Classes:
I believe that some seed is planted in each person who attends my classes, but they aren’t always ready to bring that idea into their world. It is really important for me to present a broad spectrum of information and experience (and some stories!) hoping that each person will hear what they are ready to hear. The real nourishment for me from teaching classes is when students contact me to share what they have done, how some experiment in the garden worked or didn’t. It’s proof that they have a learner’s mind, and that is the key to personal growth. It makes us ageless.
OLLI Classes at Casper College: Most of you in the Casper area will receive the class catalog for the Continuing Education / OLLI programs for Spring 2026 sooner than you expect. So keep watch. But in the meantime, for those of you who want to mark your calendars here is the schedule:
Soul of the Garden: Ancient Gardens ~ Saturday February 26, 2026 10:00am to 2:00pm This class will take us back as far as 5000 years ago to a small memorial garden found just outside a family home in Egypt. What plants are there and what do they tell us about the family? We will also look at ancient gardens of Mesopotamia and the herb/ medicinal / textile gardens found just outside the walls of a Medieval Bridgettine cloister . The plants found during an archeological dig there clearly told the history from gathering in the wild to preparing stunning dyes and treating the sick during the plagues.
Plants for the Permaculture Garden – Saturday March 21, 2026 9:00am to 4:00pm Over the last twenty-five years I have worked with hundreds of plants to find those that could thrive in our challenging climate and soil. In this class I will share not only my experiences with these plants, but also information on the types of plants to consider. Emphasis will be placed on eco-appropriate plants (natives and hybrids of natives), low-maintenance, climate extreme hardy, that produce flowers, fruit, fall color and winter protection.
Rainwater Harvesting – Saturday April 25, 2026 10:00am to 2:00pm If you live in the Casper Wyoming area you recently found out that your water and sewer rates are going up very soon. This was to be expected, as much of the infrastructure in the town is quite old, and a major failure would be far worse than the monthly increase. The primary time for precipitation in our area is from February through June, from heavy Spring snowfall to intense but quick severe thunderstorms. If you have a roof over your head, you have a source for garden water. It is legal to divert rainwater for the purpose of watering gardens and livestock. This class will cover considerations related to designing a rainwater harvesting system – from very simple to systems that can actually be used for domestic water.
Nitrogen Fixing Plants for the Permaculture Garden – Saturday May 9, 2026 10:00am to 2:00pm If you add commercial fertilizers to your soil you will need to do it every year. Very little of the contents of that bag are actually used by the plants. But encouraging natural processes for soil restoration can have multiple benefits to your garden. This class will review the role of nitrogen in plant health, natural sources of nitrogen and the plants that store and release nitrogen naturally in your garden.
Dirt to Earth: Permaculture Soil Improvement – Saturday May 23, 2026 9:00am to 4:00pm So much of our earth in Casper has been mangled and murdered by the creation of foundations and basements. So much of our ground is heavy clay or thirsty sand. Soil amendments are created to be applied every year, and they are not at all as effective as the manufacturers would like you to believe. With permaculture and ecogardening practices we work to restore soil balance and function, and this class will be more than enough information to help you understand and be able to help that struggling ground to become rich gardens.
The information on how to become an OLLI member is in the catalog, or you can call the office at 307.268.3401
Fort Caspar Classes:
Food Forest: Landscaping with Fruit and Vegetables Saturday June 6, 2026 10:00am to 2:00pm With a small patch of ground or a length of fenceline a beautiful, bountiful, healthy “farm” can be created, offering wind and snow protection, privacy, flowers, food, fall color, wildlife habitat, shade, mulch and so much more. We will look at design considerations and lots of plants that do very well in our often challenging landscape. I will share my experience with perennial fruit and vegetables, along with Luke from 307 Fruit Co to share his experience with specialty fruit plants like strawberry, blackberry and honeyberry (haskaps). We also hope to have some of the plants available that day for purchase. All attendees will receive a discount on permaculture garden consultations. The fee for the class is $30.00 if paid before May 1, 2026. I will post the online payment information here and on Facebook and Instagram as soon as it is ready. So stay tuned! We are excited to offer this class.
Several times through the summer and into fall I will schedule small-group tours at The Refuge. Each tour has a theme: Successful Plants, Fruit Shrubs, Simple Water Management… These tours are announced via The Refuge Newsletter. If you are interested please send me your email address at tarafarmandnursery@gmail.com to be added.
The Refuge Permaculture Center 