Hawley's Country Gardeners learn about raised bed planting from Penn State expert
As springtime blooms, so does The Country Gardeners of Hawley. In its 30th year, the club opened the 2023 season with a special speaker sharing about raised bed gardening.
"No matter what your age or physical condition, thanks to the raised bed gardening, no one needs to give up their love of gardening," Candida Portugues of The Country Gardeners said, reporting about the presentation April 6.
The guest speaker was Kathy Long, a Wayne County Master Gardener with Penn State Extension who speaks about gardening across the country for Penn State, both in person and online.
Long showed slides depicting the alternative gardening technique of raised planting. Because of their added height, people may work sitting or standing up and allowing more control of the planting, better drainage, longer growing season, fewer weeds and unlimited creative layouts.
The raised planters or pots may be made from wood, metal, plastic, concrete blocks, or even areas edged by stone walls. Their location could be anywhere, however it is recommended they are close to your heaviest gardening supplies and have a nearby water source.
As always, your own homemade compost is the best for planting. However, if you buy ready-made compost, she advised to mix bags from three different manufacturers because each one contains different nutrients that your plants need for best growth, the report states.
Long said you should always do a soil test before planting so you know which fertilizers are required. You can buy a soil test kit from Penn State for only $9 in person at your local county extension office or online at the Penn State website (go to the page: agsci.psu.edu/aasl/soil-testing/fertility). This website will also give you invaluable information on gardening and techniques like “Lasagna” and “Hugelkultur”.
Take into account companion planting for vegetables and herbs, and put taller plants in the center of your raised bed, preferably planting in an east to west direction to take full advantage of the sunlight.
The Country Gardeners meets on the first Thursday of the month at 1 pm. at the Brookfield Environmental Learning Center by the PPL Dam located at 126 Lamberton Lane off Route 6 near Hawley. The next meeting is scheduled May 4; the guest speaker will be Master Gardener Diane Diffenderfer who will talk about Edible Landscaping.
Portugues stated that anyone interested in gardening is welcome to attend as a guest.
They occasionally schedule bus and car trips to botanical gardens, flower shows, and other locations related to gardening. These have not yet resumed since the pandemic began, Portugues said.
In spring and summer, Country Gardeners partner with the Hawley Public Library in creating the Children’s Garden. Club members help the children with the planting, watering and maintaining vegetables, herbs and flowers which they harvest at the end of the summer. They use a plot in the Community Garden located at the back of the library.Prior to 2019, for many years the club took care of the large flower pots on Main Avenue in Hawley. The Hawley Downtown Partnership has taken over that responsibility.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of The Country Gardeners who supports their purpose, agrees to abide by its by-laws and pay an annual fee of $25 are welcome. The organization is both non-profit and non-political. Currently, the President is Judi Mortensen. The Country Gardeners maintains a private Facebook page for members.
"We are local gardeners who educate each other about gardening and conservation," Portuges said.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Penn State Master Gardner speaks on raised beds to Hawley group
