Ellington

Residents interested in community gardens can learn the ins and outs of everything from planting to teamwork at Crabtree Farms’ Community Garden Workshop Feb. 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Crabtree has been working with community gardens since 2001,” said director of education and outreach Melanie Mayo, who has helped lead the workshop for the past two years. “The workshop covers how to start a garden physically and how to organize people to work in the garden. It’s a lot harder than people think it is — starting any partnership between people. It includes a lot of collaboration and compromise.”

There is a limited amount of space in the annual workshop. Fees are set up on a sliding scale from $50-$100.

There will be lectures, discussions, a PowerPoint presentation as well as various videos, an up-close look at spring vegetable seedlings, brainstorming and hands-on building practice for raised garden beds.

The most important lesson to be learned in the workshop is not necessarily how to find materials or when to plant and how to care for the plants. The hardest part of starting a community garden is often creating a feeling of community, so all participants feel vested in the project and the partnership.

“The gardens I’ve seen be most successful have a strong community of gardeners working together,” Mayo said. “The gardens that have been least successful haven’t been able to keep a strong communication between the gardeners.”

Later in the spring, Mayo said there will be another workshop on how to build rain barrels. Those community garden members who can’t make the workshop are welcome to get one of Crabtree Farms’ new community garden how-to booklets and ask staff members their questions. Mayo stresses that the result of the gardening, the produce, is only one of many perks provided by community gardens.

“The benefit of fresh air and sunshine can’t be underestimated and it’s an opportunity to get to know your neighbors,” Mayo said. “It builds trust between neighbors and builds character to have to work so hard. It’s also good for children to see how food starts as a sprout and grows to become supper.”

For more information or to access a registration form visit http://www.crabtreefarms.org or call 493-9155.