Medicinal Herbs & Food as Medicine
7 Month Hands-On Monthly Gardening Program
Forth Thursday’s 9:00-1:00 April-October - Rain or Shine
Begins April 28th
With Sunflower Sarah, Herbalist , Gardener & Herb Farmer
Special Guests Lupo Passero, Community Herbalist & Denise Fitch, Horticulturist
There’s something deeply satisfying about harvesting your own medicinal herbs and food in which you planted as tiny seeds months earlier. Throughout the growing season the joy of harvesting leaves, flowers, stems, seeds, fruits, vegetables and roots for your home kitchen and apothecary is its own type of medicine. There is great pride to be taken in having helped to foster the birth and creation of plants that can nourish you, your family or your community. There is additional satisfaction in not worrying about mysterious pesticides, genetically modified seeds, or poor working conditions on farms. Getting back to basics and learning to grow your own medicinal herbs (and food) is an act of resistance and resiliency. Join us and learn to grow your own sustainable food + medicinal herb garden and take home an abundance of seeds, starts, medicinal herbs and edible plants.
We will be growing all certified organic herbs and veggies both annual and perennial from seed, starts, cuttings, transplants and possible plant rescues. We will learn to work with and harvest all medicinal parts of the plants and the various techniques and tricks of the trade to grow and foster beautiful gardens (either in ground or container based) for years to come. We will be growing, tending and harvesting the following:
Herbs: Ashwagandha, Calendula, Basil, Echinacea, Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Lemon balm, Peppermint, Holy Basil, Oats, Yarrow, Anise hyssop, Comfrey, Marshmallow (transplants), Rosemary, Lavender, Bee balm, Chamomile, Valerian, and Cayenne
Veggies: Potatoes, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, Peas, peppers, beets, beans, garlic, greens (kale chard)
Supplies Needed: Rain Gear, Gardening gloves, Pruner, Trowel or Hori Hori, Pocket Knife, Bucket and Gathering Basket (We can provide all supplies for an additional fee).
Take Home: All participants will take home an abundance of medicinal and edible plants to build your own at home garden (container or in ground) and learn how to tend to them throughout the year. Learn the medicinal qualities of each plant and the joy of growing organic food and herbal medicine. Many of the plants that we will work with are perennials and will come back for years to come. The seeds of the annual can be saved for future generations. Students will also take home nocino (black walnut liqueur), a jar of kimchi (sauerkraut), black garlic and glycerite.
Build your confidence with growing medicinal plants as and earn your herbal green thumb!
COURSE OVERVIEW
April: bed and fence building, early seed sowing (carrots, onions, lettuce, chard, chamomile, beets).
May: transplanting (tomatoes, peppers, holy basil) and planting seeds like sunflowers, zucchini, calendula and potatoes.
June: weeding, garlic scape harvest, wild foods—make nocino (black walnut liqueur).
July: hill the potatoes, more weeding, fermentation lesson—kimchi (sauerkraut).
August: harvesting—garlic, potatoes, hops, calendula, black garlic demonstration.
September: more harvesting—carrots, beets, etc. medicine making—glycerite, lesson on preserving—canning, drying, and freezing.
October: putting the garden to bed for winter, mulching, planting garlic, record keeping, seed saving.
2022 CLASS SCHEDULE, DATES & LOCATION
Class will meet the fourth Thursday of each month April through October from 9 am to 1 pm. April 28, May 26, June 23, July 28, August 25, September 22 and October 27. All classes will be held at Twin Star’s outdoor classroom in New Milford, CT.