Carilion Clinic issued the following announcement on Feb. 16
Carilion Clinic's Community Health and Outreach team isn't waiting six more weeks for spring to start.
From small-space gardening to building your own greenhouse, they've scheduled so many events this growing season at Morningside Urban Farm that there's something for everyone!
"There is an imaginative transport that comes with dreaming and planning a garden during the winter," says the Farm's Angela Charlton, R.D.-N. "The sensory recollections of that emerging greenery, bird sounds, and the scent of rain and soil give way to that of flowers and fruiting vegetables. It doesn't get more therapeutic than that!"
Events at the Farm will include yoga, composting, mosaics, strength training, fairy gardens, plant-based diets and much more.
Get the details at CarilionClinic.org/farm, and stay in the know by subscribing to the new Morningside Message newsletter!
In the meantime, our farmer Cam Terry offers his own tips for dirt therapy in the off-season.
Cover the Soil
Repeated freezing, thawing, wind and snow creates an inhospitable environment for all the soil microbes that will help your garden plants grow come springtime. To keep the microbes happy, Cam recommends covering the soil surface with a mulch of straw, shredded leaves or even a plastic tarp.
Swap Your Seeds
Most gardeners buy more seed than they need. While thumbing through new catalogs can be fun, it's nice to share with your fellow gardeners. Meet up with a few gardening friends and do some seed trading to infuse some new varieties into this year's garden.
Make a Plan
Don't let the ides of March sneak up on you! Do some scheduling to make sure that plants you want to transplant into the garden are ready on time! Cam recommends the Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Farming in the Southeast for beginning gardeners to help plan the season out.
Connect With the Pros
Want more hands-on help? Connect with local resources:
- Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
- LEAP (Local Environmental Agricultural Project)
- Roanoke Master Gardeners
- Facebook groups: Gardening in Virginia Q&A, Roanoke VA Gardening, New River Valley Master Gardener Association, SWVA Seed Swap and more
Alerts Sign-up