Want to learn something new? Check out our workshop schedule for a variety of gardening and cooking workshops. All our workshops are FREE, though donations are appreciated. To sign up, visit our sign up page.
Most of our workshops will be held in the LeFevre Barn at Emma Prusch Park in San Jose. We will post signs leading you there from the bulletin board just inside the main park entrance near the white farm house.
Our workshops that involve cooking will be held in the Meeting Hall. The Meeting Hall is the building across from the white farm house.
The address of Emma Prusch Park is:
647 South King Road
San Jose CA 95116
Get directions here.
Workshop Descriptions
Intro To Gardening
Always wanted to start a home garden? Growing your own vegetables is a fun, low-cost way to bring healthy food to the table, and the best part is that here in San Jose you can garden all year round! During this free workshop you’ll learn the necessities to successfully grow your own fresh produce, including soils, basic botany, seed starting techniques, and seasonal vegetables. Taught by Master Gardener Sharon McCray, to be held on Saturday, February 27th at 1:30 pm. This workshop is for ages 10 & older. Click here to sign up.
Growing Tomatoes, Peppers, and Other Summer Delights
Join us with two Master Gardener experts and get tips on when and how to grow these tasty edibles to their full potential. Tomatoes and peppers are some of the most versatile culinary plants around, not to mention their high nutritional qualities. We’ll discuss the benefits of different varieties, planting, growing and harvesting methods, and how we can use them in the kitchen. It’s also time to start thinking about your warm weather crops, so come ready to learn about what to expect for your summer harvest! This class is on Saturday, March 20th at 1:30 pm.
Sustainable Garden Design
This class delves into sustainable techniques that will help your home garden produce in an efficient and environmentally-friendly way. We’ll explore methods of companion planting, crop rotation, cover crops, mulching and more. Take home with you the preventative practices of sustainable gardening and grow robust and healthy plants from the ground up. This workshop will take place on Saturday, April 24th at 1:30 pm.
Home Irrigation Systems
Less water, more veggies! Learn how to install and manage your own home irrigation system. We’ll look at the pros and cons of different types of irrigation and find which is best for your backyard garden. Date available soon.
Pesky Pests
Find out which pests are bothering your plants and how to avoid them. There are many factors that affect your plants’ growth cycles, and in this workshop we’ll cover the diseases, weeds, animals and insects that are most prevalent here in the South Bay. We’ll introduce creative, organic management control strategies for dealing with pests, such as planting pest-resistant varieties, attracting beneficial insects, and other practices. Taking place on Saturday, May 22nd at 1:30 pm.
Preserving Your Harvest
By preserving your harvest you can eat your favorite homegrown foods year-round! Master Gardener Sharon McCray demonstrates the entertaining process of drying, canning and storing berries, stone fruits, beans and herbs. After learning how to preserve your delicious food, you can take home recipes to try out yourself! Class will be held in the Meeting Hall on Saturday, June 26th at 1:30 pm.
Handy Herbs
Herbs have been used for centuries for their nutritional, culinary and medicinal properties. We’ll learn the best ways to grow these beneficial plants and how to store them so that they’re ready when you need them. Add to your garden tasty herbs like cilantro, arugula, mint, basil, and more. Here you’ll discover how you can use herbs to combat those winter colds and jazz up your home cooking! Saturday, July 31st at 1:30 pm.
Seed Saving and Starting
Retaining your seeds is a great way to save money and perpetuate your favorite veggies. In this workshop we’ll explore which seeds to save, how to successfully produce seeds in a small gardening area, and how to go about keeping those wonderful heirloom varieties for next season! In addition, you’ll leave the class knowing how to start seeds for your upcoming harvest, including information on lighting, soil, and growing phases. An informative and useful class, not to be missed! Wednesday, August 11th at 6:00 pm.
Canning Tomatoes
Come and join us for a lovely afternoon of tomato canning! Taking place at the Meeting Hall, we’ll start with fresh tomatoes and go through the step-by-step process of canning that you can later apply to a number of foods. A perfect way to save all those extra tomatoes from your harvest, you’ll be able to make nutritional salsas, chilis, sauces, soups and more, at any time of the year. Brought back by popular demand, this class is on Saturday, August 28th at 1:30 pm.
Planting and Growing Berries
Everything you wanted to know about berries! Learn how to sustainably grow these delicious fruits and which varieties of blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries that grow best in the Bay Area. Complete with planting and harvesting information, we’ll also provide you with recipes for home. Date available soon.
Container Gardening
Don’t have a backyard but still want to grow fresh herbs, flowers and produce? Come to our container gardening class and learn how possible (and fun) it is to garden from your apartment! We’ll go over the necessities like irrigation, soil conditions, locations and which plants flourish in their containers. This workshop is great for those who just want to try some diverse gardening methods, too. Held on Saturday, November 13th at 1:30 pm.
