2023 Village Gardener Hands-on Learning Series

May – October

Enfield Shaker Museum

The Village Gardeners Hands-on Learning Series is a thorough introduction to organic herb gardening practice, including soil preparation, garden planning, composting, mulching, and propagation.

The Village Gardener hands-on learning classes will cover cultivation through harvesting and use of culinary, medicinal, fragrance, due, and everlasting herbs.  Enfield Shaker Museum Garden Coordinator Susan Quinlan and Enfield Shaker Museum Herbalist Emeritus Happy Griffiths will guide the series.

Our focus will be on building community connections and enhancing the well-being of ourselves and our environment.  Together, using organic practices, we will become stewards of the historic Museum Herb Garden.  In community you will nurture plants, tend to the gardens, and harvest the fruits of your labors on the historic site of the Enfield Shaker Community. The skills you learn will be enriched with the herbal and gardening knowledge of the Shakers during their time in Enfield, as they raised herbs to season their foods, scent the air, soothe bodily aches and disease, and color textiles.

The Classes:

Every other Thursday evening from 5:30 – 7:00 pm (May 18 – October 12) all Village Gardeners will gather in the garden for an outdoor class that will cover growth, maintenance and use of the “herb bed of the week”. The garden’s 12 beds include roses and herbs. These evening sessions will be taught by Susan Quinlan, Enfield Shaker Museum Garden Coordinator with support from Happy Griffiths, Enfield Shaker Museum Herbalist Emeritus.

In addition to class time, Village Gardeners who agree to dedicate at least two hours per week in the garden working alongside our experienced Village Gardeners will get a 50% discount on the hands-on class series.

Join us as we take this Shaker Herbal Garden Path through the 2023 growing season. All gardening experience levels are encouraged to join us–from total beginner to master gardener.

Registration:

We have 15 spaces available in this year’s class. Registration is required.

Classes Only – Museum Members – $275/person

Classes Only – Non-Members – $300/person

Classes + Volunteer Hours – Museum Members – $137/person

Classes + Volunteer Hours – Non-Members – $150/person

Have questions? Call 603-632-4346 or email education@shakermuseum.org

Want to know more about Susan Quinlan?

Susan is a retired registered nurse who has been creating and caring for gardens for forty-nine years.  She is a self-taught and dedicated organic gardener living in Canaan, NH.  Susan grows flowers, herbs, vegetables, perennials, and shrubs on a northern slope.  She creates wreaths for all seasons, and gives hands-on workshops in wildcrafting.  Her passion is to create connections between people and plants.