Gardening and Healthy Living in the WestShore

Urban Gardening Teaching Garden Creating Garden Sculptures Introduction to Birding Digital Photography

Urban Gardening

With the establishment of the WestShore Teaching Garden at 2139 Sooke Road, WestShore Centre for Learning & Training, working with local organic farmers, farmers, garden and health experts has developed a series of courses and workshops to educate youth and the community on growing food, nutrition and healthy living.

Hands-on learning. All classes will include some lecture with outdoor or "get dirty" activities. Come prepared with your gardening gloves and appropriate clothing.

Join local farmers and garden experts for a series of informative and hands-on courses.

Growing From Seeds - Getting a Good Start

Want to get a good start on your seeds for the spring? February is the right time. When you grow your own plants, seed choices can be endless – from heritage vegetables, to herb, to flowers. Local organic farmers will help you make informed seed choices and show you growing techniques. Examine types of seeds, pre-germination treatments, handling of seedlings, and planting methods that work best for selected species. Participants will have the opportunity to work with flower, herb and vegetable seeds.

Facilitators: Candace Thompson

Fee: $30 + gst

Mon     Feb 15     6:30 - 9 pm     122-10seed-1

Mon     Mar 29     6:30 - 9 pm     122-10seed-2

Planning Your Vegetable Garden – Year Round

Victoria is one of the few places in Canada we can grow vegetables year round. A good garden plan will allow you to enjoy fresh greens and vegetables throughout the year. Learn basic plot planning and design, including assessing soil type and fertility, irrigation, vegetable choices and seeds, and plant rotation. Participants are asked to create a diagram of their garden space and bring a list of vegetable favourites—what you like to eat and grow.

Facilitator: Candace Thompson

Fee: $39 + gst

Mon     Mar 15 - Mar 22     6 – 8 pm     122-09vg-1

Building Healthy Soil

Healthy soil is the foundation to any garden. A good, well-balanced soil makes the difference between a mediocre and thriving, healthy garden. Learn the essentials of creating a good compost mix, balancing your soil’s pH, utilizing organic amendments and preparing your soil so you have a rich organic base for planting throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Instructor: Candace Thompson

Fee: $25 + gst     Location: Westshore Annex

Mon     Apr 26     6 - 8 pm     122-10hs

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Designing an Attractive & Edible Landscape

Growing your own food can be extremely satisfying with great benefits for your health, your pocketbook and the environment. Based on permaculture principles, this workshop will explore unique approaches to integrating fruits, berries, herbs and annual and perennial vegetables throughout the landscape. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a landscape plan for their own yard. Bring a diagram of your garden space to class, noting sun, shade, soil type and what is presently growing.

Instructor: Candace Thompson

Fee: $25 +gst     Location: Westshore Annex

Mon     Apr 12     6 – 8 pm     122-09el

Growing Food in Small Spaces

Using intensive organic growing methods, the average urban yard or community plot can grow a tremendous amount of fresh fruit, berries, veggies and herbs. This session will explore a variety of techniques and strategies for increasing back yard food production while building healthy soil, conserving resources like water and energy, and creating a habitat for other species. Models such as lasagna gardening, square foot gardening, bio-intensive raised beds, no-till gardens, and perennial forest gardens will be presented.

Instructor: Candace Thompson

Fee: $25 +gst     Location: Westshore Annex

Mon     Apr 19     6 – 8 pm     122-10fss

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Candace Thompson

Candace established Eagle Paws Organics in 2000 at Chipperfield Farm in East Sooke. She educates farmer apprentices through SOIL (Stewards of Irreplaceable Land), and is part of SIOPA (Southern Island Organic Producers Association). Candace believes in maintaining an outdoor lifestyle through sustainable and environmentally conscious living. The incredible world of food is her passion.

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Garden Sculptures

Creating Garden Sculptures

Learn how to create durable garden sculptures. Artist, Anita Doornekamp will take you through the process of relief sculpturing. Relief sculpture is raised from a flat surface and suggests depth rather than actually having a lot of depth. Using clay to model your base sculpture, you will then use a replacement material called Ciment Fondue. This special cement mixture is about 20 times stronger than cement and is durable and weather resistant. It is widely used for outdoor sculptures and fountains. It's easy to stain or to leave in its natural soft dark brown colour. The four classes will include: creating a mold, plaster casting, filling the mold with ciment fondue and treating the final sculpture. Each person will take home their finished sculpture.

Facilitator: Anita Doornekamp

Fee: $159 + gst (includes materials)

Sat     Feb 27 - Mar 27     9 am - noon     122-10gs-1     (No class Mar 13)

Material list for Creating Garden Sculptures

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3D Garden Sculptures - NEW!

This course caters to the more experienced sculptor. In this course Anita with the intention of creating an outdoor sculpture. An armature will be built and clay will be added to model your sculpture. Once the sculpture is complete, a plaster mold will be made and the clay will be replaced with a technique using cement fondue. This special cement mixture is about 20 times stronger than cement and is durable and weather resistant. It is widely used for outdoor sculptures and fountains. Classes will include: Creating and molding a clay sculpture, plaster casting, filling the mold with cement fondue and treating the final sculpture. More time is needed in this class to create this larger sculpture project. Prerequisite: Creating Garden Sculptures

Facilitator: Anita Doornekamp

Fee: $349 + gst (Includes cost of ciment)

Additional materials are approximately $70. A material list will be provided at the first class. More information on materials

Location: WestShore Annex

June 7 - July 5

Mondays, 5:30 - 8:30 pm      Sundays, 1 - 4 pm      122-10gs3d-1

Mon, June 7 class will meet at 6:30 pm to discuss project plan and required materials.

Materials are for an approximate project size (Width: 1 to 2 feet, Length: 1 to 2 feet and Height: 2 to 3 feet)
You will require clay modeling tools. Materials to build an armature (approx. $10)
Box of clay and molding plaster (approx. $60)

What to buy and where to buy it will be discussed during the first meeting.
If you wish to create a larger sculpture the material costs will be more.
A comprehensive list will be given during the first meeting.