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OSV will host vegetable garden workshop

Date: 3/16/2011

STURBRIDGE — Home gardeners are invited to take part in Old Sturbridge Village's (OSV) March 19 workshop, "So You Want to Have a Vegetable Garden!"

The full-day program, led by OSV garden researcher Christie Higginbottom, will emphasize environmentally-sound growing techniques and will teach the basics of planning and growing a home vegetable garden.

Cost of the workshop is $30 per person, with a $5 discount for members. Registration is now open at www.osv.org or by calling (800) SEE-1830.

A gardening expert will teach participants all they need to know about the planning phase of gardening and will give tips for success with growing common vegetables. Specifically, their topics will include: choosing the proper garden size and location; selecting varieties; how and when to plant; soil and fertilizer; managing pests and disease; and harvesting and storing. Higginbottom will also talk about how to make the most of a small space. No prior gardening experience is necessary to take part in the workshop. Higginbottom was previously an OSV horticulturist and research historian and continues to work with the village on select projects. She is considered a preeminent expert on American horticulture, landscape and environmental history and has been honored by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

Garden workshop participants will be invited to attend follow-up programs throughout the spring and summer. These events are open exclusively to the March workshop participants and include reduced admission to the village. The follow up programs will be: "Planning and Preparing the Garden I" on April 23; "Planning and Preparing the Garden II" on May 28; "Managing Crops I" on June 25; and "Managing Crops II" on Aug. 13.

OSV's gardening programs are very popular and include members-only monthly "Garden Thyme" events. OSV horticulturists also preserve heritage varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables within the village and by making seeds available to the public. Heirloom fruits and vegetables grown by visitors are showcased each fall at the OSV Agricultural Exhibition, scheduled this year for Sept. 24 to 25. Another popular agricultural program is the OSV Wool Days, which takes place each Memorial Day Weekend. The event shows the wool-making process from sheep shearing through carding, spinning, and dyeing to knitting.

Winter hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Beginning April 2, the village will be open seven days a week. Admission is $20 for adults; $18 for seniors; $7 for children ages 3 to 17; children younger than 3 are admitted free. Each admission includes free parking and a free second-day visit within 10 days. .

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