PRESIDIO — Last Friday, the Big Bend Conservation Alliance kicked off a series of free gardening workshops in Presidio, encouraging locals to get dirty and grow their own food. The workshops will continue the first week of each month through the spring and will be conducted in Spanish to encourage all members of the community to participate.
Félix Vázquez Santa Cruz led the workshop — this session was dedicated to starting a garden on a budget. She started with the basics: the focus would be on growing vegetables instead of ornamental flowers and other plants.
The group tackled typical problems that Presidians face in starting and keeping a garden: nutrient-poor and rocky soil, soaring summer temperatures and wild neighbors like javelinas, rabbits and outdoor cats. Santa Cruz advised working with the land, rather than against it — too many pesticides or other interventions could harm rather than help the cause.
Santa Cruz and BBCA Community Liaison Elvira Hermosillo broke the attendees up into groups and handed out free egg carton planters, soil and seeds. Everyone got to pick which seeds they wanted to plant, but they were advised to be intentional in their choices — there would be a friendly competition measuring the progress of everyone’s garden in the next session.
Hermosillo explained to the fledgling gardeners that the exercise wasn’t just about picking up a new hobby: it was an act of self-reliance and keeping in touch with the past. “It’s all about growing your own food — our ancestors grew their own food,” she said.
Santa Cruz also emphasized that you don’t need a lot of specialized knowledge to get into gardening — there are plenty of free resources online to help beginners get started. She recommended YouTube videos as a great place to learn from more experienced folks. “This is to motivate y’all — it can be done,” she said.
Beyond her practical tips, Santa Cruz also offered a pep talk. “I have a theory [behind my success] — I make it fun for myself,” she said. “Gardening is love.”
The next installment of BBCA’s gardening series will be held on Friday, March 3, at 10 a.m. — the theme will be using what you already have at home to set up your garden. All classes will be held at the Presidio Public Library, are open to all, and are free of charge.