Gail Schilling teaches the first class in her series called "Let's Grow a Garden" on Thursday, Feb. 19 at her house south of Chehalis.
Gail Schilling teaches the first class in her series called "Let's Grow a Garden" on Thursday, Feb. 19 at her house south of Chehalis.
Gail Schilling shows students in her "Let's Grow a Garden" class around her garden at her home south of Chehalis on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Dried corn grown in Gail Schilling's garden
With spring just around the corner, gardeners in Lewis County are preparing to plant their seeds, hoping to master the craft and produce a bountiful crop.
For those who are new to gardening, a free class provided by Gayle Schilling, a former Master Gardener for 24 years, may be the key to success.
Eight local gardeners attended the first of 20 classes on Thursday, Feb. 19, where they learned the basics of gardening.
Schilling provides classes to newcomers and beginners on her property off of Jackson Highway, teaching prospective gardeners the fruits of her labor. The classes began approximately five years ago, and the class aims to nail down the basics of gardening in Southwest Washington.
Schilling said she enjoys teaching the bountiful information she has acquired over the years.
“I get to share what I have learned, and to watch the light bulbs go on is just really exciting,” she said. “People think, ‘I can’t do that, I’ve never done that before,’ and all of a sudden they say, ‘I did it.’ It’s great.”
The first class focused on the important “S” words: sun, site, soil, size and seeds.
The introductory session taught the gardeners to be aware of where the sun is, ensuring their garden is planted in a place where proper light is available.
Schilling said the site is important, and all those interested in planting this year need to be aware of the slope direction and the amount of shade that hits the desired spot.
“You have to make sure that you have control of the plants and the water and a few other things,” Schilling said. “A nice gentle slope is just about perfect.”
Wind is another key factor the Master Gardener said is important to keep in mind.
Each of the eight participants in the class was asked to find out the type of soil in their gardening plots. Schilling said it is important to determine the amount of silt, sand and clay present in order to figure out what the plants will need to thrive.
She said the size of one’s garden depends on the amount of people the gardener plans on feeding, and believes a square foot garden for each person in the family is an ideal place to start.
“The size of your garden is very important,” she said. “If you are just starting, start small and if you are happy you can always get bigger.”
Another important factor gardeners should think about is the type of seeds they want. Schilling said it is important to decide what you want out of a particular plant, and then go from there, keeping an open mind throughout the process.
Gardeners at the class seemed excited with the upcoming growing season and asked numerous questions, which were promptly answered.
One attendant of the class said she is looking forward to the remainder of the sessions.
“This is my second year in this class and I really learned a lot last year. I hope to see you guys continue to come,” Marcella Zengota, a Bucoda resident, said.
Schilling said the remainder of the classes will touch on “a little bit of everything.”
“It’s my garden, I’m going to be doing the work, I’m planting the seeds, I’m just telling you how I’m doing it and I’ll be sharing whatever I have to share,” she told the participants after a tour of her grounds, which includes a greenhouse, compost area, and a 10,000 square foot garden.
