2025 CORE CLASSES at Blaine Sr/Community Center
Mason Bees 101
Jan 4, Saturday 9:30-11:30am - Sr/Community Center
The crisis in all of our bee populations is very real. We want to help you learn how to support all pollinators in your own backyard.
This workshop will present an overview of the problem and introduce you to native pollinators. We will discuss how to establish
and maintain a healthy mason bee colony in your yard. May have a local honey bee expert as our guest!
Winter Soil, Extending the Growing Season
Jan 22, Wed - 3-5pm - Sr/Community Center
What effect has winter had on your garden soil? What plants continue to be able to be harvested during the winter? Moving on to simple
hoop house construction to get a jump on the growing season (see Jan. 25 for Seed Sprouting as an accessory class).
Seed Sprouting/Starting
Jan. 25, Saturday - 9:30-11:30am - Sr/Community Center
We will start with “how to get that craving for greens satisfied” by growing sprouts in your kitchen!! Now is also a good time to start thinking
about getting those vegetables started . . . How many seeds? What type? When to start? When to transplant? So many questions??
We can help get you started on the answers! Tips, tricks and growing tables.
Orchids and Houseplants
Jan. 29, Wed, 3-5pm - Sr/Community Center
Tips and tricks for getting those orchids blooming again! We will also have an orchid dividing and re-potting demonstration. Slide presentation
and "plant sale". Bring a houseplant to trade. Let’s chat about general information for indoor plant care, especially during the winter months.
Ponds, Water Features & Rain Gardens
Feb. 5, Wed, 3-5pm - Sr/Community Center
We will be talking about the do’s and don’t of ponds and waterfeatures! Requirements such as location, equipment/utilities, maintenance
AND the fun stuff like fish and plants. We will also be discussing Rain Gardens and how they differ from a water feature. Why would you
want a Rain Garden and how to integrate one into your landscape design.
Pruning 101
Feb. 8, Saturday, 9:30-11:30am - Sr/Community Center
There is no perfect time to start pruning, but now is a great time to start deciding how you will prune your trees because you can see
the structure and where you have overgrowth. So, take advantage of some of our sunny winter days and brush up on those pruning skills.
We will discuss tools, why prune, decisions necessary (learning to understand growth habits of trees/bushes). We will also present
on overgrown trees and how to get them back in shape. Bring your questions!
Dahlias
March 1, Sat, 9:30-11:30am - Sr/Community Center
Dahlias are considered to be the premier cut flower. Easy to grow, though, there are some definite tricks! With thousands of
colors and flower forms and their long bloom time they are VERY rewarding!! Presentation includes expert dahlia growers,
live demos and answering questions. Free tubers! To get your dahlia addiction started!
Kombucha
April 2, Wed, 3-5pm - Blaine Sr/Community Center
Known as “The Elixir of Life”, Kombucha origins remain shrouded in mystery. Some drink it for health, some for
flavor. If you have never tried it, now is your chance! We invite you to get in touch with your inner "Ghengis" by
learning more about this interesting elixir at this fun, informative presentation. We will be sampling different flavors,
demonstrating how to make your own AND sending you home with your own culture (SCOBY) to start brewing.
Composting/Worms
April 12, Sat, 9:30-11:30am - Sr/Community Center
Do you dispose of organic matter in your regular garbage? It's not a good thing for our landfills AND you are throwing away
valuable soil building materials! This workshop will get you started to change that!! We will cover the basics of “food waste recycling"
and how easy it is by managing worms, indoors and out! The upside - You will see huge benefits in your garden!
Container Gardening
May 3, Saturday, 9:30-11:30 - Sr/Community Center
Join us for an "out of the ground and into the box" introduction to container gardening. If you think that you MUST have a plot
of land or maybe mobility issues have slowed you down, we want to help you NOT give up on gardening!! We will start with
the basics from choosing containers and the right plants to learning how to water and feed them.
