Our Next SCPN gathering will be:May. 17, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center
2050 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa
Donations of $10.00 to $5.00 suggested at the door.
No one is turned away for lack of funds.
**WheelchairAccessible**
The SCPN Presents
Closer to Gaia through Container Gardening
So what does gardening have to do with Paganism? Well, everything of course! There is no other activity that I know of that can bring you closer to the Goddess than gardening, you cultivate not only flowers, herbs and food but also a truly intimate relationship with the Earth. When you grow food you are entering into a partnership with the Earth and when you eat what you harvest it is a sacred communion with the Goddess herself. But what if you don't have a large plot of land or the soil in your yard isn't ideal for growing things? Maybe you live in an apartment or you have very limited space. Perhaps you have limited physical ability and can't do the more rigorous activities of growing plants in the ground. You can remedy these situations by growing plants in pots.
Container gardening has some different requirements than planting directly in the ground and Benn and I have become quite successful at it. We will be sharing with you some of the things we have learned and the techniques we use to help get you started with growing your own container garden. Our focus will be on cultivating food crops from starting seeds to creating and maintaining soil fertility, transplanting seedlings and maintaining healthy plants. We will also talk about the more spiritual side of gardening and why we've chosen to begin growing our own food. There will also be a hands on demonstration on the patio. We will be bringing a limited number of baby heirloom tomatoes as well as assorted seeds for you to plant and take home.
POTLUCK FEAST
Since our gathering is at the dinner hour, we ask that you bring a potluck dish and/or non-alcoholic brew to share that serves 4-6 people. Let's treat ourselves to a good meal. Please bring your own place setting. There will be hot water available for tea.
We ask non-members to make a donation of $10 - $5 to help us cover operating costs. No one turned away for lack of funds.
BIOGRAPHIES
Leeanen says of herself, "I have been gardening since I was old enough to hold a trowel in my hand. My dad taught me most of what I know and some of my fondest memories of him had to do with us working in the garden together planting seeds, transplanting, growing and harvesting fruits and veggies. More recently I began taking classes at the Marin Community College in Novato in sustainable horticulture and took the farm class under the direction of Wendy Johnson, author of the book Gardening at the Dragon's Gate a tale of her experiences at the Green Gulch farm at the SF Zen Center."
Benn says of himself, "I was first introduced to gardening when my parents started a garden when we lived in New Jersey. We only did it one year but the seeds for my love of gardening were set. My love for Mother Earth is what inspired me to study Geology and soil chemistry is part of that discipline. The other side of my interest in gardening is that it's my way of actually doing something to promote self sustainabilty and reduce our dependence on industrialized farming."
