April
Companion Planting: Plant Friends & Foes
While there are many anecdotal stories about the relationships between plants, there are sound ecological and scientific reasons for positive and negative plant interactions. You will become familiar with the concepts: biodynamic accumulators, nectary plants, beneficial insect attractors and more, and how they explain why some plants play well together and others don’t.
Date: Saturday, April 20
Class Time RDR/SR
352109A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Debra Knapke
Debra Knapke is The Garden Sage. She is a book author, nationally renowned garden designer, lecturer and speaker. She teaches gardening courses at Columbus State Community College. She also writes for gardening magazines and is a frequent guest on radio gardening shows.
The Language of Flavor
While herbs can add flavor and color to everyday meals to create extraordinary dishes, learning when, what and how much to use presents a challenge for even the seasoned cook. Join us as we decode the flavor families and taste associations of the most popular culinary herbs for a fresh look at inter-kitchen communication.
Date: Saturday, April 27
Class Time RDR/SR
350625A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Wendy Winkler
Wendy Winkler is the owner of Brown Hare Herbs and member of the herb society. She enjoys teaching herbs from an historical perspective as well as from a culinary standpoint.
May
Family Herb Craft: Bubble Dough
Bubble dough is a fun sticky bath bomb made from a few key natural ingredients. As families make their own stretchy concoction they will also learn the basics of hygiene. This class is appropriate for ages 5 and older. Cost includes one adult and one child; additional children are RDR$5/SR$7. Class size is limited.
Date: Saturday, May 4
Class Time RDR/SR
352405A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Barb Drobnick
Barb Drobnick is the owner of Honey Grove Botanicals and has been creating natural bath and beauty products for almost twenty years. She is a certified aromatherapist.
Green Tea: The Beverage of Serenity
Savor the delicacy of green tea that is often destroyed by too much heat and/or too much brewing time. Come and enjoy the diverse flavors that green tea has to offer and learn why green tea may be your morning or afternoon beverage of choice. We will discuss and taste four green teas.
Date: Saturday, May 18
Class Time RDR/SR
351104A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Debra Knapke
Debra Knapke is The Garden Sage. She is a book author, nationally renowned garden designer, lecturer and speaker. She teaches gardening courses at Columbus State Community College. She also writes for gardening magazines and is a frequent guest on radio gardening shows.
June
Beneficial Weeds
Weeds are time consuming, gardening stealing plants. Join us as we redefine many of the “weeds” of the area and learn about their good qualities. Learn how these garden problems can actually be beneficial to you and your garden.
Date: Saturday, June 1
Class Time RDR/SR
352110A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Barbara Arnold
Barbara Arnold is the Franklin County Green Corps coordinator with Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. With over 25 years experience in the horticultural industry, she is a speaker and plant writer for Columbus Dispatch as well as her own forum.
Aromatherapy Basics
Essential oils play a big part in a lot of the bath and beauty products that we use. Learn about the most common essential oils, their properties and the safe way to incorporate them into everyday use. After sampling scents participants will create their own botanical bath tea.
Date: Saturday, June 8
Class Time RDR/SR
352003A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Barb Drobnick
Barb Drobnick is the owner of Honey Grove Botanicals and has been creating natural bath and beauty products for almost twenty years. She is a certified aromatherapist.
Sun Tea: Capturing the Energy of the Sun
Sun Tea is a different way to create ice tea for the summer months. Whether you use fresh herbs from your garden or dried tisanes, steeping them gently in the light of the sun offers a refreshing change from water or carbonated beverages. We will discuss and taste four sun teas.
Date: Saturday, June 22
Class Time RDR/SR
351104B 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Debra Knapke
Debra Knapke is The Garden Sage. She is a book author, nationally renowned garden designer, lecturer and speaker. She teaches gardening courses at Columbus State Community College. She also writes for gardening magazines and is a frequent guest on radio gardening shows.
July
A Simple Guide to Herb Safety
Many questions can arise while staring at rows of bottles and boxes in the supplement aisle. The first being, how do you choose? This workshop will introduce the types of herbal supplements available, discuss the safe use of herbs, dissect the anatomy of a supplement label, and teach the necessary tools to evaluate a company's product.
Date: Saturday, July 20
Class Time RDR/SR
352093 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Brooke Sackenheim
Brooke Sackenheim enjoys teaching people about the traditional medicinal uses of herbs. She has over 10 years experience with herbs, studying with many well-know herbalists and using them in her daily life.
Herbal Vinegars and Salad Dressings
Herbal infused vinegars are a great way to preserve the fresh taste of summer herbs. Besides flavor, there is also the added benefit of the vitamins and minerals extracted from the herbs. Yet, what can one do with vinegars? Salad dressings are the answer. Basic salad dressings are quick and easy to whip up as well as a way to cut your grocery bill. We will discuss the basics of vinaigrettes and creamy dressings and explore other tasty additions. Participants will make their own vinegar to take home.
Date: Saturday, July 27
Class Time RDR/SR
352093A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Herb Center Staff
August
The “Why” of Herbal Health
Last month’s Simple Guide to Herb Safety, delved into the “What” of Herbal Health. Knowing the different forms in which herbs can be used for health is a great first step. Now we will discuss why one would choose a tincture over a tea or a compress over a poultice. We will discuss why you may choose to support your body with herbs while taking a prescription, or why you may choose to use an herbal solution instead of a medical one. We will also discuss how to safely move from tonic herbs to more targeted herbs to address an ailment. It can be confusing when you first start out to know how to determine what the best choice is for you and your family. Join us as we go deeper into the many ways in which herbs can help support your health.
Date: Saturday, August 10
Class Time RDR/SR
351002A 1:00-2:00p $15/$20
Instructor: Dawn Combs
Dawn Combs is an author, a practicing community herbalist and the owner of Mockingbird Meadows, a biodynamic herb farm in Marysville.
Second Saturdays at the Herb Center
Join our staff this summer as we teach families and kids about the world of herbs. In conjunction with Second Saturdays, from 3:00-6:00p we will learn to identify herbs and other wild plants, or go on scavenger hunts, and make herb crafts. Free to public.