Food doesn’t get any more local than your own yard! Always wanted to plant a vegetable garden but didn’t know how or where to start? Whether you have a lot of space or just a sunny patio, learn the basics to grow your own fresh, favorite vegetables. It is easier than you think and doesn’t need to take a lot of time or work. The payoff is big – your vegetables will taste even better than the ones you buy at the farmer’s market. Class discussion will include ways to protect your bounty from the neighborhood critters (rabbits, deer) and managing plant problems.

Mickey Scullard is a UMN Master Gardener in Dakota County and loves to help people get their hands dirty while growing their own food. She’s been a master gardener for 17 years, but started gardening as a young child with her grandma and mother. The introduction of multi-colored carrots, beets, beans, cauliflower, potatoes and swiss chard bring a lot of color to her gardens and she loves the curly scapes on the garlic she has been growing for the past several years.

Blueberries are popular fruits with well-documented health benefits. Blueberry plants are also exceptional bushes worthy of planting in the home landscape. Plants have a profusion of white blossoms in late spring, and the leaves are glossy green in summer and have outstanding red foliage in autumn. In this session we will cover choosing a site, soil preparation, maintenance, pruning, plant selection and answer any questions you may have about growing these delicious fruits.

Tori Clark lives south of Hastings with her husband and children where they tend to various gardens including perennials, annuals, shrubs, veggies, fruit trees and berries. Over the last 10 years as a Master Gardener and working in the horticulture industry, Tori has had great educational and hands-on opportunities to learn more about gardening and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.