Saturday, September 22, 10 am. Hydroponic Gardening. Join Brendan Healy for a free, informative seminar all about hydroponics! This innovative way of growing edibles uses a tenth of the land and water that traditional farming uses and is a great way to make use of limited space to grow your own food at home! Brendan holds a BA in Agricultural Business with a minor in Horticulture and worked on propagation for production greenhouses associated with The Land.

Sunday, September 23, 12 to 3 pm. Fall Baby Clothing Swap. FREE Baby Clothing Swap! Mamas and dads, bring your baby and toddler clothing or diapers that your little one has outgrown (sizes newborn to 4T) to Rockledge Gardens and swap it for new threads for your cutie! Meet some other thrifty parents in a beautiful garden setting while little ones play on the garden center playground or visit the butterfly house! Don’t have clothing to swap? Come on down anyway and pick up what you need, especially expecting parents — who else is going to take all the newborn stuff? Please ONLY bring clothing and ONLY if it is in good condition! No stains. If you bring large non-clothing items please be sure they are claimed before you leave them. It is difficult to arrange donation of large bulk items. Any unclaimed clothing will be donated. Questions? Email liz@rockledgegardens.com

Saturday, September 29, 10 am. Fall Vegetable Gardening. Join Andy Chidester of Foxfarm Soil & Fertilizers for a free, informative seminar on vegetable gardening! The talk will include a discussion of the need for good bed prep for existing and new beds, growing bountiful containers, fertilization, and companion planting! Andy was raised by her grandmother working alongside her in the garden from a young age and has been working in the horticulture industry for 20 years. RSVP online at Eventbrite. 

Saturday, October 6. A Day with Farmer Jay! Earlier this year Theresa and Kevin got to hear the inspirational Farmer Jay speak about sustainable agriculture, and we couldn’t wait to bring him to Brevard to share his knowledge with you! He’ll be offering three unique sessions, one for every type of gardener:

• 10 am—Patio Gardens (if you don’t have a lot of space)
• 1 pm—Building a Raised Bed Garden (demo for do-it-yourselfers)
• 3 pm—Harvesting and Fertilizing (enjoy the fruits of your labor!)

RSVP for the sessions that interest you on Eventbrite. Jason McCobb an expert in Sustainable Agriculture, specializing in Urban Gardening. With the belief that the garden is an extension of nature and something that must be protected and nurtured, Jay never uses pesticides or synthetic chemicals and helps Floridians grow their own food year round! Learn more about Farmer Jay at myfarmerjay.com

Saturday, October 6, 6 to 8 pm. Mary Witte Memorial Garden Dedication Pot Luck. In February we lost our founder and matriarch, the beautifully optimistic Mary Witte. Join us as we celebrate her life with the dedication of a permanent memorial garden planted in her honor. Please bring a dish and a memory to share. The garden will be located next to our Butterfly Garden, a memorial garden we built in 1998 for Mary’s beloved husband and Rockledge Gardens co-founder Harry. October 6th is their wedding anniversary. We will provide plates, napkins, cutlery, tea, water, and lemonade. Mary loved her community, and what brings community together better than a pot luck?! Please post what you are planning to bring on the Facebook event page and RSVP at Eventbrite. 

Saturday, October 13, 10 am. Gardening for Black Thumbs. Is gardening a challenge for you? Do you feel like you kill every plant you touch? Then this class is for you! Join Josh and Paul as they guide you through best practices, common pitfalls, and selecting plants that are right for your space and lifestyle. Get ready to turn your black thumb green! RSVP at Eventbrite. 

Saturday, October 20, 10 am. Little Bugs Club: The Haunted Train. Choo choo! In this history-themed Little Bugs Club session learn all about the train that goes right by the garden … and maybe some spooky stories from voyages of the past … while you plant a train garden for our Learning Garden! Then make a miniature choo-choo train planter to take home! Little Bugs Club is our kids’ gardening club for children ages 4-12. Pre-registration required. Sign-up online at Eventbrite.

Saturday & Sunday, October 27 & 28 (9 am to 4 pm Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm Sunday). Rockledge Gardens 22nd Annual Fall Festival! Join us for a full weekend of food, flowers, and fun — with food trucks, live music, apple bake-off, face-painting, fresh-picked North Carolina apples, and much more! Here’s a pdf of our full festival schedule of activities (or visit our Facebook event page). Don’t forget to join our Instagram Photo Contest with your best photos from the Fall Festival for a chance to win Rockledge Gardens gift certificates! Tag @RockledgeGardens with the hashtag #RGFallFest18 to enter!