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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Gardening: Not too late to learn about gardening, goats

Spokesman-Review gardening columnists Pat Munts and Susan Mulvihill have written “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook.” (Colin Mulvany)
Pat Munts Correspondent

I’ve heard several reports that bulbs are poking their first green tips up to test the weather. On Sunday morning the robins returned to our garden with much chirping. All that is left to announce spring is the return of the frogs in the pond near us.

Even with an early spring, there is still time to get in some more education before you dive into garden projects.

Save March 14 for the annual Cabin Fever Garden Symposium put on by the Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation. This year’s event will be at CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point Park in Spokane Valley. The keynote will be “Breathtaking Gardens Around the World” by Susan Mulvihill, S-R columnist and my co-author of “Northwest Gardeners Handbook.” Register online at mgfsc.org/Cabin_Fever.html.

The WSU Spokane County Extension Small Farm Program will offer classes over the next several months at its offices at 222 N. Havana St. in Spokane Valley. Online registration is available at spokane-county.wsu.edu.

For those of you interested in keeping goats in Spokane, WSU Spokane County Extension will offer three certification classes through the spring. The classes are designed to explain the rules and responsibilities of keeping goats within the city under the urban agriculture ordinance and are required for you to keep goats. Classes are scheduled for March 2, April 8 and , May 4. Each class will run 6 to 9 p.m. and you are only required to take one. Cost is $20 per family at the same address.

WSU Extension will also offer a series of advanced goat-keeping classes through the spring for people who already have urban goats and want to know more about selecting the right breed, shelter and feed management, health management, kidding and milking. The series will run April 16, 23 and 30 followed by two field trips to urban goat farms. The class will focus on urban goats but anyone interested in learning more is welcome. Cost for the five-session series is $75 per family. The advanced classes will not certify you to keep goats under the Spokane urban agriculture ordinance.

Spokane’s Urban Agriculture Ordinance also has a provision that permits individuals to operate urban market gardens on their city lots. To further foster development of these urban market gardens, WSU Extension will offer a workshop Feb. 26 at the Extension Office. The workshop will focus on explaining the ordinance requirements, developing your garden and marketing your produce. Cost will be $20 per family at the same address.

Lastly, if your group has been thinking about starting a community garden, now’s the time to begin your planning. A community garden is 90 percent community and 10 percent garden. I’ll lead a workshop Feb. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the WSU Extension Office on developing the group who will build the garden, selecting a site, building the garden, fundraising and garden community management. The workshop is free and registration is not required.

Pat Munts is the co-author of “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook.” She and co-author Susan Mulvihill are available for talks on gardening in the Northwest. Munts has gardened in Spokane Valley for more than 35 years. She can be reached at pat@inlandnwgardening.com.