Garden for the Environment

I went to the free 2-​hour Urban Composting class yesterday and found it very helpful. The instructor was highly knowledgeable and answered everyone’s questions about their own composting systems at home and general questions as well. She shared her knowledge and showed us how the passive compost systems work as well as the larger types with three sections to help the 8 – 12 week composting along. In addition, she showed composting with earthworms. You can even get your hands in there (gloves are supplied) to sift finished compost, and shovel and transport in-​process compost to the next stage.
There is also a 3-​month more intensive composting course. It was a bit confusing as some of us ended up in the wrong class area (3-​month intensive vs. 2-​hour one day class), so clear signage and representatives to guide students to the right area would have been helpful. It was a bit colder (bring layers and bundle up as it is the Inner Sunset) than anticipated but that is nobody’s fault, and the instructor and class did the best we could. Otherwise, this is a valuable course to obtain general knowledge, get your composting questions answered and try it for yourself.
They have a full schedule of various other classes online and they take gardening volunteers on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Lastly, it is a beautiful garden to walk through.

I registered for a free «Urban Composting» workshop a few weeks ago. The instructors were incredibly helpful and very open to address all kinds of questions, which was great because I had a lot of them!
GftE offers a bunch of classes throughout the year, mostly seasonal topics.
Some classes are free, others are $ 25 for non-​members. The website clearly shows the workshops offered as well as other events that are family (a.k.a. kid friendly)

i had never heard of this little garden until i was looking for a good place to relax and eat my sandwich from roxies down the street. a small community garden with a few benches.

The GFE collaborates w/​18 Reasons to educate on the joy of gardening from planning, growing to harvesting. Signed up for 12 sessions over 6 months last December and thought «man, that’s a long time!»
Five months later, it’s been a gem to meet and trade funny stories w/​others; especially when we laugh about our successes and failures.
Hilary (GFE) and Rosie (18 Reasons) are awesome and inspirational. Gardening taught me to have a good sense of humor and patience. Nothing like getting your hands dirty with manure to appreciate life.
Stop by the garden to volunteer or relax in the beauty of the various vegetation.

On one of my many visits I saw a woman sitting quietly on a bench. I said hello, we chatted. She’s a cancer survivor who goes there several times a week to relax, think, ponder, enjoy the beauty and feel good.

Just took a walk through today, gorgeous!

This garden is an inspiration. They offer tons of classes and workshops. It brings so much to the neighborhood!!!
thanks

GFE as people call this place, is awesome. The garden is kept in pristine shape. We live in the area and often walk through it. Each time some new beautiful plant is blooming.
In addition to maintaining an urban oasis, the volunteers who run GFE offer a variety of outreach and educational programs. These range from 2-​hour gardening and composting workshops to 3-​month educator training programs. Check out their website for details.

I love GFE and all they do to promote environmentally-​friendly, conservationist practices. They offer Saturday classes on various topics — from raising backyard chickens to planting a winter vegetable garden to the near-​ubiquitous (offered at least once a month) urban composting workshop. Most of these workshops are free or available for a nominal fee ($ 5 – 15) I love strolling through the garden as an inspiration and guide on what can grow in our neighborhood…(in the Sunset, depending on the season, of course, it’s beets and chard, citrus (meyer lemon), strawberries, apples and pears, peas and lots of lettuces, different kinds of kale and onions and leeks…).
One of my favourite GFE events was their hosting of
— an organization dedicated to spreading information about DIY homestead efforts — beermaking, farming, urban gardens, water conservation, etc. On the agenda that night — a showing of shorts on homesteading topics, including bread and beer tasting and seed giveaways.
GFE is a gift to our neighborhood — even if we are in the foggy sunset.

What a wonderful place! Such beautiful plants encapsulated in a rather small space. The vibe of this place is very positive… I can tell that this place exists by the volunteer efforts of those with a pure love and passion for the GFE cause.
I have wanted to learn how to garden for quite some time now, especially utilizing the most eco-​friendly methods possible. I was truly inspired by the GFE Garden erected last year in the middle of the Civic Center (I work very close by). In fact, I wish it was a permanent feature because it brought such harmony to a normally chaotic space. During lunch and break time I found it to be a wonderful respite from my fluorescent-​lit cubicle.
I just took the first class of a 3-​part seminar on organic gardening. The instructor Hillary is excellent and a true gardening know-​how gem. They were very gracious and even provided us with baked goods from Arizmendi. I learned a great deal in just 2 hours. In fact, I had to restrain myself from asking too many questions of dear Hillary for fear of possibly annoying her.
I can’t wait to return and further expand my knowledge. Needless to say, I will be signing up for future classes as well as volunteering in the garden. I am truly hooked.

Just. Awesome.
I’ve just come back from a composting class, taught by Amy. It was fantastic. The class was well prepared and presented, and the poor weather (it was raining almost the whole time) didn’t stop the class being brilliant. Oh, and it was FREE. I’ll definitely be going there a lot more from now on.
And they really inspired me to believe that I can do a LOT with my tiny little patch of concrete. So you’ll have to excuse me now, I’ve got some gardening to do…

So I’m slowly morphing into an urban hippie.
I don’t eat meat
My dreadlocks are coming in nicely
I bring my own grocery bags
I use tom’s of Maine toothpaste
I bathe 2 times a month to conserve water
To cover said smell I douse myself in patchouli oil
I will let you guess which things on that list aren’t true
But there was something I was missing in my life and that was the ability to turn my food scraps into mulch instead of landfill fodder.
That’s right folks I needed to learn how to compost!
Garden for the Environment runs monthly free composting workshops (along with with a variety of other spectacular programs) for the greater San Francisco community.
At my workshop I learned about a myriad of different methods of composting, how almost anyone can do it even if they live in a studio like I do, why your compost pile should reach between 130 – 150 degrees if you want it to do its job (crazy huh?), and that other urban hippie types are really annoying to be around.
I had a great time and after the class I have decided that I am going to get a worm composting bin!
I hope the worms don’t mind the smell of patchouli.

Part of my neighbourhood, part of my day. A brilliant walk through a wonderful communal area of useful and beautiful plants, a beautiful landscape to enjoy. relax in… pass through… or help with.
10 – 2 on wednesdays
same time Saturdays.
Pitch in, join in, or just learn!
I go in the mornings with my pooch and pick up trash left there or blown in by that crazy intersection.
And one note to the cat whom left a note… I wouldn’t use the word «bucolic» with teenage girls that smoke. It might be lost on them, but I also don’t like to assume.

Who knew it could get sunny and flowery in the Sunset district? I didn’t until I went to a FREE Composting class at Garden for the Environment (I think they may have starting asking for $ 10 — well worth it).
The teaching style and hands-​on tools they use are awesome, as are the teachers — really resourceful people.
The space is lovely just to stroll through and there’s a lot of information up around so you can learn even without taking a class. And if you do see a staff member they are oh-​so helpful!
What an awesome find for a new gardener!

Man, I love this place!
Beautiful! and a great exaple of how productive a garden can be without a single drop of pesticides or chemical fertilizer.
Ahhh, organics.
They have fantastic classes offered here, check them out! Fantastic instructors, one teaches Permaculture at Merritt in Oakland, for instance. Chris Schein. Fantastic! Look for his classes!
A great place to stroll through when in the neighborhood! Edible fruit trees, worm bin benches, raised bed, recycled goods used throughout as paths, benches, etc.
Love it!

Looking for a place to get a little dirt under your nails or to find out about making a compost pile for your apartment… look no further than the Garden for the Environment. GFE is demonstration garden in the Inner Sunset where both kids and adults can go to learn about urban gardening, many forms of composting, the importance of mulching, native plants, etc. GFE offers classes on a range of topics from worm composting to fruit trees and hardscaping. GFE also offers gardening and composting educator training.
Check out the calendar for a class, drop by to volunteer on either Wednesday between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm or Saturday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm or invite GFE to your school.
The kids will love the worms.