Not sure when to plant veggies? This class will tell you that and more!

Free - You must register yourself at the link below PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Date/Time: August 1, 2009 (Saturday) 9:00 – 10:30AM

Location: Auditorium

Description: Fall is the beginning of nine months of great gardening in Florida. Learn the basics of vegetable gardening including soil preparation, adjusting soil pH, fertilizing, irrigation, pests and diseases. Among other benefits, successful vegetable gardens offer their owners fresh air, sunshine, exercise, enjoyment, mental therapy, nutritious fresh vegetables, and economic savings.

Click here to REGISTER

The meeting is free and open to anyone interested in organic gardening, foods, or products. Arrive early at 6:30 for socializing, food, and beverages. Afterwards we continue the discussion nearby at Ethos Vegan Kitchen from 9-10pm.

This month Nick Francisco of Blodgett's Nursery will chair an Open Forum on gardening successes and challenges. Bring samples of plants and or write your comments and questions on a note card. Nick will also discuss the BRIX quality evaluation system.
As always, bring any surplus from your garden to share, treats for the tasting table, and plants and gardening supplies for the raffle table. (Tix $1 each, 6 for $5)
Simple Living is adding a sales table to the meetings.
Items include wormcomposting products, garden patch boxes, totes & t-shirts.
2 gal banana plants at $8 each; 1 gal blueberry, pineapple & papaya plants @ $5.

I will try my best to make but it if you dont see me then look for Tia! This is a meetup event hosted by another meetup group.

1st PERMACULTURE MEETUP in CENTRAL FLORIDA! (Park in the CITY LOT behind ETHOS. On Alden Rd. , across Railroad Tracks. Look for WHITE SIGN with BIG GREEN "P" for "PARKING.") We are starting to study Permaculture Design Principles. We hope a Community Project will arise out of our Studies. See you There!

In case you are wondering:

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in the natural ecologies. It was first developed by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren and their associates during the 1970s in a series of publications. The word permaculture is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture, as well as permanent culture.

The intent was that, by rapidly training individuals in a core set of design principles, those individuals could design their own environments and build increasingly self-sufficient human settlements — ones that reduce society's reliance on industrial systems of production and distribution that Mollison identified as fundamentally and systematically destroying Earth's ecosystems.

While originating as an agro-ecological design theory, permaculture has developed a large international following. This 'permaculture community' continues to expand on the original ideas, integrating a range of ideas of alternative culture, through a network of publications, permaculture gardens, intentional communities, training programs, and internet forums. In this way, permaculture has become both a design system and a loosely defined philosophy or lifestyle ethic.

This is a free class but you have to register early because space is limited.

Location: Magnolia Room

Description: Florida’s mild climate presents the home gardener with an opportunity to grow a wide assortment of vegetables, including not only the well-known types, but many other minor varieties such as Boniato, Bok Choy, Chayote, Jicama, Malanga, Napa Cabbage, Tomatillo, and many others.

Registration on line:
Click Here to Register

Date/Time: Jun 4, 2009 (Thursday) 6:00 – 7:30PM

Hosted by: Organic Growers Collective

Where: Camilla Room, Harry P. Leu Gardens
When: 7pm to 8.45pm.
Cost: Free!

Introduced in September of 2007, the Organic Growers Collective is Simple Living's newest iniative. The intent of this program is to bring together Central Florida's organic growers and consumers with the hopes that the collective synergy created by this type of alliance will create public awareness of organic issues, facilitate development of organic community projects, and provide an outlet for local organic growers to share and discuss organic farming best-practices.

The collective is open to anyone who would like to participate. Be a part of the effort to increase organic crops in your backyard, in community gardens, in schools, and on your kitchen windowsill. Learn about other growers practicing sustainable agriculture in our region, and stay posted on the latest organic developments in Central Florida.

Bring samples of your food for our tasting table, plants to donate for the raffle table, and events to post on our community bulletin board. Each month we have an after party at Ethos Vegan Kitchen from 9-10pm for further discussion.