Program Description:
This 8-week series will explore gardening through the lens of sustainability. The most enduring landscapes are those with diverse biological systems. By working with nature we can create productive, functional gardens that will provide us lasting nourishment for the body, mind and spirit. The series will cover aspects of growing your own food, reducing water consumption, soil conservation, garden ecology and more. Many sessions will provide take home materials to aid the success of your home garden.
Series Cost: $180/Members; $200/Nonmembers
If you are only able to attend one or two sessions, contact Derrick at 865-974-7151 or dstowell@utk.edu.
** Please refer to our cancellation policy prior to registering.**
February 5 – Garden Ecology
Presenter: John Tullock
Take Home: Solitary bee home.
Join local writer and biologist John Tullock to learn about your garden’s “network” of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Learn to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. Participants will have the opportunity to take home a solitary bee home.
February 12 – Growing with the Seasons—Warm and Cool Season Edibles
Presenter: John Tullock
Take Home: Seed kit with a variety of the presenter's favorite seeds.
John Tullock shares his experience and expertise in growing vegetables and culinary herbs in the beautiful Tennessee Valley region. Besides popular warm season crops like corn and tomatoes, cool season edibles such as lettuce, broccoli and some lesser known ones will be covered. Participants will receive a seed kit with a variety of seeds chosen for their performance in our area.
February 19 – Healthy Soil for Healthy Plants
Presenter: Holly Jones
Take Home: Participants can bring in a soil sample to have tested.
Make your garden a success by building healthy vibrant soil. UT Gardens’ Kitchen Garden manager Holly Jones will share her experiences working with pH adjustment, nutrient management, cover cropping, composting, soil testing, mulching and much more. Techniques such as Hugelkultur and swale based systems will be explored.
February 26 – Simple Propagation: Seed Saving, Division, and Cuttings
Presenters: John Tullock and David Pease
Take Home: Cuttings participants take this day will be available once they have taken root. John Tullock and horticulture graduate student David Pease team up to explain how to save seeds from your vegetables and ornamental plants, and how to propagate plants by division or cuttings. Participants get hands-on experience with making cuttings, and may choose to take them home or leave them on our mist bench until they have taken root.
March 5 – Organic Pest Control
Presenter: Holly Jones
Take Home: Participants will receive seeds beneficial insect attracting plant seeds.
While 95% of insects are either neutral or beneficial to humans, that other 5% can be a real nuisance! Join, UT Gardens Kitchen Garden manager Holly Jones to learn chemical free methods to deal with the pests that are ailing your garden. We will look at companion planting, mechanical control, variety selection, attracting predatory insects, natural insecticides and more.
March 12 – The “Other” Edibles in the Garden
Presenter: John Tullock
Take Home: Participants will receive a perennial berry plant.
John Tullock shares his favorite tips and techniques for growing backyard berries both in containers and in the garden. Rich in vitamins and phytonutrients, berries grown at home also taste better than supermarket ones. Participants will be able to choose a perennial berry plant to take home.
March 19 – Best Practices for Irrigation
Presenter: Ben Cordes
UT Gardens horticulturist Ben Cordes will discuss the benefits and challenges of the most common methods for watering your garden. Learn the basics for a sprinkler and drip system installation, how much water to apply and when, as well as adjusting water pressure, timers, water conservation and rain barrel systems.
March 26 – Gardening With Native Plants
Presenter: John Tullock
Take Home: Participants will take home native plant seeds.
Learn about incorporating native plants and their cultivars into your garden plan with local author and wildflower enthusiast John Tullock. He will discuss choosing plants for a variety of garden situations, identifying sustainable native plant sources, best and worst plant picks, and caring for native plants in the garden. John shares his insights from four decades of native plant gardening experience.
Presenter Bios:
John Tullock is a full time freelance writer who specializes in books on horticulture, with a focus on edible gardening. He earned a masters degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of TN. His latest book is entitled Seed to Supper: Growing and Cooking Great Food No Matter Where You Live.
Holly Jones has been managing the production, maintenance, and display of vegetable, small fruits, herb and cut flower crops for the UT Gardens sustainable kitchen garden for the past 4 years. She studied public horticulture at the University of TN where she received a bachelors degree in Plant Sciences. She has been practicing horticulture for over 15 years in a variety of climates and landscapes.
David Pease is a graduate assistant in the UT Dept. of Plant Sciences and in UT Gardens education and therapeutic horticulture programs. He is pursuing a masters degree in Plant Sciences with a concentration in Public Horticulture. He created and now runs the UT Gardens 'DIG IT!' afterschool program for urban at-risk youth. David is also a 2016 recipient of the Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture and the Tom Dunlap Fellowship in Agriculture.
Ben Cordes is a lead horticulturist for UT Gardens. He manages the turf, irrigation and construction needs of the Garden. He attended Auburn University where he earned a bachelors degree in agronomy. He has many years of experience working on golf courses and in the private landscape industry.
