Course 01
Course 02
Course 03
Course 05Coaching in two levels
Step-by-step lessons with checklists. Seedling gets two starter courses; Grower opens all five.
Zone 10a · Mountain View, CA
The backyard almanac
Grow more food from one small backyard. Month-by-month courses, a planting calendar for zone 10a and workshops in real gardens with coach Rowan Hale.
The almanac · page 10 of 12Zone 10a · Mountain View, CA
October
This month in the garden
- i.
Plant garlic and onion sets
- ii.
Sow favas or a cover crop on empty beds
- iii.
Plant strawberries
Members get the full planting calendar for zone 10a.
A library by topic
Planting calendars, bed plans and logs you can download and print, sorted by planning, soil, seeds, pests and harvest.
A club, not a feed
Approved members only. Ask questions, share wins, find growers near you and save a seat at workshops.
Courses
Start with one bed. Finish with a garden that feeds you.
Each lesson is short, written for zone 10a, and ends with a checklist. Grower courses let you read the first lesson before you upgrade.
Seedling: free with your membershipGrower: unlocked after upgrade
Apply to join- 1Pick the spot8 min
- 2Build or buy a bed10 min
- 3Fill it: the soil mix9 min
- 4What to plant first7 min
Library
Printable plans, sorted by topic
Members download these as CSV or text files that open in any spreadsheet or notes app.
Planning
SeedlingZone 10a planting calendar
Month by month: what to sow indoors, sow outdoors and transplant.
Planning
Grower4 × 8 raised bed layout plan
A 32-square plan for a fall bed with spacing for each crop.
Soil
SeedlingSoil test checklist
Five tests you can do at home before you buy any amendments.
Soil
GrowerCompost ratio cheat sheet
Browns, greens, moisture and turning, with fixes for common problems.
Seeds
GrowerSeed starting schedule
Weeks before transplant, germination temperature and days to sprout.
Seeds
SeedlingSeed inventory template
Track what you have, how old it is and when to sow it.
Pests
SeedlingPest scouting log
A twice-weekly log: what you saw, where and what you did.
Pests
GrowerOrganic controls quick guide
The lightest control for each common pest, in order of what to try first.
Harvest
SeedlingHarvest log
Weigh what you pick and see which beds earn their space.
Harvest
GrowerHarvest storage guide
How to store each crop and how long it keeps.
- Nov2Seedling
Garlic planting day
Demo garden, Mountain View
- Nov6Grower
Monthly live Q&A
Online — link shown here an hour before
- Nov10Seedling
Cover crop walkthrough
Demo garden, Mountain View
- Nov16Seedling
Member seed swap
Demo garden, Mountain View
Membership
Two levels. Start free.
No card at sign-up. When you want Grower, ask from inside the club and the coach upgrades you.
Seedling
Free
- Community feed and member directory
- Two starter courses
- Free planting calendar and logs
- In-garden workshops
Grower
$15/moor $120 a year
- Everything in Seedling
- All five courses and every lesson
- Full download library
- Monthly live Q&A with the coach
- Members-only clinics and build days
How joining works
- i.
Apply
Tell the coach your city, zone and what you want to grow.
- ii.
Get approved
Every application is read by a person, usually within a working day.
- iii.
Start lesson one
Sign in, open Your First Raised Bed and say hello in the community.
- iv.
Come to a workshop
Save a seat on the calendar and meet other growers in the demo garden.