot to grow berries steps from your front door.
The class is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, at noon at Garden of Eve, located at 4558 Sound Ave., Riverhead. Pre-registration is requested online at gardenofevefarm.com.
