Nourishing Gardens Presents: Beyond the Garden Bed
Schedule
Sat, 05 Sep, 2026 at 10:00 am to Sat, 03 Oct, 2026 at 03:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
8000 Harriet Tubman Ln | Columbia, MD
About this Event
Description
CEI's Nourishing Gardens Training will equip participants with skills needed to roll up their sleeves and start gardening. CEI offers a unique local perspective based on experience stewarding Freetown Farm, a 6.4-acre farm in Columbia, MD; the Green Farmacy Garden, a 6-acre medicinal plant garden in Fulton, MD; and community gardens throughout Howard County.
Training participants will have the opportunity to make a difference in their community while gaining hands-on experience learning how to replace turf with ecologically beneficial gardens at our Saturday sessions.
Beyond the Garden Bed Training
This 5 week training is designed as a follow up to our Food Gardening Made Simple course. This course goes beyond the basics of food gardening to focus on the wider picture of permaculture design, native and edible landscapes, and food systems. This course will have a hands-on experiential learning portion as well as the classroom experience.
Course schedule:
Saturday, September 5th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.* | Permaculture design
Saturday, September 5th, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | In-person experience
Saturday, September 12th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.* | Soil Health & Climate Connection
Saturday, September 12th, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | In-person experience
Saturday, September 19th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.* | Weeds, Pests, & Disease Management
Saturday, September 19th, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | In-person experience
Saturday, September 26th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.* | Edible Landscapes, Natives, Pollinators
Saturday, September 26th, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | In-person experience
Saturday, October 3, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.* | Food Systems
Saturday, October 3, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | In-person ending ceremony
*Each Saturday, there will be a 1 hour break between the class and hands on experience for lunch. Lunch will not be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own lunches and have access to fridge space if need be.
Cost - $159
Space is limited. Registration is required. Drop-in sessions will not be offered.
Registration costs support CEI in our mission to cultivate communities where people and nature thrive together. With your support, we're able to offer flexible paid work opportunities to community members, earn an income that supports the operations of our organization and mission-delivery, and invest in programs that build community, protect our environment, and support the health and wellbeing of our community members.
This course will be led by Em Whiddon, the Community Ecology Institute Nourishing Gardens Program Coordinator, in collaboration with other CEI experts. Em is currently a member of the Maryland Climate Corps as a Second Year Leader. Em is passionate about food gardening as well as native plant gardening.
If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to reach out to Em Whiddon at [email protected]
Where is it happening?
8000 Harriet Tubman Ln, 8000 Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 171.50
