Consortium, Extension Service to host free garden workshops

SITKA - The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium's Diabetes and Health Promotion programs are teaming up with master gardener Bob Gorman, of the Sitka office of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, to offer a series of four garden workshops this spring and summer. The workshops are free and take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday and on May 6, July 8 and Sept. 9.

These classes will be hosted at the SEARHC Community Health Services Building third-floor conference room in Sitka, but other communities will join by videoconference from the SEARHC Juneau Administration Building Conference Room, the SEARHC Jessie Norma Jim Health Center in Angoon, the SEARHC Haines Health Center, the SEARHC Kake Health Center and the SEARHC Alicia Roberts Medical Center in Klawock.

Each of the workshops will have set topics, which are as follows: March 11 - Preparing for the growing season; choices in your plantings, transplants and structures; May 6 - Planting (edibles and ornamentals), composting, soil management; July 8 - Gathering and pest management' and Sept. 9 - Late-winter plantings, trees and shrubs; houseplants and indoor gardening; winterizing your garden.

For more information about this series of free workshops, contact SEARHC Diabetes Grant Coordinator Maybelle Filler at 907-966-8739 or maybelle.filler@searhc.org. People who aren't able to attend at one of the listed videoconferencing sites, should contact Maybelle Filler for other options.