Grow your gardening skills at the Rockridge Library

This spring, the Rockridge branch of the Oakland Public Library is offering a bountiful selection of free gardening workshops. The Grow with OPL programs are a creative way of expanding on the library’s mission to “empower all people to explore, connect, and grow,” explained Library Assistant Ryan Lindsay.

“Especially since the pandemic, we noticed the need and interest in our communities to start gardening; maybe as an affordable way to provide food, to attract native pollinators and other species, or to simply beautify a space,” said Lindsay.

“In the ethos of our library's mission statement, we wanted to help our patrons with learning these skills. The programs are very popular and all of our presenters have been very knowledgeable and engaging,” he said.

Hands on workshops

The Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL) is proud to sponsor two upcoming hands on workshops.

• On Saturday, March 12 from 11:00am – 12:00pm, Rockridge patrons can join Chef Terry Betts for Cooking with Spring Produce. Chef Terry, of the Kitchen on Fire cooking school, will teach participants how to prepare and serve farmer’s market produce in a variety of ways. Residents may remember Chef Terry from her time as catering manager at Market Hall Foods from 2016-2022.
  

• On Tuesday May 13 from 6:00-7:00pm, local herbalist Ma del Carmen Cortez will lead Understanding and Using Medicinal Teas. Participants will prepare and share tea together, and take home their own tea blend.

These events follow a successful mushroom cultivation workshop sponsored by FORL in October. Led by instructor Yolanda Burrell of Pollinate Farm, those participating in the event took home a one gallon bucket of mushroom spores in straw to grow, harvest, and eat.

“Whether there is a book club, a storytime, or even a hands on mushroom event, we try our best to provide a space where people can connect with one another and share thoughts and ideas,” Lindsay said.

Master gardener series

The Rockridge Library is also welcoming the U.C. Master Gardeners Association of Alameda County for a series of six practical sessions on a variety of gardening topics. The events began in January and will run one Saturday per month run through June.

The instructors are volunteers with extensive training who can offer research-based knowledge on home gardening subjects. The January event on vegetable gardening was attended by more than two dozen patrons. The February event explored native plants with drought-tolerant qualities that can also appeal to native wildlife.

“The Master Gardener Programs are oriented to adults with lots of information and time for questions,” said Adult Services Librarian Anita Bowen. “I anticipate the interest to grow as we get further into the spring and folks start thinking about their gardens.”

Upcoming events will be held from 2:00-3:00pm at the Rockridge Branch.

• March 15: Waterwise Gardening & Irrigation Options

• April 12: Container Gardening

• May 17: Integrated Pest Management

• June 14: Pollinators

Bowen says she is particularly excited for the sessions on container gardening and pollinators.

“I don't happen to have garden space right now, but I have several large pots that I try all sorts of things in and I'm eager to get some help on how best to manage these smaller spaces,” she said.

“And pollinators! What's not to love about our bees and butterflies? I think there is a lot of general interest and enthusiasm for supporting our butterflies and bees right now,” Bowen said.

Other ways to get involved

OPL offers many other ways to support home gardeners as they prepare for the growing season. Using the Rockridge Seed Lending Library, patrons may select flower, herb, and vegetable seeds from the repurposed card catalogue.

“Anybody can come in and help themselves to a packet of each of the varieties that we have,” Lindsay said. “All we ask is that if you have seeds left over, please bring them back and place them in the little green box so we can recirculate them for others to use.”

On the OPL website, patrons can also access a curated selection of gardening books for kids and adults, informational brochures in five languages, and a YouTube video playlist. Additionally, Rockridge residents can check out gardening and landscaping tools from the Oakland Tool Lending Library in Temescal.

Your donations to the Friends of the Rockridge Library support programming for all ages at the Rockridge Branch and beyond. Thank you for your generosity.

Mushroom Cultivation Workshop