TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Washburn Tech hosted the Grow Local Conference Saturday, offering plant enthusiasts guidance on gardening techniques ahead of the spring planting season.
The conference covered topics including growing unique vegetables, starting a community garden, and low-maintenance soil building. The event also featured a raffle with prizes including garden books, seeds, and tools.
Presenters at the conference addressed a range of subjects, including hugelkultur (a gardening method), native food forests, and specialty seed sourcing. A representative from Seeds from Italy was among those featured.
“Whether it is a new home gardener or an experienced home gardener, or somebody involved with the community garden, we’re really talking about all of gardening,” Catherine Chmidling, a Grow Local associate, said. “Getting something going, different gardening techniques, like horticulture, or unusual vegetables. We had someone from seeds from Italy, we have a talk going on on native food forests, so a range of topics.”
The Grow Local Conference is an annual event, typically held at the start of spring. Organizers said they expect the event to return around the same time next year.
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