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Green Thumbs Project
The Green Thumb Project offers a hands-on, interactive gardening experience!
Each month, explore sustainable gardening with expert-led sessions from EarthLinks, Denver Botanical Gardens, Fresh Food Connect, and Uproot Colorado.
Get your hands dirty with us!
Adult
Learner
$40/class
Little
Sprouts
$25/class
*Includes adult
admission*
April: Soil Science & Composting Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving garden! This session will cover soil composition, texture testing, and amendments. Participants will work with compost piles and discuss NPK ratios for optimal plant nutrition. Take-home materials include a tabletop plant light, soil health guides, soil texture guides, and some cold-weather veggies to start you off.
May: Direct Sowing & Warm-Season Transplanting It's time to get plants in the ground! We’ll cover direct sowing vs. transplanting, proper plant spacing, and how to use shade structures for heat-sensitive crops. Participants will plant tomatoes, peppers, and squash, focusing on maximizing yield. Take-home materials include seeds and care tips.
June: Pruning, Pinching & Plant Maintenance Ongoing care is key to a productive garden. This session covers pruning techniques for fruiting plants, pinching methods to encourage branching, and watering schedules for summer crops. Participants will learn by practice and may take home flowers or herbs to use in their kitchen.
July: Native Plant Integration & Garlic Harvest This month, we’ll explore native plants and their benefits, including drought tolerance and pollinator attraction. Participants will identify key species suited to Colorado gardens and harvest garlic. Take-home materials include native plant seeds.
August: Vermiculture & Advanced Composting Discover how to transform food waste into nutrient-rich compost! We’ll cover hot vs. cold composting, troubleshoot common composting problems, and build worm bins for vermiculture.
October: Garlic Planting & Frames for Winter Gardens We’ll deep dive into garlic cultivation, from planting to harvesting. Participants will also learn how to build and use cold frames to extend the growing season. Everyone will plant garlic in the garden to take home.
Each course includes a free item for your garden!
April: Digging into Soil & Compost Soil is like food for plants! We’ll dig in the dirt, play with worms, and learn how compost helps plants grow. Kids will touch different types of soil, explore a compost pile, and help mix in nutrients to keep our garden healthy. Everyone will get a fun soil experiment to try at home!
May: Planting Summer Crops It’s time to plant! Kids will learn how to space out their plants, dig holes for seeds, and gently place seedlings in the ground. We’ll plant tomatoes, peppers, and squash, and everyone will take home seeds to grow their own summer veggies.
June: Plant Care & Helping Plants Grow Plants need a little love to grow strong! This month, we’ll practice pinching flowers to make them bushier, learn when to water plants, and build supports for tall veggies. Kids will check on their plants and might even take home fresh herbs!
July: Nature Hunt & Garlic Harvesting We’re going on a plant adventure! Kids will go on a “Native Safari” to find plants that grow naturally in Colorado and learn why they’re important for bees and butterflies. We’ll also dig up garlic and take some home to use in the kitchen!
August: Composting with Worms Worms are amazing helpers in the garden! Kids will meet some wiggly worms, learn what they eat, and even help build a small worm bin. Depending on supplies, they may even get a worm farm to take home!
September: Mulch & Planting for Fall We’ll get the garden ready for cooler weather by spreading mulch and planting cover crops to help the soil. Kids will also plant fall flowers and take home bulbs to grow their own!
October: Garlic Planting & Greenhouses Garlic time! Kids will plant garlic in the garden and learn how it grows over the winter. We’ll also explore how mini greenhouses (cold frames) help plants stay warm when it’s chilly. Everyone will take home garlic bulbs to plant!