Seed Planting Workshop

The Broad Street Market in downtown Harrisburg, PA hosted a free seed planting workshop over the weekend.

The event was sponsored by the Tri-County Opportunities Industrial Center, the Dauphin County Master Gardeners, and the Broad Street Market.

Earth Day Weekend Seed Starting Clinic

I was invited to participate and share gardening tips for growing plants from seeds. Also on hand was a team of six friendly master gardeners to answer general gardening questions and provide information and additional advice on beginning plants from seed.

The weather was perfect and over a hundred and fifty people took part in the fun-filled event. There were hundreds of packets of seeds given away and workshop participants were supplied with everything needed to plant up containers right there on the spot to take home with them.

Free Seeds and Gardening Gifts for All

The garden seeds and clinic proved to be a big attraction and many people left only to return later in the day with more friends and family to share in the festivities. Other gifts that were given away during the workshop included: gardening tools, hanging grow bags, gardening DVD’s, decorative planter skirts, and container gardening literature.

Children as well as adults enjoyed the opportunity to plant and care for their own container filled with the seeds of their choice. There were also plenty of extra seeds available to take home and plant in backyards and neighborhood gardens.

Sowing the Seeds of Gardening Delight

I had to laugh at one youngster that didn’t seem old enough to know what was going on, but he cherished and clutched his container of soil tighter than if it was a favorite stuffed animal, and he refused to let anyone take it away for even one second. Now that’s a kid after my own heart!

A frequently asked question raised by the appreciative attendees at the workshop was “Why are you guys doing this?” I think that everyone involved with the event would agree that their goal was to share some of the pleasure that they had found through gardening and to encourage others to nurture a plant or an entire garden of their very own.

Hopefully there were many budding gardeners in attendance at the seed starting workshop and they will all experience the joy, excitement, and mystery of waiting and watching as a seed germinates, grows, and eventually turns into a beautiful flower or a delicious fruit.

Many thanks go out to Mr. Bob Harden and the Tri-County OIC for inviting and allowing me to participate in this year’s seed starting workshop. I enjoyed myself and it was great to see the smiles and enthusiasm that a few simple seeds brought to the community.