Schools
Planting the Seed of Lifelong Learning
Adult School harvests fall bounty of garden, cooking classes
South Orange Village President Douglas Newman gave the Adult School high praise when he shared with the school's trustees at a Village Board meeting that the Adult School had changed his life.
Well, maybe not changed. But it certainly inspired him to pursue a certificate in landscape design from the NY Botanical Garden after competing an Adult School class on landscape design and another on maintaining garden shrubs.
This passion came to fruition recently with the new South Orange Community Garden, which Newman and Trustee Michael Goldberg spearheaded, and which includes 49 community garden plots cared for by almost 100 resident gardeners. The bounty of that garden has been harvested all summer and into fall.
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This fall, the Adult School hopes to inspire other adults to turn over a new leaf.
The school is once again offering landscape design. New this year is Container Gardening. Bruce Crawford, the director of Rutgers Gardens at Rutgers University, is teaching a class on Oct. 7 to examine various plants and plant combinations that will ensure a miniature Garden of Eden during the "cooler" months ahead.
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Crawford will also be teaching Plants for Winter Interest on Nov. 11. He'll be showing how to have garden "bones" during the winter, but wonderful visual interest as well.
Landscape designer Christine Czech teaches Landscape Design On A Budget. The four-week class begins 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7. Czech will help students design a garden that will be beautiful year round. All the Home and Garden classes will take place at South Orange Middle School.
And if you're wondering what to do with that harvest, the Adult School is also offering veggie culinary classes. Chef Bernice DeCarlo will be teaching Vegetarian Soup on Oct. 13 and Vegetarian Cooking on Oct. 27. Chef Randy Rabney, a certified holistic health counselor, teaches Vegetarian Cooking for Teens on Nov. 4. Come hungry; there will be generous tasting portions.
Plus, Bernadette Armiento, a certified holistic health counselor, will demonstrate Healthy Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies on Oct. 12.
The cooking classes also take place at South Orange Middle School.
More information and registration is available at the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School, 17 Parker Ave., Maplewood, (973) 378-7620, www.somadultschool.org
