Free gardening workshops in April, May at Moulton Farm

MEREDITH ― Anyone wanting to grow some of their own food or have their home or yard look better will find something of interest in the free gardening workshops being offered by Moulton Farm in Meredith over the coming weeks.

“We’re always getting questions from our customers in our farm market and garden center,” said farm owner John Moulton. “The workshops are for both new and experienced gardeners, so anyone should feel comfortable attending, but pre-registration is required since we have limited space, especially if the weather is not cooperating.”

In "Early and Late Season Vegetable Growing," Moulton will share how to get more food from your garden by growing vegetables early in the spring and later into the fall. Topics in this free workshop include soil temperatures and why they matter, light, vegetables and varieties to consider, when to start seeds, transplant timing, ways to protect your plants from the weather, and more. The workshop is being offered twice with the same information covered at each session. One is at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, and the other is at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30. 

On Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m., “All About Growing Herbs” attendees will learn how to grow and care for a variety of herbs in gardens or containers. Special guest Chef Kali, from the farm’s popular kitchen and bakery, will share tips on using some culinary herbs. The workshop is free but pre-registration is required. 

During Moulton Farm’s spring open house on May 2, a hands-on workshop on planting container gardens and window boxes is being offered at 10 a.m. Participants should bring an empty window box or container to plant during the workshop. 

“Bees, Pollinators and Your Garden” is a free workshop also being held on May 2 starting at 1 p.m. Beekeeper JP Swift, who’s been part of the Moulton Farm field crew for more than 30 years, will be sharing what to do and what to avoid doing in your flower and vegetable gardens to benefit bees and other pollinators. He will also discuss how they benefit you and your gardens. Pre-registration is encouraged.

On Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m. in the free workshop “Success with Transplanting Vegetables” Moulton will share tips on how to identify strong seedlings for transplanting, how to avoid transplant shock, what to do, and what to avoid before and after you transplant your vegetable plants.

“Even the healthiest vegetable seedling, whether you’ve grown it yourself or gotten it from a quality garden center like ours, will struggle or fail if you’re not careful,” Moulton said. “What you learn in this workshop can make a big difference in how your plants do later in the season and how much food you harvest.” Pre-registration is required.

“Using Native Plants in Your Garden and Yard” is another free gardening workshop being offered at Moulton Farm on Saturday, May 16. The workshop starts at 1 p.m. Native plants provide so many benefits to pollinators, birds, and the environment. They are also often low maintenance choices that do well in less than ideal soils and growing conditions such as too much or too little water. The farm’s special guest speaker will discuss using and caring for these plants and share ideas for using plants in “tough to garden” locations. Pre-registration is encouraged.

Due to the popularity of past gardening workshops at the farm and limited seats, pre-registration is required. Register by visiting MoultonFarm.com or by calling the farm at 603-279-3915.