Grow Your Gardening Skills This Weekend with Help from Dozens of Experts at a Virtual Garden Festival
In the past year, millions of people took to gardening as a respite from all the stress due to the pandemic. Growing plants is not only a wonderful hobby to pass the time, but it also has some excellent health benefits such as fighting chronic diseases and improving your mood. Armloads of gorgeous blooms and homegrown produce are a huge bonus, too. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you'll want to clear your weekend schedule (you can do your binge-watching later) so you can participate in the Great Grow Along virtual garden festival. And as a Better Homes & Gardens reader, you'll get a $5 discount for the event.
Courtesy of Great Grow Along
The first-ever Great Grow Along is from Friday, March 19, to Sunday, March 21. It comprises more than 40 sessions from expert gardeners, Kevin Espiritu, the founder of Epic Gardening, and Linda Vater, a garden designer and stylist. The classes will be divided into six sections: edible gardening, pollinators and plants, urban gardening, DIY landscaping, houseplants, and dig deeper (focusing on the soil). There will be workshops, Q&A sessions, and live interviews.
"With the wave of new gardeners entering the hobby in 2020, we saw a historic opportunity to offer our experience and advice and welcome them," says LaManda Joy, founder of City Grange in Chicago and the mastermind behind the Great Grow Along. "For their future, and ours, we envisioned the Great Grow Along as a virtual event that empowers new gardeners by honing their skills through education."
Related: Demand for Garden Seeds is Sky-High Again
To sign up, head to the Great Grow Along website and click on the "Reserve Your Spot Button" to book. The 3-day event costs $30, but with our exclusive discount code, you'll get your ticket for $25. (If you click on this link, it will automatically apply the discount.) For that price, you'll be able to view the classes live, as well as watch the recordings for up to six months after the event if you need a refresher or had to miss a live session.
This event is the perfect way to kick off spring, which officially starts on Saturday, March 20, so make sure you get your tickets soon. You can become a more experienced gardener in just one weekend.
