No-Till Gardening Solutions

Monday June 6, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room

Edible Ornamental Garden Design

Monday May 23, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room

The Night Gardener

Wed, 02/17/2016 - 7:20pm by eapearce

Wow! The brand new children's book The Night Gardener is not only a beautiful story, but is stunningly illustrated as well. This is the first book by Canadian sibling duo The Fan Brothers (separately known as Terry and Eric). The book uses sparse language and large, intricate pictures to tell the story of a gray, gloomy town transformed by a mysterious figure known as "the night gardener." One morning, residents of Grimloch Lane wake up to find a large tree transformed into an owl topiary. The people are amazed! Who created this beautiful creature? When did he or she have time to do it? And why? Every night, more topiaries are created: elephants, rabbits, birds, and more. As the townspeople come together to admire the art each morning, their gloom starts to lift. They look forward to the day ahead, and to the people they will meet and talk to at the trees. One little boy in particular is fascinated by the topiaries, and when he stumbles upon the night gardener himself at work one night, his life is forever changed for the better.

This book--which would make a beautiful gift!--is truly one for readers of all ages, although little ones will be particularly fascinated by the wonderfully depicted transformed trees that grace nearly every page. I'm looking forward to whatever The Fan Brothers create next!

Gardening and Landscaping with Native Plants

Thursday February 25, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

National Library Week Event: Rain Gardens and How to Create Them

Tuesday April 12, 2016: 7:30pm to 8:45pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

The Little Gardener is a treat!

Thu, 10/01/2015 - 2:17pm by eapearce

Oh my goodness! What a treat of a new picture book. The Little Gardener, written and illustrated by Emily Hughes, is completely charming. An unnamed miniature boy lives and works in a giant, colorful garden with his little worm friend. The two tend to the garden and get their food and shelter from it. But such little creatures working in such a big garden get tired! The tiny boy and the worm get more and more worn out and their garden starts to wilt and die. One evening, the little boy makes a tiny wish… for just a bit of help. Then he and his worm buddy fall asleep. They are so tired that they sleep all day… all week… all month! While they are sleeping a human girl sees one of the beautiful flowers that is growing in the garden and gets inspired to tend to the garden herself. She waters and weeds and makes everything healthy again! When the tiny boy wakes up, he is rejuvenated and amazed. His garden is flourishing again! He happily goes back to work at his labor of love. The beautiful illustrations and simple, carefully worded text really make this a wonderful picture book, both for young readers... and the adults reading to them!

Establishing A Rain Garden: Clean up the Huron River, One Garden at a Time

Thursday January 28, 2016: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Traverwood Branch: Program Room

Spring Seed Bombs!

Saturday May 14, 2016: 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
All Ages

Permaculture Basics - What is Permaculture? with The People's Food Co-Op

Monday October 26, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: 4th Floor Meeting Room
Adults And Teens Grade 9 And Up

It's Easy Being Green: A Sustainable Living Expo / Sunday, September 27, 12:30-5:30 PM

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 3:57pm by erin

It's Easy Being Green is a day-long learning, local buying, and eating exposition celebrating living a life that’s better for the planet and not so hard on the wallet. From supporting efforts to reduce your carbon footprint to learning homesteading skills for living a more hands-on, DIY life, It's Easy Being Green has you covered!

Join us on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, from 12:30-5:30 PM. The library is open from 12:00-6:00PM. FREE Parking on Sundays too!

The Expo features:

A Keynote presentation, "Plants, Pollinators, and Why They Matter," plus 11 learning sessions on a variety of topics including bike commuting, rain & container gardening, permaculture, fermentation, and more.

Over 20 vendors selling upcycled, recycled, handmade wares including jewelry, clothes, bath products, artwork, wool and other fibers. Plus vendors selling mushroom growing kits, outdoor animal keeping supplies, fermented products, and shrubs (drinking vinegars). Vendors include The Brinery, McClary Brothers Drinking Vinegars, Ann Arbor Seed Company, Happy Fuzzy Yarn, Divine Iguana, Lead Head Glass, among others.

Opportunities to chat with representatives from area organizations such as Recycle Ann Arbor, Project Grow, Ann Arbor Backyard Beekeepers, Sic Transit, Natural Area Preservation, Slow Food Huron Valley, Agrarian Adventure, Leslie Science & Nature Center, Ecology Center, and other green neighbors.

There will be three outdoor food vendors: The Shimmy Shack (vegetarian/vegan), and Mani Strada (the new venture from the Mani Osteria & Isalita purveyors) and Hello Ice Cream..

Learning Sessions Schedule:

12:30-1:15

Keynote: Plants, Pollinators, and Why They Matter with Joseph Tychonievich, Greensparrow Gardens

1:30-2:15

Family Bike Commuting with Michael Firn of Sic Transit Cycles
Container Gardening with Growing Hope

2:30-3:15

Rain Gardens with Jesse Tack of Abundant MI Permaculture and Whole Culture Repair
Mending Workshop with Karen LePage of Gentle Clothing
Bee Keeping with Jamie Berlin of Ypsi Melissa

3:30-4:15

Permaculture with the People’s Food Co-Op
Keeping Animals with Harnois Farms

4:30-5:15

Intro to Canning with Cynthia Hodges
Vermiculture with Starr Valley Farms
Fermentation 101 with The Brinery