On Tuesday, June 10, the Healthy Archuleta CLAC Spanish language group gathered for a unique boot camp with special garden instructor Deborah at a taquería stand.
The main focus was the “Salsa Garden in Pots,” a class designed especially for our Spanish-speaking community who love spice, flavor and, of course, salsa.
Salsa is more than just a food. It’s a tradition at our family and social gatherings. So, it was no surprise that the enthusiasm for learning how to grow it in a pot at home was popular. More than 25 community members and staff joined this event full of flavor, soil and smiles.
The stand provided a delicious dinner before starting the class, and then it was time to get our hands dirty.
Deborah taught us all about growing our favorite ingredients in small spaces. She explained what size pots are needed for planting separately or for companion planting. She showed us how to create a salsa garden with just a large pot and how easy it is to start a small garden at home.
We planted a patio tomato, a chili pepper and essential herbs like cilantro in one large pot. We also learned about the importance of healthy soil, what to mix to improve it and the secrets to making our plants thrive.
A generous member donated empty large and medium pots so everyone could participate. We planted tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplant, cilantro seeds and even beautiful flowers that help our pollinators, provided by Healthy Archuleta. All this with nutritious soil and refreshing water — key ingredients to start our salsa garden at home.
Best of all, this type of container gardening is perfect for people with limited space: small patios, balconies or even a sunny window can become a mini garden full of life and flavor.
Adults and children alike had fun, learned and left ready to continue growing at home.
One attendee commented the information was so easy that she felt confident in doing it at home.
Thank you to everyone who attended, helped and got their hands full of dirt. Our journey toward healthy gardening and tasty salsa gardening is just beginning.
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website, www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org, or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.
