It’s the middle of winter. It’s cold and damp. The ground is grimy and the sun often disappears for days. The only sign of spring is a few rows of marigold and bean seeds at the grocery store. Even the squirrels look like they could use a vacation to somewhere balmy.
What’s a gardener to do at this dismal time of year?
Pull yourself up by those garden clogs, pick up the phone and register now for one of the best bargains in town: BUGs (Building Urban Gardens), an eight-week hands-on gardening course at Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory.
Don’t be fooled by the name; it’s not just for urban gardeners. Now in its third year, the BUGs program attracts novices and experienced gardeners from the city and suburbs who want to learn more about the nuts and bolts of soil, composting, heirloom seeds, dealing with friendly and not-so-friendly insects, creating an eye-catching edible landscape, downsizing lawns and selecting trees, shrubs, vines and low-maintenance perennials that will prosper in our quirky soils and climate.
“We really emphasize not only basic garden techniques, design and maintenance, but we focus on chemical-free methods and environmentally sound methods. We want them to know about water conservation, understanding the kind of plants that do well in their soil and learning how to design a space so you take full advantage of what’s there,” says Julie Samuels, community outreach coordinator for Openlands Project in Chicago, a non-profit group that works to preserve open space. BUGs sponsor along with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance and the Chicago Park District.
BUGs classes are 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Feb. 1 to March 22 at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave. on Chicago’s West Side. The $75 registration fee means you’ll be paying $3.75 an hour to learn from some of the most interesting, knowledgeable instructors in the Midwest.
“This is one of the most popular gardening series we have at the conservatory. A lot of people are eager to learn about organic gardening and I’ve heard really positive feedback,” says Kirsten Akre, coordinator of the conservatory’s demonstration garden.
Olga Bean lived in California for 26 years before returning to Chicago, where she longed for a garden. She attended the BUGs course last year. “I needed so much help in a hurry and that was the place to ask all the questions. I liked the emphasis on the soil and making sure the earth itself was productive and healthy. And the teachers were so inspiring.”
“The course suits a variety of people. We’re talking about typical back yards or community gardens,” Samuels says. “Experienced gardeners may not know the proper techniques for chemical-free gardening. There’s an emphasis on `right plant, right place’ and using easy-to-grow natives. Those are the kinds of things that allow gardeners to expand their horizons.”
On graduation day last year, participants received tiny ladybug pins to commemorate their achievement.
Jennifer Van Beek of Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood took the BUGs course last year to improve her gardening skills and knowledge. She planted annuals, perennials and grasses in front of her landlord’s building and joined the North Lawndale Greening Committee. “I really enjoyed making the connections with different people and organizations [through BUGs]. The Greening Committee meets once a month, and we talk about composting, exchanging seeds and we take trips. It’s a support group to improve gardens in our neighborhood.”
A 4th-grade classroom teacher at Chicago’s West Side Christian School, Van Beek is responsible for the gardening program there. During the summer session for students in kindergarten through 8th grade, she related plants to nutrition lessons in her science class. Students built solar ovens and cooked vegetables and salsa in them.
“Whether you are going to do a container or a whole back yard, [BUGs] is for everyone. I was a new gardener and the classes helped me build confidence about my skills,” Van Beek says.
Chicagoan Kevin Dick was an experienced gardener, but he signed up for BUGs last year because he was new to the city. “I wanted to learn what type of terrain I was up against. In urban areas, the lighting, air quality and temperatures are different. We covered everything from basic gardening to advanced things such as dealing with nutrient deficiencies. It was really informative. And Garfield Park Conservatory is definitely a nice setting for the class.”
Many attendees find that BUGs is a launch pad to information on other courses and volunteer activities. Dick learned about TreeKeepers, a special seven-week urban tree-care class sponsored by Openlands Project, and he completed the course last fall. He is among the many TreeKeeper volunteers who hold regular work days to care for city trees in public parks, parkways and other sites.
TreeKeepers was just as much fun as BUGs, he says, “and I’ll continue to volunteer.”
Of BUGs, Bean says: “It’s a wonderful bargain, not just the education, but the contacts, the leads and the networking. It was a nice camaraderie.”
BUGs CALENDAR
Here’s the class schedule for this spring’s BUGs (Building Urban Gardens) gardening program at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave.
The eight-week course runs 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Feb. 1 to March 22 and costs $75. Preregistration is required and space is limited to 35 entrants. To register by phone with a credit card, or for more information, call the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, 773-638-1766; press option 6.
Feb. 1: Introduction to organic gardening: healthy soil and composting
Feb. 8: Partnering with nature: friendly bugs and wise weed management
Feb. 15: Your beautiful, edible yard: vegetables, herbs and annuals
Feb. 22: Low-maintenance perennials, natural lawns and lawn alternatives
March 1: Woody plants: trees, shrubs and vines
March 8: Planning and designing your ecological garden
March 15: Preparing and building your ecological garden
March 22: Garden problem solving and graduation
— Nina Koziol
