San Diego Botanic Garden presents herb festival, Susan Belsinger, gourd basket workshops
Award-winning cookbook author and herbalist Susan Belsinger to give two presentations at San Diego Botanic Garden's Herb Festival, March 19 - 20, 2011
Award-winning cookbook author and herbalist Susan Belsinger to give two presentations at San Diego Botanic Garden’s Herb Festival, March 19 – 20, 2011
Growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers organically, harvesting them at their peak, and bringing them into the kitchen to create healthy, good-tasting dishes is a way of life for Susan Belsinger. She is a culinary herbalist who delights in kitchen alchemy—the blending of harmonious foods, herbs, and spices—to create real, delicious food, as well as libations, that nourish our bodies and spirits and titillate our senses.
Susan teaches, lectures, and writes about gardening and cooking, and is a food writer, editor and photographer who has authored/co-authored 20 books and been published in numerous national magazines and newspapers. She blogs for and has been contributing editor to Herb Companion for ten years.
To find out more about Susan, visit www.susanbelsinger.com.
Susan will give a program at the Herb Festival each day at 1 pm. On Saturday, she will present Getting to Know the Mediterranean Herbs, a visual journey across a hillside in Syros, Greece, which helps “herbies” and gardeners see how these native herbs grow in hot arid climates, tenaciously hanging on rocky cliffs. She will discuss how to keep the grey and green Mediterranean herbs happy in our own gardens. On Sunday, Susan will offer a cooking demonstration featuring these hardy, flavorful herbs along with seasonal ingredients of this sun-drenched cuisine. It will be a sensual experience of fragrance and flavor.
In addition to Susan’s presentation, the Herb Festival will feature on-going speakers on garden and herb-related topics, guided tours of the Herb Garden, Herb Festival Market-place, the A-Z or Herbs information booth, and the SDBG Spring Plant Sale with a multitude of vendors. Back by popular demand is Tomatomania® with lectures on culture and care and plenty of tomato seedlings for sale.
Kids’ Crafts, Community Art Project, Botanical OriginalsSaturday and Sunday, 1 a.m. 2 p.m. Children can learn about the Herb of the Year, the horseradish, make potpourri “saddle bags” with herbs from the garden, and more. Everyone is invited to help in the community art project using recycled material, inspired by artist Rodney Rodrigo. Botanical Originals will offer guidance in making bookmarks designed from plant material.
For a $2 off admissions coupon visit www.sdbgarden.org.
San Diego Botanic Garden is located at 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, CA 92024.
Gourd and Basket Weekend at San Diego Botanic Garden, April 30 - May 1, 2011
Gourd and Basket Weekend at San Diego Botanic Garden
April 30 and May 1, 2011, the Misti Washington Gourd and Basket Guild presents its tenth Gourd and Basket Weekend at San Diego Botanic Garden. Throughout the weekend, 35 classes will offer students of all abilities the opportunity to show off and develop their basketweaving and decorative gourd skills. There will be artisan displays and vendors with their creations and basketweaving materials available for purchase, as well as an opportunity drawing for gourds and baskets from the artisans.
Nineteen instructors from around the country will offer classes ranging from Ornate Pine Needle Basketry and Twill Shoulder Bags to Basket Rainsticks and a Woven Rocker for a Toddler.
Polly Jacobs Giacchina, of La Mesa, has been teaching various fiber techniques for many years. Her goal is a creative process that helps the student discover the maker within everyone. Her own sculptural fiber art is shown in galleries and exhibitions nationally and internationally. Polly will help students create Woven Beads and Brooches in one class and a 3-D Sculptural People Rattle in another.
Don Weeke, of Julian, and a former student of Misti Washington has been working with gourds and baskets for 30 years. His work is featured in The Complete Book of Gourd Craft. He will lead two classes: Gourd Basketry and Gourd Masks.
Misti Washington was a highly respected, nationally known, basket maker, artist, craftswoman, teacher and author who lived and worked in Solana Beach. She generated enthusiasm and inspiration, and fostered the development of countless basket makers until her death in 1997. The guild is named to honor her life and memory.
For complete class catalog, registration and information, visit www.baskets-gourds.com.
San Diego Botanic Garden is located at 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, CA 92024.
www.SDBGarden.org
