Got the itch for gardening? Try classes offered by Spokane city, county libraries

Despite the unseasonably warm end to February, dirty clumps of melting snow can still be spotted around Spokane County. But gardening enthusiasts are already dreaming about green shoots sprouting from rich, dark soil.

For those with itchy green thumbs, the Spokane County Library District and Spokane Public Libraries are offering a slew of gardening classes.

On Thursday at the North Spokane Library, more than 20 people gathered to learn about propagation from seeds and cuttings at a class taught by Steve Nokes.

“I like to teach these classes early in the spring when people have cabin fever and are tired of winter,” he said.

Nokes, a Master Gardener for 34 years, said it’s never too soon to prep for planting.

“I start seeding Dec. 15,” he said. “Right now, I’m seeding massive amounts.”

Nokes has two greenhouses, but at Thursday’s class he demonstrated that you can get a head start on your garden right at your dining room table, using grow lights and heat mats to nurture tender seedlings.

He popped petunia seeds into half-gallon milk jugs, cut in half.

“We don’t use backyard dirt, we use soil,” he explained.

Some were surprised to learn that February is a great time to start onions and petunias indoors, and March is prime for peppers and tomatoes.

“Timing is everything,” said Nokes. “In our area, May 15 is usually the target to start planting outdoors.”

A girl in the back of the room raised her hand.

“Will you give us seeds so we can plant them at our house?” she asked.

Her question was perfectly timed, because North Spokane Library recently became the fifth Spokane County District Library branch to feature a seed library.

“You can check out seeds right here in the library,” Nokes replied.

The district’s first seed library debuted at the Otis Orchards branch in 2015.

“Each branch was given funds to use to benefit the community in an innovative, impactful way,” Librarian Tammy Henry said. “In Otis Orchards a lot of people are interested in gardening, so we used our funds to start the seed library.”

Community members can check out up to 12 seed packets each season.

“We had two goals,” Henry said. “We wanted to have heirloom seeds available for plants we know grow well in the area, and we wanted to offer gardening classes.”

Those who take seeds are encouraged to save seeds from plants at the end of the season and return them to the library. Classes on seed-saving are offered in the fall.

Both gardening classes and seed libraries have blossomed.

At Spokane County Library District locations, workshops on everything from vertical gardening to worm bin composting to DIY rain barrels are available.

Similarly, Spokane Public Libraries are offering more than a dozen gardening classes, and boast two active seed libraries, at Hillyard and at Indian Trail. The Shadle seed library is on hiatus while that branch is closed for renovation.

In addition to Otis Orchards and North Spokane, the Spokane County Library District has seed libraries at Cheney, Fairfield and Spokane Valley locations.

While many seeds are purchased or donated by programs like WSU’s Extension program, Henry said more and more of the seeds are being returned by library users, which is just what the district had hoped.

“We’re always looking for volunteers to come in and repackage the seeds we get returned,” she said. “And our seed libraries are available all year long.”