Buy Local Food In Kitsap

Learn to Grow Your Own Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit
With Your Personal Garden Coach

Growing your own guarantees you the freshest, most locally grown food available.  And it’s fun! Even beginners can grow a few favorites with a little help.  I’ve been growing vegetables, herbs and fruit in the Pacific Northwest for over 10 years and it’s something I’m passionate about.  The only thing more fun than picking fresh tomatoes and broccoli for dinner is teaching other people to do it, too.  I’m a Certified Professional Horticulturist and landscape designer, ready to help you learn to grow food for you and your family!

Gayle Larson, CPH
360-981-7127
dancingravendesign@hotmail.com

A successful garden takes planning:  What and where to plant?  When to start?  When will my vegetables be ready to eat?  That sounds pretty intimidating, but with coaching, you’ll be on your way to ripe tomatoes, crisp carrots and fresh salad greens in no time!

How does Garden Coaching work?

Before I visit you at your home or gardening space, I’ll send you a short questionaire.  The questions are designed to help you clarify what you want from your edible garden and to tell me about your experiences and expectations.

We’ll go over your answers together to make sure we’re both working towards the same goals.  Your gardening goals may be as simple as a planting schedule for a raised bed, or as complex as step-by-step instruction for the entire season.  Your garden can be as small as a few containers on the patio, or as large as your imagination.  Together, we’ll make a plan to create the edible garden of your dreams.

After the initial consultation, which is usually two hours long, you’ll receive a written report outlining the ideas and plans we discussed.   The report might also include plant lists, planting instructions for specific varieties, garden bed layouts and any other information that might be helpful. 

Then it’s up to you to decide if and how much more help you want.  You choose the services and the schedule that fit your needs.  You can choose additional consultation visits, a Coaching Package, or individual services such as garden bed design or crop rotation plans.  

New Income and Education For Urban Gardeners

Last modified on 2009-03-12 19:23:27 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Classes Offered For Urban Gardeners and Small Plot Farmers

For anyone out there who is considering planting their own vegetable garden during this period of economic stress, here’s an opportunity to learn everything from A – Z about planting, raising and harvesting some of your own food.  In a series of seven classes, gardeners will learn how various environments and conditions can impact their garden, the needs of vegetable families and methods to improve sites for growth and how to take into consideration individual resources to come up with a garden plan as well as the preparation for planting, growing, and harvest.

Anne Burkhardt and Gayle Larson at a recent KCAA meeting

Landscape designer and garden consultant Gayle Larson and produce farmer and certified nursery grower, Anne Burkhardt will be teaching the course, titled Urban Vegetable Gardening Classes in Kitsap County.  All sessions will be held at Pheasant Fields Farms in Silverdale.  Courses are on either Saturdays or Tuesdays – they commenced on March 7th and 10th, but the pair will allow students to enter this week on a pro-rated basis on either March 14 or March 17.  Class entry might be allowed on a pro-rated basis after this but it would be determined on an individual basis. To register, call Gayle at (360) 981-7127 or e-mail:

dancingravendesign@comcast.net or Anne at (360) 649-3907 or e-mail: alb32759@embarqmail.com Cost is $175.00 which includes materials.

Anne and Gayle met while the pair was studying horticulture at Edmonds Community College a few years ago and both subsequently went to work for the same landscaping firm in Everett but were laid off.  Gayle, who also has an art background, obtained her Professional Horticultural designation from the Washington State Landscaping  and Nursery Association and specializes in vegetable garden consultation.  Anne, who has B. S. in biology, has a Nursery Growers certificate from Edmonds Community College, owns a 5.5 acre farm near Sequim and sells produce at the Kingston and Keyport Farmers markets.

At a recent KCAA meeting, Larson gave a fascinating presentation on the course they will be offering

The first session will involve bringing lists of favorite vegetables you want to grow and pictures of the yard you want to use.  There will be reference lists and handouts involving vegetable value charts and work will be done involving garden layouts, scenarios, and soil sample directions.  Gardening goals will be set taking such things into consideration as time, space, materials, enhancement methods and resources.

The second session involves soil and planting bed styles. Students will learn about components and soil types – they will test their own soil to determine the type, PH and nutrient levels as well as ways to improve their soil. Determination will be made on crops to plant, crop plans drawn up, hydration, nutrient, sun, drainage and other needs discussed and information given on preparation of the garden such as weed removal, mulch, and compost.

Session three will be centered around the garden layout grid and pupils starting vegetable transplants from seed.  Gardeners will start a flat of plugs and/or six-packs and continue garden preparation such as looking for signs of pests.  They will also learn about water pressure testing and taking soil temperature. The fourth session continues with more details about water and fertilizations needs and different methods of irrigation and fertilizing.  This session also includes measuring out any raised beds and checking directly seeded crops.

Session five will involve learning about different types of structures gardeners may want to use and it will include direct seed of more crops.  Session six includes learning about common weeds and pests, tolerance levels and methods of their management in a sustainable manner. Fertilization for transplants will be an important part of this meeting.

The seventh and final session brings it all together – gardeners will learn how to transplant plugs into pots or directly into the garden and factors for strong growth for their main crops along with the timing and maturity size for harvest.  Education for preserving excess harvest and recipe sharing will be included.

A bonus from these two excellent gardening instructors will be an opportunity for class members to follow up with e-mail questions they may have following the class. And they will want to hear their pupils’ stories.  Throughout the class sessions and on through growing into harvest, Anne and Gayle suggest new gardeners take pictures of their work.

This is an opportunity not to be missed for beginning vegetable gardeners or even those who might need a little brushing up or have had difficulty growing crops in the past. It will be well worth the time and expense involved to be able to grow your own healthy, sustainable crops now and in the future.

Urban Vegetable Gardening Classes Offered In Kitsap County

Last modified on 2009-02-21 20:14:51 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Home and Garden Ideas

Have you always wanted to grow your own vegetables, but weren’t sure where to start?  Are you concerned about the quality of your family’s food and want more control?  Do you want to eat the freshest, most locally grown vegetables possible?

This 7 week course taught by Anne Burkhardt of Burkhardt’s Herb Garden and Gayle Larson of Dancing Raven Design will give you a complete overview of edible gardening basics and hands-on experience working with seeds and transplants.

In 7 weeks, you’ll learn to:

• Plan and design your garden
• Understand your soil and how to work with it
• Choose vegetables that will thrive
• Start seeds and transplant them into the garden
• Irrigate and fertilize your plants
• Build structures to support and protect your plants
• Sustainably manage pests, weeds and disease
• Harvest and enjoy your produce

Each class participant will start a flat of seeds, transplant them and take them home at the end of the session.

Spring Session consists of 7 classes offered at 3 different times.

Tuesdays, 10:00–11:30 AM, March 10 through April 21

Saturdays, 10:00–11:30 AM,  March 7–28 and April 11–25

Saturdays, 12:00–1:30 PM, March 7–28 and April 11–25

All classes will be held at

Pheasant Fields Farm, 2 miles north of the Silverdale Mall on Clear Creek Rd.

Cost is $175 for 7 class session, including materials.  Registration is required.  Call 360-981-7127  for more details, or email Gayle Larson at dancingravendesign@comcast.net.