With the gardening season upon us, Cranbrook Food Action Committee and Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook are pleased to announce that Luke Kimmel will be teaching 2 workshops: “Wicked Raised Beds” on April 25th 10am-4pm at the Cranbrook Public Produce Garden and 26th at the Kimberley Open Gate Garden. The cost is $45 per person, with volunteer bursaries available for those who are restricted by the price.
Wicking beds are a unique and increasingly popular way to grow vegetables. They are self-contained raised beds with built-in water reservoirs. Water is wicked from the reservoir up into the soil, making these beds self-watering with increased water efficiency. Because they are raised beds, they warm up more quickly in the spring, have good drainage, and are more ergonomic with less need for bending to maintain. In this workshop, old freezers will be used to create the wicking beds giving them a much greener second life than in the landfill, while also providing insulation to the plant roots.
Luke Kimmel is one of the founding members of Calgary’s Leaf Ninjas Inc. Luke designs and facilitates the installation of edible landscapes in Calgary and abroad. “Once plants are established in a wicking bed, watering maintenance decreases from once per day to once per week or less,” says Kimmel. “Wicking beds make gardening easier and more convenient for both beginner and experienced gardeners, and the principles behind wicking beds can be adapted and applied to create water harvesting solutions for entire gardens and landscapes.” He has studied with international experts on topics such as food forestry, permaculture, organic farming, broad scale landscape restoration, rainwater harvesting, composting, soil biology and more. Kimmel’s passion is “making it happen” and whether that’s on the job or in his spare time, you can often find him happily creating things out in the garden.
To register or find out more information about the workshop visit www.wildsight.ca/kimcran or call (250)427-2535 Option 2. Register soon to avoid disappointment. This is a great way to get your gardening season started.
To find out more about the Kimberley Open Gate Garden, email dirk@wildsight.ca. To connect with the Cranbrook Public Produce Garden visit Cranbrook Food Action Committee on Facebook or email cranbrookfood@gmail.com.