Gardening for the Green Thumb Challenged: A Free Class Makes Vegetable Gardening Less Intimidating

I always relished the idea of growing my own food – living off the land and becoming one with Mother Nature. In reality, I have just one plant: A sad little office succulent, which is currently dying a slow and mysterious death. Apparently, “I am less nurturing than a desert.”

But, even for those of us who were born without a green thumb, there’s hope for a fruitful spring. This Saturday, March 10, the Founders Garden Club presents “Everything You Wanted to Know about Vegetable Gardening” at the Dallas Arboretum. The workshop will cover the entire process, from preparing the garden space to harvesting the produce, and everything in between.

“With spring upon us, people become inspired to garden and grow. One goal of Founders is to be able to sponsor informative workshops, and the Dallas Arboretum is the perfect partner to help make it happen,” club president Barbara Hunt Crow says.

The event is the first in a series of workshops hosted by the Founders Garden Club at the Arboretum. The Dallas Arboretum’s vice president of horticulture Jenny Wegley will be one of the day’s featured speakers. Wegley will cover information on vegetable selection, seeding or planting, plant needs, keeping produce insect- and disease-free and much more.

After the educational workshop, guests will be welcome to tour the Dallas Arboretum’s newest addition, A Tasteful Place. The 3.5 acre, $12 edible display garden exemplifies good gardening practices with fruit, herbs and vegetables. The Potager Gardens are a key element of the development with seasonal veggies, herbs and flowers, planted ornamentally. One of the four potagers is named for the late Marilyn R. Corrigan, and another for her daughter, Catherine A. Corrigan, a Founders Garden Club member.

The workshop is free with paid admission to the Arboretum and takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Rosine Hall.