| Enjoy Garden–Fresh Veggies, No Matter the Season Learn how to grow your favorite vegetables all year long! Join me, Master Gardener and author Bill Thorness for my online Craftsy class, The Extended Harvest: Vegetables for Every Season, and serve loved ones your own delicious homegrown veggies throughout the holidays and beyond! During this class, you'll learn how to grow and care for a bountiful harvest even in your coldest months. To begin, we'll discuss various regional climates throughout the United States and dive into a few initial techniques for extending your harvest. Then, learn how to break down your calendar so that you know exactly when to plant and when to harvest. I'll even share a variety of winter–friendly plants to consider, if your colder months are especially frigid.  |  | Next, we'll select a site for your cold–weather garden. Learn how to evaluate your yard for a spot that will nurture your plants throughout the fall and winter seasons. Then, I'll show you how to look for garden clues that indicate good sun exposure, and how to add wind protection and enhance soil conditions. Plus, find out how to create simple, cost–effective wind barriers and raised beds that absorb heat and keep your plants warm.
Now, I'll share proven techniques for building healthy soil year round. Find out how to make a nutrient–rich compost mixture that will strengthen your plants against the cold without attracting pests. Plus, get comfortable working with worm bins — even an apartment–friendly version — and keep your critters warm and well–fed throughout winter.  | | Moving on, get the secrets to extending your plants' growing seasons by trapping heat within the soil. Learn how to raise soil temperatures using glass, plastic or floating row covers, and find out which is best at warding off pests, retaining warmth and moderating moisture. Plus, make inexpensive hot caps that provide microclimates for individual plants!
At this point, we'll move beyond the basics of season extension and into more advanced techniques. Confidently build cloches and cold frames that will protect your precious harvest from harsh elements. Then, get tips for building an environment that allows your plants to thrive.
You'll have all of this new knowledge of cloches and cold frames — let's put some of it to use! To begin, create a successful planting plan and learn how to harden off seedlings using your newly built structures. Then, explore the logistics of planting, watering and venting cloches and cold frames, and get tips for planting hearty vegetables side–by–side. |  | Finally, get an overview of your extended–season options — from modest indoor gardens to gorgeous year–round greenhouses. Enroll in The Extended Harvest: Vegetables for Every Season, and you'll even learn how to set up an easy seed–starting station to get a jump on a bountiful spring harvest! I have been a writer and gardener based in Seattle, Washington for over 30 years. I am the author of Cool Season Gardener and Edible Heirlooms, and write for a variety of print and online publications, including The Seattle Times and Edible Seattle. I am a Master Gardener with Washington State University Extension–King County, as well as a master composter and soil builder. I also travel throughout the Pacific Northwest, teaching the wonders of extended gardening, and now, with the Craftsy platform, you can watch my class whenever, wherever — forever! I look forward to connecting with you as you learn that you really can grow your favorite garden–fresh vegetables any time of the year! Bill Thorness | Craftsy Instructor
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