"Victory" garden classes to be offered in LA County

UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County is pleased to launch the third round of its “Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative” gardening classes this spring.

The initiative helps new gardeners start their own gardens quickly and easily in a container, in the backyard or at a community garden, bringing together local families and neighborhoods to share their experiences, skills and produce. Participants will be able to turn their new gardening interest into successful, productive gardens that will generate positive changes in their homes by helping to lower grocery bills and enhance opportunities to eat healthy, nutritious foods.

Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener volunteers will organize and lead low-cost gardening circles and teach the basics of gardening. Eighteen gardening circles are scheduled to be held throughout Los Angeles County. Each circle will meet about four times, mainly on weekends, to receive instructions and engage in hands-on activities. Participants will become UC-certified Victory Gardeners upon completing the series. Spanish translation will be provided at some sites.

“Last year’s initiative was a wonderful success, with more than 700 participants” said Yvonne Savio, Common Ground Garden program manager. “Graduates of the series continue to meet informally in neighborhood gardening circles where they share what they’ve learned, their harvests and new seedlings,” she added.

Partners of the initiative include local schools, community gardens and organizations, such as the Natural History Museum of LA County.

For more information on the “Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative,” please contact Yvonne Savio at ydsavio@ucdavis.edu.

The schedule can be found at
http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/Grow_LA_Victory_Garden_Initiative_Classes.htm.

About UC Cooperative Extension
As part of the University of California, Cooperative Extension was established in 1914 to connect local communities to their state’s land grant university. An office in each county in California responds to the changing needs of its local populations, designing and carrying out research-based programs in the areas of food, health, agriculture and the environment. For more information on Cooperative Extension and its programs, please visit http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/.