WEEKLY OUTDOOR GARDEN TALKS OFFERED AT CENTRAL LIBRARY

Post date: Apr 19, 2013 2:17:14 PM

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) and Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Master Gardeners are hosting weekly vegetable gardening talks throughout the summer at Central Library in Arlington.

These informal talks are held outdoors at the demonstration garden on the east side of Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201. The talks are held on most Wednesdays, 7:00pm-8:00pm through mid October, 2013.

The talks will focus on urban food production in residential gardens. Topics will include: irrigation, vertical gardening, herbs and container gardens, pollinators, food preservation and composting. Topics will correspond with seasonal changes in the garden. These talks will be lead by Northern Virginia VCE Master Gardeners and AFAC Plot Against Hunger garden volunteers. A film series focusing on urban agriculture will be incorporated into these talks, which will occur at the Central Library auditorium.

Additional information about the Central Library garden, including descriptions about each talk, can be found online at: http://library.arlingtonva.us/ai1ec_event/wednesday-expert-gardening-talk-central/

No registration is required. Outdoor talks will be cancelled in event of heavy rain at class time.

BACKGROUND

The "Arlington Reads, Arlington Grows" garden at Arlington Central Library grew out of the joint initiative of the Library and AFAC Plot Against Hunger volunteers, who dug the original garden near the Library's east entrance in May 2010. The demonstration vegetable garden has expanded beyond its first beds, and was dedicated as a USDA People's Garden in 2011. Fresh produce grown in this garden is distributed to AFAC clients throughout the season. The AFAC Plot Against Hunger Program supports AFAC's vision of providing access to nutritious food for all residents of Arlington, Virginia in need through donations of produce from local gardeners and farmers and through gleaning. More information about the AFAC Plot Against Hunger program can be found online at http://plotagainsthunger.afac.org/Home/how-to-plot-against-hunger.

VCE Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia offered over 11,000 hours of volunteer education in 2012 to our communities. VCE Master Gardeners maintain a help desk, plant clinics and demonstration gardens throughout Arlington County and Alexandria. Further information about the VCE Master Gardeners, and other gardening events in Northern Virginia, can be found online at www.mgnv.org

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Arlington County office of Virginia Cooperative Extension, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington VA 22206; (703) 228-6400/TDD/PC 1-800-1120 during business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss accommodation at least five business days prior to the event.