Rooted Here: Growing in Calgary’s Climate
Join us for a relaxed, practical gardening series designed for Calgary’s unique climate. Led by local expert Janet Melrose, these sessions are perfect for beginners and those looking to build their skills.
You’ll learn what grows well here, when to plant, and how to care for your garden while connecting with others who share your interest in growing food and flowers.
Location and Timing:
Sessions take place Thursday evenings, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the Dalhousie Community Association.
Each session is two hours long. Details for each topic are listed below:
- May 14 – Edible Gardening in Calgary – Part 1 – Spring
- June 11 – Edible Gardening in Calgary – Part 2 – Summer
- August 6 – Growing Fruit in Calgary
- September 10 – Indoor Edible Gardening Year-Round
By the end of the series, you’ll:
- Feel more confident planning and planting your garden
- Know what works best in Calgary’s climate
- Have practical tips you can use right away
- Be part of a local gardening community
Details:
You can sign up for the full series or select the individual sessions you want to attend. Each session will be informal (which is what makes Janet’s style so natural and awesome) and will include demos and examples.
Costs:
- Full Series: $80 per person
- Individual Sessions: $26 per session
*Registration is required at least two weeks before the first session.
- The program will proceed once minimum registration is reached. If minimum registration is not met, participants will be notified and refunded.
Janet Melrose, Calgary’s Cottage Gardener
Gardening can provide an opportunity for you to “grow, nurture and bloom” (Janet Melrose).
Janet’s vast experience, great stories and great tips about gardening in Calgary will make you want to get out there and apply some great ideas into your own gardens (no matter the size of your garden or your experience level).
May 14 - Edible Gardening in Calgary - Part 1 - Spring
In the first session learn the fundamental for successful edibles:
- Our climate and environmental factors for edible gardening
- Soil and water requirements for edibles
- Cool season crops for spring
- Seeds versus seedlings
- Techniques for seedings
- Early care of those growing edibles
- Some common disease, insect and weather damage that we may encounter
August 6 - Growing Fruit in Calgary
Learn about growing fruit successfully in Calgary:
- Types of fruit that are hardy for Calgary- from apples to kiwi
- Planning your fruit garden orchard or food forest
- Selecting trees and shrubs
- Planting techniques and first year requirements for newly planted trees and shrubs
- Care for fruit trees and shrubs including training and pruning
- Harvesting tips
- Pests and diseases of fruit species
June 11 - Edible Gardening in Calgary - Part 2 - Summer
In the second session learn about growing in the summertime:
- The warm season crops that are planted when the soil is warm
- Perennial edibles
- Techniques for hardening off and transplanting
- Planting systems to maximize productivity and the growing season
- Summer pathogens and bugs that go after edible crops
- Harvesting know how
- Plus sneaky tips to foil Mom Nature’s quirky side
September 10 - Indoor Edible Gardening Year-Round
Growing indoors year round:
- Requirements for growing edibles indoors- space, light, temperature
- Growing systems
- What we can grow indoors year round
- Techniques for various
- Problems that crop up
- Harvesting
- Fun stuff from kitchen scraps
