Events

Sessions Street Park Garden – Providence, Rhode Island
Hosted by Providence Garden Works
Led by: Stewart Martin

Join us at Sessions Street Park Garden for an interactive, boots-on-the-ground workshop designed to help gardeners, homeowners, and sustainability advocates turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich, living soil.

In this practical outdoor session, Stewart Martin, founder of Providence Garden Works, will demonstrate how composting works from the inside out—explaining the biology, balance, and structure needed to produce nutrient-dense compost in an urban environment.

Whether you have a backyard, a raised bed, or a small city lot, this workshop will show you how to create healthier soil while reducing waste and strengthening your local ecosystem.

🛠 What Will Be Covered

🔬 Understanding Soil Health

• The difference between dirt and living soil

• Microbes, fungi, worms & beneficial organisms

• Why soil structure matters for root development

♻️ Composting Basics Made Simple

• Greens vs. browns (nitrogen/carbon balance)

• Proper aeration and moisture levels

• How to avoid odors and pest issues

🪱 Building a Resilient Compost System

• Designing bins that allow airflow and beneficial insects

• Protecting from raccoons and scavengers

• Turning and maintaining compost efficiently

🌾 Applying Compost to Your Garden

• When compost is “finished” and ready

• How to top-dress raised beds

• Improving yield in small urban spaces

🌎 Community Composting Vision

• How neighborhood gardens can collaborate

• Drop-off compost programs

• Strengthening food resilience in Providence

🌟 Who Should Attend

• Home gardeners

• Community garden members

• Sustainability students

• Families interested in reducing food waste

• Anyone curious about regenerative living

🌿 What You’ll Leave With

✔ Practical knowledge you can apply immediately
✔ Confidence to start or improve your compost system
✔ A deeper understanding of soil biology
✔ Tools to advocate for local compost initiatives