Gardening for the Exhausted - An Intro to Gardening Workshop

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp is leading a gardening workshop at the Fort Ben Branch on Monday, November 16, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. It's titled Gardening for the Exhausted, and the whole thing is built around a feeling a lot of us recognize: that somewhere along the way, gardening turned into just another exhausting performance review. If you've ever felt like your backyard was becoming a chore instead of a hobby, that's exactly where she starts. Sharp spends the hour sharing tips to make the whole process less draining and more enjoyable, shifting the focus back to why we start gardening in the first place.

It's an intro-level session, so you don't need to be an expert to get anything out of it. If you're just starting out, it's a good place to pick up some practical advice; if you've been at it for years and are feeling burnt out, it's a chance to rethink how you approach it. After the talk, she points you toward a couple of ways to keep going on your own: the IndyPL Seed Library, where you can pick up seeds to get started, and a recommended reading list that includes Gardening for Wildlife and For Fresh Flower Fans.

The venue itself is worth a mention if you haven't been. The Fort Ben Branch is a 22,000-square-foot library in a high-traffic part of the city, and it's got a few things that set it apart from your average branch. Its rooftop solar photovoltaic system provides 80% of the building's electricity, and it's the first library branch in Indiana to become a Certified Autism Center. It's a big, bright space that's as much a community hub as it is a place to borrow books.

So, if you've been wanting to get your hands in the dirt without it feeling like a second job, this is a low-pressure way to do it. The workshop runs from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Monday, November 16, at the Fort Ben Branch, 9330 East 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46216.