Family gardening series starts with ’taters 

by Jessie Ammons

Dig into family time this month at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. Its annual family gardening series begins March 17 with a focus on “the uber tuber”: the sweet potato. “We believe gardens are natural teachers. They provide places to explore, discover, and build relationships with the natural world,” says Elisha Taylor, the garden’s youth and family education manager. Meant for ages 5 and up, the Saturday afternoon session will keep everyone interested with fun facts, hands-on activities, and practical gardening advice. “Our hope is that (participants) are inspired by what they learn and see demonstrated in our vegetable garden and apply it to their home gardening projects, with the child as a full participant in the gardening process,” Taylor says. You’ll take home a potato experiment and the know-how to plant your own vegetable garden, if you’d like.
This month’s gathering begins a series running through the spring. On April 28, you can make your own growing soil and learn about worms and other useful creatures. On May 19, you’ll plant herbs and go home with recipes. 

This month’s family gardening series: 1 – 2:15 p.m.; $10 per child, $9 for members, and no fee for accompanying adult; ncbg.unc.edu/youth-family