City of Woodbury 12th Annual Sustainability and Landscape Workshop, used to be called the Environmental Landscape Workshop, took place this morning at Woodbury City Hall.
The workshop was sponsored by the Woodbury Environmental Advisory Commission, a volunteer group that advises the City Council on matters relevant to sustainability including solid waste, air, water, land, energy, and other natural resources.
Four presentations were offered during the workshop:
- “The Unexpected Joys of Gardening with Natives” by Julia Vanatta
- “Superabundant Small Gardens” by Susan Reed
- “Psychology of Sustainable Behavior” by Christie Manning
- “Emerald Ash Borer & Other Invasive Insects That Really Bug Us” by Renae Smith
My favorite presentation was the second one on vegetable gardening. The session provided an overview of planting techniques for growing more food in smaller places. Reed shared tips for cost-effective gardening and how to maximize you harvest with the right varieties and efficient design.
I have been attending the annual landscape workshop since I moved to Woodbury in 2001, beginning with the fourth annual Environmental Landscape Workshop in 2002.
This year’s workshop was the best attended one ever. I can think of three reasons for the high turn out today.
- Vegetable gardening has become more and more popular in the last couple years with the economy going south. People are very interested in learning how to do it.
- Free non-toxic household cleaners in spray bottles were given away for attendees.
- Prize drawing for a compost bin must be attractive too.
If you missed the workshop, you missed the goodies, but you can still view the presentations.
The workshop was broadcasted live in South Washington County on cable television Channel 16 and will be replayed later. You can also view the program on the Internet via Web streaming on the South Washington County Telecommunications Web site at www.swctc.org.