Friday, May 20, 2016

Jefferson County Master Gardeners in Service: Horticulture and Demonstration Garden by Jill Knussman

Photo by Jill Knussmann
Did you know that Jefferson County Master Gardeners have a demonstration vegetable and fruit garden at the fairgrounds? For the past two years, hundreds of pounds of produce have been grown in these garden beds and donated to local food banks. We invite you to visit and see what you can learn about growing produce.

Snow peas, photo by Jill Knussmann
The horticulture garden is easy to find: as you enter the fairgrounds, you’ll pass a corral followed by the “Horticulture and Demonstration Garden” on your right behind a split rail fence. Visitors will find a raspberry bed, herb garden, blueberry bed and fruit espalier trees. Multiple varieties of garlics, leeks, onions, celery, lettuces, peas, kales and chards are grown during cooler weather. 

Cabbage, photo by Jill Knussman

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cucumbers, squashes and melons thrive in warmer weather. Beets, turnips, carrots, radishes, kohlrabi and more are found all season long. 

Garlic, photo by Jill Knussman


The Demonstration Garden has educational brochures as well as audio tours using QR code technology. These resources provide tips to help you successfully grow any of these foods yourself, whether you grow them in the ground, raised beds, large pots, or other creative containers. Come visit on Thursdays when you can ask questions of the Master Gardeners working in the garden. 



Who knows? With this excellent resource, your vegetable garden may be so successful that you too can donate extra produce to a local food bank!