ART OF GROWING FOOD | Weekend in Vermont
The key to enjoying your kitchen garden is to make it both beautiful and productive. This starts on paper with a solid design. In the Art of Growing Food weekend workshop, you will learn my six steps to kitchen garden design, based on classic design techniques that are featured in my books. Once you understand how each element works, you can design a classic European-styled potager that fits any landscape.
This weekend workshop starts with a garden tour of my Vermont kitchen garden and others nearby for you to see and get a sense of how a kitchen garden can be a sanctuary and a place to grow food. We’ll also spend time indoors looking at photos of kitchen gardens, to understand the history and the art form to inspire you with ideas. You will have time to draw your garden and I’ll give you individual time to plan all the elements that will make it successful and leave a plan.
The Art of Growing Food weekend workshop is an opportunity to learn new strategies for low maintenance and high productivity (through soil and compost), to lay out a design on paper that gives you new strategies (paths and beds), and to find areas to sit and enjoy your garden all year round (benches and outdoor dining areas). This two-day workshop takes you from paper to soil and will show you my methods to give you the tools you need to keep growing and turn work into play.
Each class will cover:
- Design Layout Techniques
- Seed Selection and Starting
- How to Draw Basics
- Garden Tools & Soil
- Individual Consultation
What to Bring: Photos of your garden. Photos of gardens you love.
Provided: Graph paper, pencils, rulers, colored pencils, and stencils.
Cost: $425. Per person. Limited to 12 students.
Includes instruction and materials. Drinks and snacks, lunch (2 days), and dinner (1 night)
Dates: Choose from these two weekends:
- May 5th – 7th
- June 2nd – 4th
The Class Schedule:
- Friday: 6–7:30 PM meet in the garden & drinks (dinner on your own)
- Saturday: 9 -12:30 PM class time| Lunch | 1:30 – 4:30 PM garden tours | 6 – 8 dinner
- Sunday: 9–12:30 PM drawing time | Lunch | 1:30- 3:30 PM review and sharing
The Location and Local Inns:
The location for this class will be Manchester Village, Vermont, which is within walking distance to The Inn at Manchester, The Equinox, and the Taconic. We have many excellent restaurants and inns, as well Airbnb’s, bring a spouse and turn it into a holiday weekend.
When you stay in the village, you are within walking distance to Orvis, Northshire Bookstore, Hildene, and popular outlet stores, as well as a safe and easy network of walking trails. Be sure to pack your sneakers and make time for leisure because there is plenty to do.
Manchester, Vermont is in the southwestern corner of the state. It is 30 minutes from Bennington, and an hour from Williamstown, MA. And the closest airport is Albany, a 1 ½ hour drive.
