Spring's on the way! Gardening classes on tap

Nasty, rough winters seem to have a way of eventually ending and the arrival of March has brought about the annual spring Home Horti-culture Work-shop Series by the Bonner County Garden-ers Assoc-iation.

The group, founded on education, community service and camaraderie, has scheduled a great lineup of classes, set for Wednesday evenings from 6-8 p.m.

The classes are held at the Ponderay Events Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way, Suite F, Ponderay.

Dates run from March 15 to May 3 and classes are $10 per person. Dates and topics are as follows:

- March 15: “Growing Blueberries Successfully” with Patty and Fred Omont

With good cultural conditions, you can grow delicious and abundant blueberries in your home garden. Learn the secrets/varieties, soil conditions, fertilization, pruning and more from the owners of Shinglemill Blueberry Farm.

- March 22: “Seed Saving” by Jennifer Costitch-Thompson

Jennifer will teach you how to collect and store seeds, what plants are suitable for harvesting seeds — hybrids versus heirlooms, and more.

- March 29: “Plant Problem Diagnosis” by Jennifer Jensen, University of Idaho Extension educator

Are you baffled when your plant looks sick? This class will be an introduction to identifying your plant problems; learn to narrow them down by observing symptoms.

- April 5: “Home Orchard Maintenance” by Arthur Church

Planting a fruit tree is just the beginning. The next step is assuring the health of your tree.

Church will provide essential information on keeping your fruit trees healthy and productive.

- April 12: “Harvesting the Garden” with Jon Bair:

Bair has grown a market garden in the area for years. In this class, he will teach you when and how to harvest your various crops as well as storage tips and other important information so that you can make the most of your produce.

- April 19: “Beginning Garden” in North Idaho

This class will be a panel presentation with Laurie Brown, Janae Dale and Ann Warwick.

For those of you who are new to the area and/or new to gardening, this is a class that will teach you how to select a garden site as well as how to create, plant and maintain it.

Included will be tips for choosing seeds, how and when to plant and a question-and-answer session will be held as part of the class.

- April 26: “Permaculture, Hugel Culture and Micro-climates” by Sean and Monica Mitzel

Sean and Monica Mitzel farm here in Bonner County. The duo will introduce class attendees to wholistic and sustainable practices and will also discuss the importance of micro-climates in our region.

- May 3: “Promoting a Healthy Landscape for Bees” by Stephen Augustine, a local beekeeper

We all need to understand the importance of bees and other pollinators in our world. Stephen Augustine will discuss practices that will help create a habitat for these beneficial (and rapidly declining) insects.

Fees cover the cost of venue, publications and materials provided, and the support of non-profit activities of the Bonner County Gardeners Association.

You can sign up for the classes via the association’s message line by calling 208-265-2070, by emailing your queries to bcgardeners@gmail.com or simply arrive for classes and pay on site.

Please be on time as all classes will start promptly at 6 p.m., with check-in beginning at 5:30 p.m. No small children, please.