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GreenBridge Community Horticulture
GreenBridge, the community environmental horticulture program of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, promotes urban greening through education, conservation, and creative partnerships. GreenBridge is building a vibrant network of people, places, and projects dedicated to making Brooklyn a greener place. Twice yearly, the GreenBridge Gardener newsletter provides details on workshops, events, and information about community gardening. To request a free copy, call 718-623-7250. GreenBridge projects include the following:
Winter GreenBridge Workshops
GreenBridge workshops are free, but space is limited. Preregistration is required; call 718-623-7220. Registration begins on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at 9 a.m. Para clases en español, por favor llamar a 718-623-7385.
Starting Seeds Indoors
Lis Thomas
Feeling limited by the small selection of veggie starts available in local nurseries? Start your garden on the right foot this year by discovering the best methods to propagate tasty, beautiful varieties of plants from seeds. Learn what skills, equipment, and techniques are needed to start your own seeds at home while getting some hands-on practice right here at BBG.
Thursday, February 25 | 6–8 p.m.
No charge, but registration is required.
Starting Seeds Outdoors with Cold Frames and Row Covers
Lis Thomas
Season-extension techniques allow you to get a first harvest of cool-weather greens from your garden before you even think about planting your peppers and tomatoes! Using cold frames, which act like mini-greenhouses, or row covers to protect your plants from spring chill, you can start seedlings outdoors, harden off seedlings grown indoors, and have greater success propagating plants from cuttings. Find out when to plant, what crops will work best for early spring, and what equipment you can purchase or build to get gardening early outdoors this year.
Wednesday, March 31 | 6–8 p.m.
No charge, but registration is required.
Street Tree Care
Karla Osorio-Pérez
Street trees do much to improve our environment, but they often receive little care. In this class, learn the benefits of street trees and how to improve the health of a street tree by caring for its bed. Get tips on tree-bed gardening and more in-depth information on street-tree care. Bring your street-tree care questions and find out more about MillionTreesNYC's efforts to increase and protect the urban forest canopy.
Thursday, January 28 | 6–8 p.m.
Wednesday, February 10 | 6–8 p.m.
No charge, but registration is required.
Watering Your Street Tree
Karla Osorio-Pérez and Philip Silva
Young street trees are thirsty! To survive in the city, they need to soak up more than 15 gallons of water each week during the growing season. This workshop covers simple and affordable methods for keeping the trees on your block well watered and healthy. Topics include mulching, soil aeration, and a variety of irrigation techniques. Learn to make a basic irrigation system with a two-liter soda bottle during the workshop.
Wednesday, April 7 | 6–8 p.m.
No charge, but registration is required.
Organizing for Community Greening
Philip Silva
Are you looking to make your neighborhood a greener place? Don't go it alone! This workshop covers the basics of community organizing for neighborhood greening projects. Topics include outreach, presentation skills, project management, and consensus building. Learn about simple projects that have had a big impact in neighborhoods throughout the city, and brainstorm with workshop instructors on your own community greening project. This workshop features presentations from some of the city's leaders in environmental advocacy.
Tuesday, February 16 | 6–8 p.m.
No charge, but registration is required.
Container Gardening
Lis Thomas
Making the most out of every inch of available soil is a must for urban gardeners! Window boxes and containers are the perfect solution when you're short on growing space. Learn the design elements for an attractive container or window box, soil mixtures that work well, suggestions for edible and ornamental plants, and tips for planting and maintaining containers year-round.
Thursday, April 29 | 6–8 p.m.
No charge, but registration is required.