A Cottage Gardener's guide to ~
Soil Made Simple
A self-paced 7 module workshop for the gardener (or wanna-be-gardener!) who knows that building healthy soil is the key to thriving plants and a beautiful garden.
I'm sharing everything I do to care for my soil in my garden. I want to help you keep things simple while still planning for a flourishing garden this growing season.
I'll be the garden mentor you've been searching for (or didn't know you needed!) ~
Call To Action
Pretend it’s four months from now: it’s the middle of summer. You walk out to your garden to harvest some herbs for dinner and bees buzz happily as they fly around. Your garden bursts with color and blooms! On your way back in, you pick some flowers to bring into your home.
You feel peace. You are so grateful you’ve tended this garden. It’s becoming what you’ve always dreamed it could be.
This glorious Summer garden you’re envisioning? It's created over time, and tended to in the Spring.
The Spring gardening season is for the preparation. We plant our starts and plants, tend our soil, and create compost. We start harvesting the Spring blooming flowers and creating a beautiful soil foundation so our plants can thrive.
I want to teach you everything I do for my Cottage Garden during the Spring. Will you join me?
Your future self will thank you.
What's in the course? ↓
WORKSHOPS
The three main Workshops:
> Soil Made Simple, so you have all the information you need to care for your garden's soil, so your soil can care for your plants.
> Everything Spring Planting, so you can plant with confidence.
> Worm Composting, so you can turn garden and food waste into nutrient dense compost for your soil.
> And more! This program is living, so I will be adding to it each Spring season.
TUTORIALS
Bite sized mini-Workshops:
> Making a Spring Bouquet, so you know all my tips and tricks for making an arrangement with Spring flowers.
> Planting Dahlia Tubers, so you can plant with confidence and successfully grow beautiful Dahlias.
> Pruning Lilacs, so you know exactly when and how to prune your lilac bushes.
> And more! This program is living, so I will be adding to it each Spring season.
LIVE Q&A CALLS
Monthly Live Support:
> Attend the monthly Live Q&A Sessions, so you have the support you need and can get all your questions answered. >Send questions in advance via email or ask live!
I want you to be so supported on your gardening journey: I want to be like a garden mentor for you!
> And if you can't make the live? Don't worry: I'll record each call and post it in the "Live Call" section each month.
Before (January 2023) & After (July 2024)
Gardens definitely take time to become well established. But you can grow a stunning garden in just one and two growing seasons! These photos are of the same space, one at the start of my Cottage Garden in January 2023 and the next in July of 2024. You'll notice the pear tree in the back left of the first photo is the same tree in the middle of the second, simply in a difference season with a year and a half difference!
Make this year your gardening year, and you might just make every year your gardening year~
This is for you if...
... You've planted all the right plants, but your garden isn't growing how you want it to...
-or maybe-
... You're new to gardening and don't want to invest your time, effort, and money into a garden that won't thrive.
Regardless, you probably have heard that soil is important, but don't quite know the practical steps to take to actually care for your soil...
That's exactly why I created this workshop.
Hi, I'm Hannah, the gardener behind Rooted Cottage Gardening.
I started gardening when the world around me stopped making sense. I was overworked, burned out, and exhausted. I needed to do something tangible, and there's something so elemental about getting my hands in soil and tending the earth.
This was over ten years ago and it continues to hold true in my life! Growing my own food and flowers has led me back to myself again and again, and continues to connect me with something deeper.
I started teaching garden workshops two years ago, and have used my own experiences with my Cottage Garden to help hundreds of people over this time.
I'm thrilled to offer Soil Made Simple because it's exactly where I would start if I was stuck asking, "Why isn't my garden growing like I want it to?"
How the SPRING Cottage Gardening Course works~
When you pay the one time payment of $87, you will have immediate access to the three recorded workshops and the three recorded tutorials. Access to these does not expire. You can access them during any season! You will also have access to any other material I upload in the Spring seasons to come. Remember: this program is living, so you can expect new material each winter for no additional cost.
In addition to the recorded material, you will also be given a link and a schedule for when the Live Q&A occurs every month. You are welcome to join every month! Yes even when it's not spring.
For the SPRING Course, the Live Q&A will be most helpful for you during the months of March through June, which is when I expect most people will be planting plants and seeds, conditioning their soil with compost, and pruning their lilacs. But I want you to have access to this Q&A for the duration of the year in case you decide to make a worm bin or do some planting outside of these months.
I'm designing the Live Q&A to be a cozy community space where we gather together to chat gardening, celebrate your wins, and troubleshoot your questions. I'll be brewing tea for myself, grabbing a cozy blanket, and lighting a candle each session.
I chose these Workshop and Tutorial topics because they're what I actively do each Spring. This course gives you comprehensive guidance on how to implement your garden during the SPRING months.
There is no recurring fee. This is not a subscription (even though it feels like one!).
“Taking these workshops reminded me how passionate I am about being outside and creating pretty spaces through gardening! You inspired me to tackle an area in our yard that I have been trying to embrace and change for a while now.”
- Nicole M.
"My husband and I learned so much and it really motivated us to get into plan mode. I'm so glad I took your course! I have been so inspired by you.
- Lisa B.
Workshop Details ↓
In this workshop, I share everything I do in my garden to care for my soil.
I'm a busy mama so I can't take too much time on this step, but I also know I how important soil health is for plants.
Simple soil care helps our plants thrive!
This workshops is everything I do in the Spring to plant my starts, nursery plants, and seeds out in the garden.
This is a great workshop for you if you're a beginning gardener just starting out, but could also be a good refresher even if you've gardened for years.
When I started Worm Composting, it quickly became my favorite method of composting.
I'm sharing the materials and simple steps I take to create and maintain a worm bin.
It's probably simpler than you think!
... And more Tutorials ↓
Some Spring flowers can be tricky to put in bouquets and need to be conditioned before wrapping up to gift.
More than that, some of the flowers in my garden that work great in bouquets aren't your typical "bouquet flowers" and I wanted to create a tutorial to share all the flowers I use in the Spring season.
This video tutorial comes with an eBook detailing my entire process.
Dahlias are incredibly gorgeous, great in a garden, and so prolific that your cottage garden isn't complete with out them.
In a phrase? So worth it. I wanted to put together a tutorial to share how I set my tubers up for success when I plant them in the Spring. I'll also be sharing a "dividing" tutorial in the Autumn season.
This video tutorial comes with an eBook detailing my entire process.
I don't use any chemicals/spray on my garden, but goodness, those first couple of years of converting grass into a garden can be tough. And my simple answer to this? Sheet Mulching.
Sheet Mulching has become my gold standard for creating new garden spaces and dealing with weedy areas. And I recommend it to every single gardener I meet because it's so simple.
This video tutorial comes with an eBook detailing my entire process.
And the best part? Every Srping, I'll add more! So you'll find another workshop and/or more tutorials on what I'm up to in my garden during the winter season.
(psst... You can also request & suggest the topics of future material when you come to the Live Q&A calls! Help me create this program into something that will help you season after season in your garden!)
It's time to create the garden of your dreams!
Join SPRING now!Wait... What even IS Cottage Gardening?
What if I have NEVER gardened before?
How long are the workshops?
So if this is Spring, do you also have other seasons?
Did you know? Your purchase gives back~
Officially, a portion of profits is split between The Xerces Society (focuses on Pollinator Conservation & Reducing Pesticides) and Earthjustice (Environmental Law Org).
Unofficially, we are stewards of our land and incorporate sustainable practices into managing our farm.
We're currently planting an orchard with plans for a community u-pick. Funds from this SPRING Cottage Gardening Course will go towards purchasing fruit trees, berry bushes, the watering system, and all the amendments required to give our orchard the best chance to flourish.
Thank you for your support! We couldn't transform this farm without you.
What if I live in a different area than you?
Will this still work for me?
I live in Western Washington State, USA. I garden in a maritime climate in zone 8b. (If this doesn't make sense to you, I go over all of this in the Foundations Workshop.) But nearly everything I do can be replicated and simply adjusted for your own growing zone and situation. Much of what I teach will work best for zones 4-9, but those outer zones, 3 and 10 can certainly benefit, too.
So if you're in zone 4-9, this course should be good to go for you! You'll be able to tailor Cottage Gardening to your specific climate and situation. For example, if you live in a very dry place, you'll choose Cottage Garden plants that are water-wise and drought tolerant. And I have a whole "Pick Your Plants" and "Plant List" section in the Cottage Garden Design Workshop. You'll also be able to incorporate plants that are native to your region into your landscape.
If you're in zone 3 or 10, I'd love to chat with you if you're unsure whether this course is right for you or not. Email me at [email protected] and we can set up a time.
I’m going to be completely honest with you:
There’s a large part of me that feels absolutely ridiculous for offering Cottage Gardening Workshops during these times. Like, REALLY? Folks are being kidnapped off the streets, the US is talking about invading other countries, and EPA regulations are being rolled back and valuing business above human health… I could go on and on and on…
I find myself asking, "Is gardening a priority right now?"
But then I remember that I *actually* believe that gardening is a revolutionary act. Extra food grown gets shared or donated to food banks. Planting flowers feeds the bees and other pollinators even as their numbers dwindle worldwide.
Caring for the earth when the powers that be will not? Revolutionary. Experiencing great joy and peace in the garden? Needed now, more than ever.
We need to be creating the world we want need.
How do I stay grounded during these times? I spend time in my garden. How do I share joy with others? Flowers from my garden. How do I share with my community? MY. GARDEN. It’s become my haven and my opportunity to make a difference.
If you’re looking for this for yourself, you can start now.
Join me in learning Cottage Gardening. You never know what kind of difference it could make in your life!
Start Learning!Here's what I prioritize in my own cottage garden:
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Planting close together so my garden looks FULL of blooms!
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Bouquet/cut flowers so I can make bouquets for my neighbors and to sell.
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Native perennials, kitchen herbs, as well as medicinal plants
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Organic and sustainable practices
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Plants and practices that will support the bees and other pollinators.
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Meandering paths and a variety of bed sizes
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Touches of English Cottage style with old world roses and other old garden favorites such as hollyhock
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Plenty of climbing plants for drama and that cottage garden feel
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Seasonal Interest! I want my garden to look beautiful in every season, even winter
About Rooted Cottage Gardening
"Rooted in the seasons, rooted in healthy soil, rooted in joy.”
Rooted Cottage Gardening has been a years long process in the making.
In 2014, I completed my county's Master Gardening Program and decided to get serious about growing my own vegetables. Pretty soon I added a small cottage garden (ask me about this! It completely flopped and I'll share why!), but I persisted and continued to grow more and more over the years. Then, in 2020, we moved to our farm. That's when things really started taking off and I started my current Cottage Garden project in the winter of 2023. Along the way, I started teaching my friends and family, and it ballooned from there. Now I teach hundreds of people and it's an honest-to-goodness dream come true.
In my over a decade of growing, I've nailed down my personal garden ethos:
> Organic always
> Sustainability-focused
> Moving towards minimizing and then eliminating plastics.
> Incorporating regenerative practices so my garden gives back to the earth more than it takes.
I genuinely believe that if every gardener gardened the way I garden, the world would be a better, more beautiful place. And that's because I garden in a way that cares for the earth.
If I can do this, you can, too.
I deeply value transparency in business, so I wanted to take a moment to share my business values with you:
My values of Environmental Sustainability, Ethical Consumption, Human Rights, and Community Support underscore everything I do in life & in my Rooted Cottage Gardening business. I’m not (and never will be) claiming perfection. I am, however, communicating my commitment to continued learning, growing, and implementing best practices & new knowledge. You will see these values reflected in this course.
Call me old fashioned, but...
I don't use AI in my work.
This is my promise to you: Everything I share has been written and created by me. Every post, every email, every word of my workshops, every aspect of my courses. I share and create from my own experience and knowledge.
But why? (Most people ask this.) My commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical consumption requires me to apply those values to the tech aspects of my business (and life, too). Due to the environmental impact of AI & the reality that generative AI was built on stolen work from authors and artists (among other concerning factors), I’m opting out of generative AI.
