A fresh view of lawn and garden
Classes give seniors new yard-care ideas
Shirley Sholten learned everything she knows about gardening from her mom.
But she’s ready to try something different.
“I want to know the best carrots to plant or about heirloom tomatoes. I’m ready to gain some expertise,” says the rural Montrose woman, who raises a wide range of fruits and vegetables from sweet corn and arugula to watermelon and cantaloupe.
Next month, she’ll start a series of four classes offered through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing all kinds of educational opportunities geared to people age 50 and older.
Classes will cover vegetable gardening, backyard sustainability, low-input lawn care and edible landscaping.
This year’s classes will be held at the Minnehaha County Extension Office for an hour and a half every Tuesday in May.
Chris Zdorovtsov, Extension educator in horticulture, will teach all the classes, approaching the topics with a broad outlook.
“I want it to be practical – teach things that they can do their own yard,” she says.
Backyard sustainability is a hot topic, and Zdorovtsov will explore the ways a homeowner can employ those methods. Yard care using sustainable practices saves money, she says. It puts less pollution into the environment and teaches healthy yard-care strategies.
She will talk about options such as making a rain barrel, putting in a rain garden and controlling pests.
Zdorovtsov will discuss various plant materials and introduce design principles, such as how to use color in your yard. “Some colors can make a landscape look smaller or larger,” she says.
Another focus will be on creating a natural landscape. Grouping plants in odd numbers and not planting in a straight line will give a more organic look to your design. “Just using two plants would look off-balance,” she says.
OLLI typically offers garden-related classes in the spring, says Eileen Butcher, secretary of the program director.
Students pay $50 for a semester or $130 for a year, which consists of three semesters. Students can take as many classes as they want during a single term, she says.
Reach reporter Dorene Weinstein at 331-2315.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110426/LIFE/104260323/1004/A-fresh-view-lawn-garden
