New Castle Gardens previously produced a series of videos in order to allow for garden education while social distancing is necessary. Check out our full list of class curriculum PDFs and watch for more videos below.
Saturday 4/10 at 10 am
Suggested donation of $5
Masks & Social Distancing
Learn by doing! We will cover proper pruning techniques. Then we will work on pruning perennials and roses.
Hands-on Class
Bring Your Tools
We have expanded our selection of goods in the Garden Center. We are happy to say that we are carrying Briarwood Lanes flags, spinners, and windsocks. Add some whimsy to your garden or house.
I like to use what I can from my kitchen in my garden. If you can eat it, it is generally safe to use in the garden.
When you hard-boil eggs, save the water. Calcium leaches from the shells when they are boiled. Calcium is especially important for tomatoes. It prevents blossom-end rot.
Add Epsom Salts when you add Calcium. Epsom Salts are not a true salt, this is a misnomer. They are almost pure Magnesium. The Magnesium is needed to make Calcium bioavailable.
When you boil or steam veggies or pasta, save the water. Let it cool and water the plants you are growing. The nutrients in the water feed your plants. The vitamins in the water are bioavailable after soil microorganisms break them down.
Put left over coffee and coffee grounds in your garden. Coffee is high in nitrogen and lowers the pH (especially important with our basic soils and water).
Save your banana skins and let them dry outdoors. Plant them next to your plants. You can also soak them in water and use that water on the plants. As they steep or decompose, they add potassium as well as small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium.
Chamomile tea helps to prevent fungus on seedlings. Chamomile tea is high in sulfur. Sulfur fungicides work best in our high pH climate. Spray your seedlings with it either before sunrise or after sunset.
Save your fruit and vegetable peelings and scraps. Not only can you add them to your compost, you can use your blender or food processor to make a slurry. Use this when you water your plants. The nutrients from your scraps add valuable nutrients to your plants.
Remember, you can always add these items and many more to your compost pile.
George W. Cutting III is a gifted photographer. We are lucky to have his work in our store. George has been incredibly involved in our community. We all miss him, but wish him well in Alaska. Now we all have the perfect reason to visit Alaska. We love you so much George.
Saturday 4/3 at 10 am
Suggested donation of $5
Masks & Social Distancing
Taught by Lindsay Graves of
Fourth Street Farm
Getting an abundant harvest in your mountain vegetable garden starts with a great plan. Learn the basics of our seasons, plant families, garden planning, and walk through a three season garden plan during our Mountain Gardening 101.
In April, garden cleanup is a priority. Rake leaves and debris from around trees, shrubs and other garden areas. Check trees and shrubs for broken or dead branches and prune when necessary.
Early April
In an established asparagus bed work nitrogen fertilizer around plants before spears emerge.
Soak Parsley seeds 24 hours before planting ¼-inch deep.
Dill seeds should be pressed lightly into the soil.
It’s not too late to plant all varieties of peas and potatoes.
Start tomato seeds.
Mid April
Plant lettuce, chard, spinach, kale, beets, carrots, radishes, and onion sets.
Start seeds of flowers like zinnias and celosia that need four weeks before planting outside.
Plant Hyacinth Bean vine indoors, an annual vine that put on a beautiful show mid to late summer.
Late April
Start thinning vegetable seedlings to recommended spacing.
Transplant: When soil has thawed, divide and transplant summer and fall blooming perennials.
Roses: Once new growth starts, usually mid-April, slowly remove mulch from around the plants. Prune dead or damaged canes first, then prune all other canes to approximately 1 to 2 feet above ground. As active growth appears, fertilize with a rose food formulation. Do not prune live canes of climbing roses. However, cutting out dead canes is recommended.
Lawn care: Core aeration is one of the most beneficial things you can do to maintain a healthy lawn. It is also time to start fertilizing your lawn.
Weeding: Hand pull weeds before they get too big or there are too many. If possible, make this the year you don’t use chemical herbicides. We carry 30% horticultural vinegar.
Adapted from: https://gazette.com/news/year-round-gardening-april-garden-calendar/article_5d4b4889-40df-50b3-8a5e-650daa0f594c.html
We are fully stocked with topsoil and compost. You can purchase them individually or we can mix them to make an amended topsoil, your choice! You will need to bring a pick-up or trailer so that we can load you up. Sorry, we do not do deliveries.
After a crazy 2020, we have restocked the entire Garden Center. We carry a full line of necessary garden tools. We have also restocked all needed garden accessories. Drop in to browse our products.
Willow bark contains natural plant growth hormones which can be used for rooting new cuttings.
The growth properties of Willows are due to the naturally occurring plant rooting hormones that they contain. We can make extracts from Willows to induce rooting on cuttings of other plants. The way this works can be attributed to two substances found within the Salix (Willow) genus,
indolebutyric acid (IBA), and salicylic acid (SA).
From: Deep Green Permaculture
To make the tea harvest the green new growth, cut it into small pieces, add boiling water, and let sit for at least 24 hours.
