Rye's Homegrown 10-week Garden Design Program

Join our 10-week Garden Design Program this spring and learn the fundamentals of Ecological Garden Design and Market Gardening. Through on-campus workshops, field exercises, and hands-on activities, participants will learn and practice garden design through the planning and planting of Ryerson's quarter acre rooftop farm, and ground-level polyculture gardens.

Dates: March 15th–May 24th 2016
Schedule:

• Classroom sessions on Tuesday evenings from 5–7pm
• Field sessions on your choice of
  • Sundays 1–4pm;
  • Tuesdays 1–4pm; or
  • Fridays 9am–12pm

Location: Ryerson University, Campus Gardens & Rooftop Farm
Price: $225.00 ($20/week + $25 registration fee)
Student Rate: $125.00 ($10/week + $25 registration fee)
How to Apply: Email Cindy at ryeshomegrown@gmail.com, with the following information:

1. why you want to participate in the program;
2. past gardening experience (if any) or related outdoor experience;
3. short paragraph about yourself (i.e., department or faculty at Ryerson (if any), field of study, profession, interests, etc.); 
4. what field session you are applying for (i.e., Sundays 1pm-4pm; Tuesdays 1pm-4pm; or Fridays 9am-12pm), in order of preference. Please note, Tuesday classroom sessions from 5pm to 7pm are mandatory.

Workshop and field exercises will include:

• greenhouse seedling production;
• crop-planning: sowing calendar, harvest schedule, crop rotation, record keeping;
• supporting biodiversity and soil health: green manures, cover crops, mulches;
• techniques for planting, weeding, pest maintenance, irrigation and harvesting;
• composting methods: hot composting, vermicompost and compost tea;
• survey of approaches: biointensive, permaculture and biodynamic farming;
• site assessment: observation, solar mapping and soil testing; and
• plant identification and uses.

Spaces are limited, so don't hesitate to apply today!