Fresh Picked: Edible Gardening, Urban Farming and Culinary Delights
Today’s urban gardeners want to squeeze the most from their space, and that includes growing healthy edible produce. Whether you’re new to growing edibles, or want to take it to the next level, we have a wide range of great seminars to help
you get the most from your garden or even a condo balcony.
From choosing the best edible plant varieties, organic control of pests and bugs, to preparing the produce you harvested and using your herbs for good health, a wide range of edible gardening is covered by our experts
sharing the best tips and techniques you need for success. You’ll soon discover edible gardening is fun and fruitful—and can look beautiful! So take a bite on these seminars—you’ll be glad you did.
The Seminars by Category
are listed in chronological order. Please check the full Seminar Schedule for a full list of ALL our seminars.No ticket refunds for Speaker cancellations.
All seminars at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival are FREE with your ticket!
What Your Food Ate: The Roots to Human
Health Begin in the Soil
Anne Biklé–Biologist, science writer and co-author, What
Your Food Ate and The Hidden Half of Nature
David R. Montgomery, PhDAward-winning University of Washington professor
and co-author, What Your Food Ate and The Hidden Half of Nature
We know that what we eat matters to our
health, but one aspect remains underappreciated—what the plants and animals
that land on our dinner plates eat. It turns out that the roots of human health
begin in the soil, with how we grow crops and raise livestock. Weaving history,
science, and visits with innovative farmers reveals the links between soil
health and human health become clear, and practices to improve soil health come
into focus. Whether you are a conventional, organic, or regenerative gardener,
everyone can improve their practices to improve their soil health.
Thursday, Feb 16 at 1:00 pm / Rainier
Room / Book signing to
follow
Shake it up! Herbal Happy Hour Garden Mixology
Robin Haglund–Educator and founder and
president of Garden Mentors® and Garden Mentors Academy
Take your happy hour to new levels! In this
hands-on presentation drafted from her Herbal Happy Hour Garden Course online,
Robin demonstrates how to craft tantalizingly tasty libations harvested from
beautiful garden-grown plants. She’ll teach ways to craft unique cocktails and
mocktails you can grow, blend, pour, and sip in your home garden. Skip pricey
bar tabs! Discover how to garden-to-glass your own tangy, tasty, unique, and
luscious sippables at home.
Thursday,
Feb 16 at 3:15 pm / DIY Stage
Got Pests? Critters in the Edible Garden
Susan Mulvihill—Author, The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook and Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, and garden columnist for Spokesman Review
Do birds and animals think your vegetable garden was planted for them? They can wreak havoc and take the joy out of growing your own food. Birds, deer, gophers, rabbits and squirrels are some of the most commonly encountered creatures. Discover methods for determining which one is causing the problem before taking action. Author Susan Mulvihill will share an array of creative and practical strategies you can implement to make your garden less appealing to them.
Thursday, Feb 16 at 4:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow
Sowing Hope: Grow More Food Across Three
Seasons
Meg McAndrews Cowden–Author, Plant Grow Harvest Repeat and founder,
The Modern Garden Guild
Accelerating your spring garden sparks a
cascading effect across the entire growing season. Learn why and how to
maximize spring productivity—and followed by a productive summer and fall
garden too. With succession planting the right seeds at the right time, we can
all grow more food for longer, the very thing our planet needs.
Friday, Feb 17 at 10:45 am / Hood Room / Book signing to follow
Creative Vegetable Gardening: How to Get More
Joy Out of Growing Food
Kelly Smith Trimble–Editor, writer and author,The Creative Vegetable Gardener and Vegetable
Gardening Wisdom
Between square-foot style and the ubiquitous
rectangular wooden raised bed, vegetable gardens are often the last to be
considered creative. But creativity fuels the resourceful spirit a vegetable
gardener needs to be successful—and to have fun! We’ll explore inspiration from
other types of gardening, from perennials to permaculture, to find ideas that
help us break outside the box and discover more creativity, connection, and joy
in the practice of growing food.
Friday, Feb 17 at 1:15 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow
Weird Vegetable Problems: Abiotic Disorders
and How to Prevent Them
Susan Mulvihill—Author, The Vegetable
Garden Problem Solver Handbook and Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook,
and garden columnist for Spokesman Review
Vegetable gardeners are all too familiar with
insect pests and plant diseases. But what about the frustrating problems that
are either caused by the weather or something we did or did not do? Author
Susan Mulvihill discusses blossom-end rot, sunburn, fruit cracking, bolting,
leaf roll, and bitterness. Most of these disorders are preventable. Learn the
simple steps you can take in your garden to eliminate or greatly reduce the
chance they will become a problem.
Friday, Feb 17 at 5:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow
What Your Food Ate: The Roots to Human
Health Begin in the Soil
Anne Biklé–Biologist, science writer and co-author, What
Your Food Ate and The Hidden Half of Nature
David R. Montgomery, PhDAward-winning University of Washington professor
and co-author, What Your Food Ate and The Hidden Half of Nature
We know that what we eat matters to our
health, but one aspect remains underappreciated—what the plants and animals
that land on our dinner plates eat. It turns out that the roots of human health
begin in the soil, with how we grow crops and raise livestock. Weaving history,
science, and visits with innovative farmers reveals the links between soil
health and human health become clear, and practices to improve soil health come
into focus. Whether you are a conventional, organic, or regenerative gardener,
everyone can improve their practices to improve their soil health.
Saturday, Feb 18 at 11:30 am / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow
GARDEN 101: TAKING YOUR EDIBLE GARDEN TO THE
NEXT LEVEL
What’s for Dinner? Dealing with Unwanted Critters
in the Garden
Susan Mulvihill—Author, The Vegetable
Garden Problem Solver Handbook and Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook,
and garden columnist for Spokesman Review
Edible gardening is more popular than ever and
continues to evolve. Gardeners are thinking outside the box, experimenting with
layering and succession planting, and discovering new strategies to deal with
pesky wildlife. Here are three edible gardening authors and experts to help you
get the most from your edible gardens. Susan Mulvihill will help you discover
methods for determining which critter is causing you problems, how you can take action, and share an array of creative and practical strategies you can implement to make your garden less appealing to them. Kelly
Smith Trimble unboxes the edible garden, helping you break out of boxy and boring gardens to discover more creativity, connection, and joy in the practice of growing food. And Meg McAndrews Cowden will
inspire you with practical planting schedules and tips to push the envelope of
your growing season, bringing diversity within and across your growing seasons
to extend your garden’s bounty beyond what you thought possible
Saturday, Feb 18 at 2:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow
GARDEN 101: TAKING YOUR EDIBLE GARDEN TO THE
NEXT LEVEL
Unboxing The Edible Garden: How to Grow
Outside the Lines
Kelly Smith Trimble–Editor, writer and author,The Creative Vegetable Gardener and Vegetable
Gardening Wisdom
Edible gardening is more popular than ever and
continues to evolve. Gardeners are thinking outside the box, experimenting with
layering and succession planting, and discovering new strategies to deal with
pesky wildlife. Here are three edible gardening authors and experts to help you
get the most from your edible gardens. Susan Mulvihill will help you discover
methods for determining which critter is causing you problems, how you can take action, and share an array of creative and practical strategies you can implement to make your garden less appealing to them. Kelly
Smith Trimble unboxes the edible garden, helping you break out of boxy and boring gardens to discover more creativity, connection, and joy in the practice of growing food. And Meg McAndrews Cowden will
inspire you with practical planting schedules and tips to push the envelope of
your growing season, bringing diversity within and across your growing seasons
to extend your garden’s bounty beyond what you thought possible
Saturday, Feb 18 at 3:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow
GARDEN 101: TAKING YOUR EDIBLE GARDEN TO THE
NEXT LEVEL
Layering Succession in the Food Garden
Meg McAndrews Cowden–Author, Plant Grow Harvest Repeat and founder,
The Modern Garden Guild
Edible gardening is more popular than ever and
continues to evolve. Gardeners are thinking outside the box, experimenting with
layering and succession planting, and discovering new strategies to deal with
pesky wildlife. Here are three edible gardening authors and experts to help you
get the most from your edible gardens. Susan Mulvihill will help you discover
methods for determining which critter is causing you problems, how you can take action, and share an array of creative and practical strategies you can implement to make your garden less appealing to them. Kelly
Smith Trimble unboxes the edible garden, helping you break out of boxy and boring gardens to discover more creativity, connection, and joy in the practice of growing food. And Meg McAndrews Cowden will
inspire you with practical planting schedules and tips to push the envelope of
your growing season, bringing diversity within and across your growing seasons
to extend your garden’s bounty beyond what you thought possible
Saturday, Feb 18 at 3:30 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow
Spring Edible Garden Planning for Small Spaces
Christy Wilhelmi–Award-winning blogger, Gardenerd and author, Gardening for Geeks and
Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden
Do you struggle with finding room for everything
you want to grow in your veggie garden? Learn Christy’s invaluable process that
you can repeat season after season to plan your vegetable garden ahead of time.
Discover tried and true methods for tracking progress and crop rotation, as
well as tricks of the trade for making the most of every square inch. You will
reap a bountiful harvest with some spring garden planning!
Sunday, Feb 19 at 12:00 pm / Hood Room / Book signing to follow
Grow–Harvest–Preserve: Getting the Best from
Your Herb Garden
Sue Goetz CPH, EcoPro–Owner, Creative
Gardener and author, Complete Container Herb Gardening and A Taste
for Herbs
It all starts in the garden, growing fresh
herbs—then the journey continues with learning how to use them. Discover harvesting
tips for the best ways to fully capture the essence of all your herbs, how to preserve
them, freezing and drying techniques, and how to use herbs in infusions. Also
learn proper storage and herb blending ideas for use in teas, culinary dishes,
and natural beauty, healing, and personal care, and more.
Sunday, Feb 19 at 1:30 pm / DIY Stage / Book signing to follow
Raised Bed Gardens: Keeping Your Veggies—And Your Family—Healthy
Linda Chalker-Scott, PhD–WSU Horticulture Professor and
author, How Plants Work and The Informed Gardener
Raised bed gardening is increasingly popular,
especially for gardeners with limited growing space or contaminated soil. This
seminar will present the science-based nuts and bolts of raised bed gardening:
how to select the proper materials, what to use as planting media, and how to
manage soil fertility, weeds, and pests in environmentally friendly ways.
Handouts containing the text of the talk will be available to download.
Sunday, Feb 19 at 4:00 pm / Rainier Room / Book signing to follow