Prepare for spring with class

Fri., Dec. 17, 2004

Pat Munts The Spokesman-Review

2005 Gardening Calendar and Journal

» Want to keep track of all these opportunities? Then pick up a copy of the 2005 Gardening Calendar and Journal put out by the WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners.

» This week-at-a-glance calendar has lots of room to make notes about your garden. It is also chocked full of recipes, gardening how-tos, wisdoms, weather statistics and even some poetry. Copies are available in Spokane at Auntie's Bookstore, Borders Books and Music and the Sprague Avenue Northwest Seed and Pet (2422 E. Sprague Ave.). It is also available by mail for $19.84 (includes tax and shipping) from the Spokane County Cooperative Extension Office, 222 N. Havana St., Spokane WA 99202; 509-477-2048.

» All proceeds support the Spokane County Master Gardener Program.

Over the next couple of weeks most of us will be busy with holiday preparations and celebrations. There are cards to get out, last-minute shopping to do, parties and visits with family and friends. And then it’s over. All that may be left are a few threads of tinsel stuck in the carpet. Do people even use tinsel any more? After the holidays, most gardeners will have at least three months of winter to deal with.

Leave it to our region’s cooperative extension offices and community colleges to create the perfect alternative to waiting out the cold: educational classes to warm your mind. Warm thoughts mean warm hearts.

Starting on Jan. 7, learn the science and art of beekeeping from members of the Inland Empire and the Washington State Beekeepers Associations. Sponsored in cooperation with WSU/Spokane County Cooperative Extension, the class will run from 6 to 8 p.m. each Friday through March 11. Those who complete the full series will become certified Master Beekeepers. The fee is $30 for an individual or family plus books. Space is limited, and registration forms can be obtained from the WSU/Spokane County Cooperative Extension, 222 N. Havana St. or by calling 477-2048.

If you ever wanted to learn most of the things Master Gardeners learn without the volunteer commitment, this is the year. Both Spokane and Kootenai County Cooperative Extensions are offering their horticulture series to the general public. These are for the most part the same classes that Master Gardeners have to take to be certified, which means that gardening topics are covered in detail. Spokane County’s program will run Thursday evenings from Feb. 11 to April 28 at the Cooperative Extension Education Center, 222 N. Havana St. The registration fee is $150 and includes the Sustainable Gardening handbook used by the Master Gardeners. This class usually fills up quickly so call for a registration form at 477-2048. A downloadable version is available at www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane.

In Coeur d’Alene, the Kootenai County Cooperative Extension is offering its horticulture workshop in both an evening and afternoon series. Both classes start Feb. 28, but each has a different topic, ranging from selecting and growing landscape shrubs to bonsai, beekeeping, soils, residential irrigation and small woodland forest management, to name a few. The classes will be held at the UI Kootenai County Extension Office, 1000 W. Hubbard, Suite 142. Registration fees are $5 per class, and pre-registration is required. Registration is available online at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/ kootenai/mg.htm or by calling (208) 446-1680.

The Institute for Extended Learning in Spokane is offering four continuing education horticulture classes during the winter quarter. Registration for any of these classes is available by mail, phone, fax or walk in. All the classes are held in the evenings. For more information call the IEL at 509-279-6000.

Full class descriptions are available online at www.ccs.spokane.edu.

Through IEL, you can also learn about the ins and outs of greenhouse gardening during a six-hour series ($31) to be held on the Wednesdays of Jan. 19-26. On Jan. 18 and 20 you can learn how to plan your landscape ($21), whether you are starting from scratch or renovating an old landscape.

If trying to grow orchids fascinates you, then join the one-evening IEL workshop on Feb. 16 ($16). Learn about the proper growing media needed and how to manage the light and temperature to promote flowering.

Lastly, if a new sprinkler system or updating an old one is on the list of spring projects this year, there will be a four-hour workshop on March 8 and 15 ($23).

The Pend Oreille County Cooperative Extension and the Bonner County Cooperative Extension are both still planning their winter class agendas and final schedules should be out by the new year. Bonner County’s schedule will be available by calling 208-263-8511 or online at http://extension. ag.uidaho.edu/bonner.

Pend Oreille County Extension will again be offering its “Sense of Place” classes during the winter. This ongoing series started in 1999 to help people learn about the natural history and the unique local landscape and ecology of northeast Washington. The classes are put on in partnership with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians Natural Resource Department. Call the Pend Oreille Cooperative Extension at 509-447-3401 or online at http://pendoreille.wsu.edu.