AtoZ Blogging Challenge – Gardening

Program Name: How Does Your Garden Grow?

What: Offer one or a series of programs about gardening for your patrons. We do this every year and it’s some of our most well-attended programs. This year we’re offering – Backyard Composting, Vertical Gardening, Raised Bed Gardening and Container Gardening.

Where: These classes are not usually hands-on classes that involve potting soil, plants, water, etc. so we are able to host them in our regular meeting space. If you were going to have a more hands-on class, I’d just make sure to put a large tarp or tablecloth on the floor to make clean up as easy as possible.

When: We like to host our gardening programs in May – which works really well for our climate. Many people are already getting their gardens ready and we like to provide additional support for their work.

Who: These programs are usually geared towards adults, but we’ve also done gardening programs for kids. The easiest program for them is to provide them with little cups to decorate (googly eyes, stickers, markers, etc.) and then have them plant quick-sprouting grass seed. This stuff starts growing in just a couple of days which is really exciting for kids!

How: We’ve worked with our local Master Gardeners Program through Penn State Extension to provide classes every spring. Each year, we get a schedule of the classes they offer and book 4 sessions all on different topics we think our patrons would enjoy. If you don’t have a Master Gardeners Program near you, check out a local nursery and see if they’d be willing to come out!

Alternatives:

• Hands-on program with a small container garden of herbs or small tomato plant
• Check out Pinterest for really cute terrariums out of mason jars. My mom did this as a garden party for some friends and they all loved it! I’m thinking it would be a fun and fairly inexpensive program to do at the library as well.
• Partner with your local Community Garden to offer a storytime and planting/weeding program for kids.

During the month of April, I’ll be participating in the 2018 Blogging from A to Z Challenge. For this year’s theme, I’ll be offering you a library program plan with everything you to need to re-create it at your own library. Most of these programs we’ve offered in the past, others are programs I’d like to try in the future. I’m always looking for new inspiration and I thought you might be too!