Cassie's Stuff

Wow! The winter is passing quickly. It doesn’t seem like it when I look out the window and see a good 12 inches of now on the ground – very unusual for this part of Ohio! It got down to -7 overnight. Brrrr!!! But Square Foot Gardening classes are starting this week. Friday I’m speaking for the Newark Garden Club and next week I’ll be at the Spring Hill’s Homeschooler’s Sessions of Sharing, and Upper Arlington.

Mel Bartholomew told me that Paul Nagy, a certified teacher in Middletown, has hooked Mel up with an Amish builder here in Ohio who is developing SFG boxes that need no tools to assemble! I’m hoping they’ll be available soon.

Mel also has OFFICIAL Mel’s Mix in bags that will be available this coming gardening season. The problem is that the minimum order is 1 pallet, which is 50 bags! Paul and I are working together to get orders to fill a truckload – 20 pallets. Between garden centers and personal orders, I think we can do it! The bags are 2 cu.ft. and I think retail for around $16. Let me know if you’d like to be included.

More classes and events in March. I’ll get my calendar updated soon. If you would like me to come speak to your organization or group of friends, drop me an email at Cassie@CassiesStuff.com.

Wow! It is amazing how quickly my Spring calendar is filling up with Square Foot Gardening classes. Already I’m scheduled to speak in Delaware and Wooster, as well as Newark. I’m also talking with Upper Arlington’s Life Long Learning program and will be there again, probably in February. See my calendar page for a complete listing of events and where I’ll be speaking.

I’m also looking for a venue here in Newark to offer a weekly series of classes. They are not yet developed, but some of my thoughts are to start out with the 10 Basics, of course, but to go into more detail on composting one week, finding ingredients and mixing soil, vertical gardening, fruits in the SFG, protecting the SFG from critters & weather, garden layout & design and lots more. Maybe we’ll even have a cooking class or three to catch the harvest at different points in the season (using the new SFG Cookbook, of course!).

I’m also trying to convince Mel on a weekend SFG conference here in Newark. This would be for any fan of SFG, not just to certify teachers. It would have many of the above subjects and related – such as capturing and storing water and other “green” subjects.

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I’m starting to schedule my Square Foot Gardening classes for the spring. We can start as early as February ’cause we can plant peas and potatoes in March in Ohio, earlier in other states. I’m willing to travel! Especially if it is to someplace warm.

I have the 10 Basics of Square Foot Gardening, a 1 to 2 hour class; Composting 101, about 1 hour; and the Square Foot Gardening hands-on workshop. Not fully developed yet, but I have 6 hours in my mind with a potluck lunch. I can also adapt the classes for specific groups, such as accessibility gardening for seniors or special needs, gardening with children, gardening therapy, etc.

Square Foot Gardening is a method of gardening that uses 20% of the space of a traditional row garden with 100% of the harvest and only 2% of the work! It is an easy method suitable for beginners, seasoned gardeners and all ages and abilities.

To schedule a class (or personal consultation), email me at cassie@cassiesstuff.com