Garden Planning Series

This four-part garden planning series is designed to support gardeners at every stage, so you leave confident and empowered to create the right garden for you.

These sessions can be taken as standalone classes or a as a complete series (at a discount!). Classes will meet indoors at the Hellam Township Community Center.

All classes take place on Thursdays from 6-8pm. 

February 26: Designing Your Spring Garden

How we garden and what we grow is as personal as how we live the rest of our lives. It's not about whether we are gardening the right or wrong way, but about how our gardens meet the goals we set.  A good garden design process starts with personal goals, works through understanding our space, resources, and capabilities, and ends with hands in the soil and food on our plates. With spring right around the corner, now is the time to plan, gather supplies, and make decisions about what you are growing and how you might configure your space.

In this interactive class, we'll talk through:

• Design considerations that inform plant selection and placement,
• When and how much to plant
• What form and size the garden may take
• How to let your resources and equipment guide the design
• Where to begin this process

Bring any thoughts and questions you may have about your own garden, and be prepared to participate in group discussion and activities.

March 12: Companion & Succession Planting

If we look at the natural world, rarely do we see plants growing only with their own kind. It is much more common to see a diverse array of species growing side by side in communities that function better as a whole. It is also rare to see plants emerge all at the same time and grow in one simultaneous batch. More likely, we have different plants growing at different intervals throughout the season. By mimicking natural plant behaviors in our own gardens, we can often take advantage of the many benefits this kind of system has to offer: more efficient use of space, plants gaining protection from others, and even a more aesthetically pleasing garden with a variety of colors and shapes blended together.

In this class, we’ll discuss:

• Examples of plants that grow well together
• Different kinds of plant guilds 
• How to plan seeding times for multiple harvests
• Better use of garden space
• Tips and tricks to implement natural patterns in your own garden

March 26: Healing Your Garden Soil

The soil is a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. The food that we grow in the garden is entirely dependent on what happens beneath the surface. If we work to grow healthy soil, we end up with nutritious food as a byproduct. Let’s ‘dig deep’ and get to know the ins and outs of soil, what it all means to us in the garden, and how we may work with our soils for optimal plant growth.

We’ll spend time discussing:

• Foundations of soil components
• How healthy soil is made
• What is needed to maintain healthy functions
• Practical ways you can check for soil health in your own garden
• Basics of a soil lab test
• Easy ways to immediately move your soil in the right direction

April 9: Understanding Garden Weeds & Pests

A healthy garden is a web of relationships that not only includes the crops we plant but also a diverse array of insects and other plants that appear all on their own. Knowing and understanding these uninvited 'weeds' and 'pests' that share our garden space is the first step in determining how (and if) we manage them. Many plants that we commonly refer to as weeds play important roles in garden health, give us information about soil quality, contain valuable nutrients and minerals that can be returned to the soil, and, in some cases,  even taste great! Most insects are either harmless or actually beneficial to the garden. Learning their unique purposes can help us reframe the way we think about and approach the management of these elements in our own gardens.

During our class, we will explore:

• Examples of healthy garden systems
• Specific common insect and plant species we encounter in our area
• How and when we manage these species
• Alternatives to eliminating these elements

Program Notes:

Logistics: This class takes place off the Horn Farm Center property at the Hellam Township Community Center Building. The address is 68 Walnut Springs Road, York, PA 17406. There is a free parking lot on site. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early so we can begin the class on time. Each session begins at 6PM. 

Supplies: A pencil and a notebook are recommended. 

Fees: Each class in this series is $25. For a discount, sign up for the complete four-class series for $80.

Cancellation: All programs are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, including inclement weather. Participants will receive an email in the days preceding the program for any changes or cancellations. You can review our current Cancellation and Refund Policy here. 

About the Instructor: Jonathan Darby

Jonathan Darby is a wild foods enthusiast and educator, avid gardener, former farmer, and has served the Horn Farm Center in varying capacities for over 15 years. He currently serves as Farm and Agroforestry Manager. Jonathan received his Permaculture Design Certification in 2011 from Susquehanna Permaculture and in 2014 completed his Permaculture Teacher Training through Dynamic Ecological Design. He is married with 2 kids and 3 cats.