San Francisco Community Gardens Map

GCETP Schedule

Classes meet on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and every other Wednesday evening from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. In addition to attending these classes, participants must also complete 50 hours of volunteer service as part of a community outreach project involving gardening and composting. Volunteer hours are to be completed by November 2006.

Session 1	Welcome to GCETP & Introduction to Green Gardening
Saturday 2/25	Course philosophy/overview, intro to participants, garden tour and overall concepts of organic gardening.
Session 2	Basics of Composting
Saturday 3/4	Explore the basics of composting, how to give a workshop and build a compost pile!
Session 3	Worm Composting
Wednesday 3/8	Learn about the power of red worms- how to establish, maintain and harvest a worm bin.
Session 4	Soil Fertility and Covercropping
Saturday 3/11	Soils, cover crops, organic fertilizers and soil amendments.
Session 5	Tracking Trash and Native Plants
Saturday 3/18	Tour the SF Transfer Station and discover the beauty and benefits of native plants.
Session 6	Project Planning
Wednesday 3/22	Learn about the different project sites and begin to develop plans with class members.
Session 7	Planting & Transplaniing
Saturday 3/25	Gain hands-on experience planting and transplanting plus lessons on bed preparation
Session 8	Botanical Propagation
Saturday 4/1	Basic botanical information and ways to successfully start seeds, take divisions and propagate plants.
Session 9	Pest and Disease Management
Wednesday 4/5	A slideshow of common pests and diseases of the Bay Area and an introduction to IPM.
Session 10	Pruning
Saturday 4/8	Learn the basics of pruning for a variety of shrubs, vines and fruit trees.
Session 11	Project Workday
Saturday 4/15	Dig in at your project sites!
Session 12	Food Security
Wednesday 4/19	Learn about food security issues including sustainable agriculture, GMOs and CSAs.
Session 13	Permaculture Fieldtrip
Saturday 4/22	Visit local permaculture sites and learn about designing sustainable human environments.
Session 14	Workshop on workshops
Saturday 4/29	Learn effective ways to present information and engage your audience with hands-on learning.
Session 15	Film Night: Films and Discussion on Sustainable Agriculture
Wednesday 5/3
Session 16	Garden Design
Saturday 5/6	Resource efficient garden design from developing a garden layout to choosing the right plant
Session 17	Hardscaping
Saturday 5/13	Techniques for building garden pathways, beds, and containers using all recycled materials.
Session 18	GCETP GRADUATION!!!
Wednesday 5/17

Gardening & Composting Educator Training Program (GCETP)

GCETP is designed to give participants the skills to become effective educators who teach the joys and benefits of environmentally-safe gardening and composting to communities throughout San Francisco.

The GCETP program runs this spring February 25th to May 17th. Classes are held each Saturday from 10 am until 4 pm, and every other Wednesday evening throughout the training. The course combines hands-on work experience, lectures, discussions and local field trips. Program participants also serve a 50-hour volunteer commitment, which allows students to apply their skills in gardening, composting and community outreach. Additionally, curriculum includes pertinent social and environmental issues such as food security, integrated pest management, alternative design principles and resource conservation.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop the skills needed to be a crucial part of the community of environmental and social justice activists in San Francisco. If you are interested, visit our website at www.gardenfortheenvironment.org or contact Garden for the Environment at 415.731.5627 for a course outline and application. Applications are accepted until the class is full.

San Francisco residents interested in gardening, composting and community outreach are encouraged to apply. $100 materials fee. Scholarships available. The Gardening and Composting Educator Training Program (GCETP - that’s “Get Up”) is limited to 25 participants, so call or visit our website soon for an application.

Come join us in the greening of our city!

Plant it! - Lily-of-the-Valley

Lily-of-the-valley is available in the Sloat gardens last week, they are sold in 10 pips a bag for $7.99.
For some reason, I had always had a hard time to grow this plant. Even though all the instructions on the labels say that this is a very easy to grow plant, it's very important to keep the soil moist and fertile to make this plant thrive in the garden.
I found out they like the similar growing condition as hostas plants, and going through similar life cycle, too. Although lily-of-the-valley start sending new leaves earlier and flower in the spring, hostas on the other hand start late in the spring and flower in the summer.
This is the third years that I'm growing lily-of-the-valley, I have yet to find a way to encourage it to spread in the garden. This time I will try to keep the soil moist more consistantly (thanks to the drip irrigation system and timer I just installed last October) and fertilize the plant once a month, let's wait and see the results.