(5 days on weekends totaling 29.5 hr with an additional optional half day and night)
Designing Bountiful Gardens is one of five modules, and is open to anyone who has completed The Basics of Permaculture. No knowledge of gardening is assumed. This course tours and explains urban and rural gardens designed using permaculture. It demonstrates some basic gardening skills, and surveys the permaculture of vegetables, fruits, and domestic animals. It also examines the placement of all these so that the whole is maximally productive. Water, pest management, soil, plants and their climate adaptations are also considered. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits is available.
Class 1: Urban Garden Tour: We will tour two permaculturally-designed urban gardens which produce a wide and ever-changing array of fruits and vegetables. This will be your chance to observe abstract design concepts translated into functioning, long-lived reality.
Instructors
Bob Randall, Ph.D. taught anthropology in universities for 16 years while studying and researching ecological anthropology. He is the author of Year Round Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers for Metro-Houston, 12th edition. He was one of eight Urban Harvest Cofounders in 1994, and retired in 2008 after 21 years heading
Ray Sher is a market gardener, and has been a major force in the development of many important permaculture and Urban Harvest initiatives: the development of gardening classes, the annual fruit tree sale, The Bayou City Farmers’ Market, and Urban Harvest itself. He has been a permaculture designer for nearly 20 years.
Date: Saturday October 17,
Location: TBA
Class 2: Basic Gardening Concepts 1:
In this class we consider pests, the ecology of pest management and the permaculture of vegetables. We will investigate several stable, sustainable agricultural systems from around the world, placing plants to benefit each other, and organizing communities to produce and consume the highest quality food. We will also discuss bioregional organizing for sustainable food. This topic includes: farmers’ markets, food co-ops, and community gardening.
Instuctors
Diana Liga has a B.Sc. in horticulture from Texas A&M and was for many years Urban Harvest’s staff horticulturist. She became a certified permaculture designer in 2002.
Bob Randall, Ph.D. See above
M. C. Swearingen has been an arborist since 1991, and became a certified permaculture designer in 2004. She assists homeowners and professionals by teaching them how to manage trees for safety, health, strength and beauty. This includes selecting species, maintenance, and removal of branches.
Date: Sunday October 18,
Location: Urban Harvest Classroom
Class 3: Basic Gardening Concepts 2
This class will cover domestic animals, climate and seasons in gardening, soil fertility, fruit trees, gardening concepts and designing a garden. Bring your lunch today.
Instructors
Gita Vanwoerden is co-owner of the
Joe Blanton is Conservation Director of the Houston Arboretum and
Bob Randall, Ph.D. see above
Ray Sher see above
Kevin Topek is owner of a landscape design and building firm, Permaculture Designs LLC (www.permaculturedesign.net ). He received his designer’s certificate in 1993 from permaculture’s founder Bill Mollison. Kevin has also worked for Harris County Agricultural Extension in fruit trees, for the area’s premier mulch and compost firm, and in the early 1990’s did basic work that led to today’s growth in market gardening.
Date: Sunday October 25,
Location: Urban Harvest Classroom
Class 4: Gardening Skills
There will be hands-on demos of planting seeds and transplants, sheet mulching, irrigation, fruit tree pruning, tree planting, and how to change earth patterns to affect rainwater movement. A delicious lunch will be served.
Instructors
Bob Randall, Ph.D. see above
Gita Vanwoerden see above
Date: Sunday November 1,
Location: Animal Farm Permaculture Center is located approximately two hours west of
Class 5: Garden Design & Building
In this class you will use all of what we have learned to create a garden on site. We will make observations, create a design, and implement it as a group.
Instructors
Cas Vanwoerden see above
Gita Vanwoerden see above
Ray Sher see above
Date: Sunday November 8,
Location: Animal Farm Permaculture Center is located approximately two hours west of
Price for entire series of five classes: Members $286, includes materials & lunch at Animal Farm. Non-members $349, includes materials & lunch at Animal Farm. Everyone will want to bring a lunch to the classes at Urban Harvest. Pre-registration is required for this class.
To register: Call Urban Harvest at 713-880-5540 during our office hours. Please register at least three business days before the class. Pre-registration is required for this class.
