First People’s Garden Fall Workshop - Today at Noon!

Looking for something fun and informative to do this Friday at 12 noon? Visit the People’s Garden at USDA Headquarters in Washington, DC for their first workshop of Fall 2010 entitled Gleaning Resources: Finding information, materials and helping hands for your garden.

Instructor Katie Rehwaldt, Program Director of America the Beautiful Fund’s Seeds That Grow Hope program and Co-Coordinator of the annual Rooting DC Urban Gardening Forum, is an expert at connecting DC residents with the tools and resources they need to grow their own food. She will be teaching how to save money, find seeds, help improve the environment, and gain valuable knowledge by tapping into the many obvious and not so obvious resources which can be found right near where you live and work. You’ll learn how to think creatively by turning trash into garden treasure, rally an army of volunteers, take advantage of government services, and get the help and advice you need when you need it.

Join them every Friday until the last week in October for workshops that will teach you how to extend your growing season, preserve what you’ve grown and prepare for next season. Register by calling (202) 690-3898. The People’s Garden is located on the corner of Jefferson Drive and 12 Street, SW.

From USDA Blog

Gardening good for the body & the soul - Follow Friday Friend

I love garden blogger Kathy Van Mullekom and her Diggin' In blog. I feel like she and I are definitely kindred spirits who enjoy our gardens both for the inspiration that they provide us and for the pleasures of the birds, butterflies and other little critters that share our garden spaces with us.

This exerpt from her recent post entitled Gardening is good: Research links mood to outdoor exercise is a perfect example:

The recent issue of AARP magazine features an article stating new research from England's University of Essex finds that just find minutes of "green exercise," which includes gardening, cycling and fishing, boosts your mood and self-esteem.

This latest research confirms what other similar studies have said: Getting your hands dirty helps you emotionally and physically.

Add a little mediation, or quiet prayer, while you garden and your spiritual side soars, too!

My meditation in the garden happens best when I encounter wonderful little scenes like the box turtle eating my Juliet tomatoes. I love turtles, so I was so happy to see him feasting on the treats. I always plant more than husband Ken and I need, so Mr. Turtle was welcome at my buffet. Read full post here.

Everything that Kathy writes is wonderful. She is definitely another example of my deep research - that "Peter Rabbit's experience aside, gardeners are probably just nicer people."

Follow Friday Tip: Follow Kathy on Twitter @diggindirt