We’ve heard it year after year: “We want more educational garden workshops!”

But after the devastation of Helene, especially with supply-chain disruptions from Covid still fresh in our minds, that “want” turned into a “need”.

Thanks to grant funds through Grow Appalachia/Berea College, this season we are now able to offer monthly hands-on skill building workshops open to the public, and monthly private classes for our cohort of 20 backyard gardeners! This news brings an atmosphere of excitement and gratitude percolating across our community.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of planning, organizing, and connecting with our community. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with over half of our program participants already, kicking off the season with garden site visits, exploring the nooks and crannies of rural Buncombe County. Our group ranges from brand new transplants from coastal NC, Florida’s beaches, and beyond…to life-long residents with Appalachian roots that go back generations. We have a diverse group of retirees, full-time workers, part-time workers, stay at home moms, working moms…and folks like me, who prefer raising fur-babies & plants over children! From young, independent singles looking to incorporate a more sustainable lifestyle for their general well-being…to large multi-generational families longing to create lasting memories with their loved ones, feeding & educating their children & grandchildren. Some folks are starting with a completely blank slate, brimming with possibilities. Others are rehabbing neglected spaces of gardens past – inherited raised beds from previous home-owners, Covid gardens, and areas that just slip through the cracks when the craziness of life takes over. For most of us, we are still adjusting to all the changes forced upon us from Helene, and are hoping to find some solace by spending time outdoors gardening & connecting with nature – especially now that we have a newfound respect for all that she is capable of.

My goal for these monthly classes and workshops is to make as much as possible about gardening less overwhelming and more approachable. To think big but start small. To not be disheartened by the learning experience of failure. To embrace the mess! If we bring the right group of people together as peers in constructive ways, with high-quality content presented in the right context, we can create authentic visions & strategies for each of our unique situations.

The Friends of Leicester Library Giving Garden’s commitment to community-based learning will be the cornerstone of our collective success. We can use the power of gardening to learn the patience needed to invest in the future, while experiencing the joy of living in the now.