Gardening Workshop: Preparing your Garden for Fall: Winter Beds, Cover Crops and Native Edibles

As the growing season winds down, fall is the perfect time to prepare your garden for winter and plan for a more productive, resilient garden next year. This workshop will cover winterizing vegetable beds, protecting and improving soil with cover crops, and incorporating native plants to support biodiversity and beneficial insects.

We’ll also explore native edible fruit trees and shrubs that provide food for people and wildlife while adding beauty and ecological value. Participants will leave with practical ideas for preparing their gardens for winter and inspiration for incorporating more native, edible plants into their growing spaces.

Where: rare’s Resource House, 768 Blair Rd, Cambridge
When: Saturday, October 24^th. 10:30am – 12:00pm. The workshop will run from 10:30am-11:30am.  The remaining half hour will be a time for questions and answers.  
Cost: FREE 
Pre-registration is required. Limited seats available.

About the Presenters

Carolyn Bennett

Carolyn Bennett began her career as a veterinary technician, where she developed a strong foundation in animal health and a deep respect for the interconnectedness of all living systems. Her professional background naturally evolved into horticulture, and she is now a Master Gardener with a focused interest in native plants and ecological gardening.

An avid birder, Carolyn is especially passionate about creating landscapes that support birds throughout all stages of their life cycle. She believes native plants are essential for providing food, shelter, and habitat, and for restoring biodiversity in our increasingly fragmented environments. Through education and hands-on experience, she helps others understand how thoughtful plant choices can have a meaningful impact on local ecosystems.

Carolyn is dedicated to promoting biodiversity through gardening and education, empowering people to work with nature rather than against it, and to create spaces that are not only beautiful, but ecologically valuable.

Kim Hutten

Kim is a lifelong resident of the Grand River watershed and a dedicated steward of the natural landscapes that define our community. With over 20 years of experience in the veterinary field, Kim brings a deep respect for animal health, ecological balance, and responsible land care to all of her work. Recently graduating from the University of Guelph’s Horticulture Certificate in Natural Landscape Management and currently completing her studies in a Diploma of Ecological Design, she is actively involved with the Grand Erie Master Gardeners, volunteering her time to educate the public on science-based gardening practices, using native plants in our home landscapes, and habitat restoration. Kim also collaborates with municipal partners and community groups to design native plant gardens that support pollinators, wildlife, and long-term environmental resilience. Through her work as a land steward, educator, and volunteer, Kim is passionate about helping communities understand how small, thoughtful actions can lead to meaningful environmental impact.

Questions? Contact Amanda Humphreys, Events & Development Coordinator, at Amanda.Humphreys@raresites.org or (519) 650-9336 x122.