Written by Sarah, Lou Duggan Creative Studio Specialist
You know that you can rely on Halifax Public Libraries for more books than you can handle on gardening. But did you know that you can also take part in free workshops with experts, and gain valuable hands-on experience?
We're excited to share that our What's On Calendar is filling up with regular gardening events across all branches. Most of these are registered events, so be sure to note the date registration opens and sign up early to avoid disappointment.
Master your garden
We're really looking forward to gardening with you. As of posting time for this blog, we have workshops planned until June 2023, but more are on their way, so bookmark this page and check back often—gardening programs aren’t going anywhere.
Local author of Grow Hope: a Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Food Garden at Home, Elizabeth Peirce is presenting 14 workshops on Seed Saving in September and October 2022. Want to save the world? Start by saving seeds!
We’re also excited to announce a renewed, year-round partnership with the Atlantic Master Gardeners Association (AMGA) in the Lou Duggan Creative Studio. The AMGA is no stranger to Halifax Public Libraries. This group of highly educated and generous gardeners with a passion for cultivating both gardens and community have been hosting workshops with us since 2016. Now, they’ll be coming every month!. Pro gardeners will explore topics like Fall Bulbs, Seasonal Decorations, Wildlife, Composting, and so much more. You might be wondering what you can do in your garden over the winter, but as the AMGA will tell you, there’s always something! Come armed with your questions—the AMGA volunteers are true experts and I have not been able to stump them.
Personally, I can’t wait for the January 2023 session on Planning for a New Season. I’m the type of gardener who walks into a garden centre, gets completely overwhelmed by all the pretties, blacks out, and comes to with a trunk full of random plants and a visa bill I can’t quite explain. Learning how to plan, and therefore plant with purpose, will benefit both my garden and my bank account.
Grow your knowledge
Websites
If you want more gardening tips (and who doesn’t?), check out the excellent website SavvyGardening.com, opens a new window, co-written by Nova Scotia gardening legend Niki Jabbour. You can also find support and pretty pictures on the Facebook group, East Coast Gardening, Nova Scotia. , opens a new window
In our collection
Here are a few recent gardening releases for your basket:
The Year-round Vegetable Gardener
Shrubs and Vines for Atlantic Canada
Herb Gardening From the Ground up
About the staff blogger
Sarah Gignac is the Creative Studio Specialist at Halifax Central Library. In her other life, she’s an animator, artist, writer, and novice-but-enthusiastic gardener. She is allowed to share space with two cats, one white and one black, which is why no matter what colour her clothes are, she is always covered in fur.
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