Workshops
At Benjamin & Farris, we don’t just build gardens—we empower you to grow them yourself. Join us for seasonal edible gardening workshops designed for home gardeners, families, and communities.
Our hands-on classes teach you how to plan, plant, and care for your own organic garden, right here in Houston’s unique climate. Whether you're new to gardening or ready to expand your skills, our workshops will give you the knowledge and confidence to grow successfully.
Greening of 3rd Ward
The Greening of Third Ward & Beyond 2026 is a community-driven initiative focused on expanding access to locally grown food, teaching gardening best practices and food-production methods, and supporting the farmers, growers, and community members who make a stronger local food system possible. We believe in helping more families grow their own food while also creating stronger, more consistent support for local producers, particularly African American farmers, ranchers, growers, and agricultural businesses.
Growing Organic Vegetables; Teaching Timeless Garden Techniques
- Learn gardening methods for a flourishing garden
- Discussing succession planting, seed saving, techniques to increase resilience, productivity, and self-sufficiency.
- Share a potluck at the end of the seriesThis class is also available in the GOV 8-Part Series.
Cost: $30
If you can, bring your own trowel, gloves, water bottle, and hat.
For class matters, contact Kim Perry at kim@urbanharvest.org
If you cannot attend the class as scheduled, there are no refunds or substitutions.
Registration will close 24 hours prior to most classes and 48 hours before all Sunday classes.
(After registration you will receive two emails, one is a receipt and the other will be sent 3 days prior to the class with event details that include location, parking, and contact information. Contact kim@urbanharvest.org for questions)
Roots to Resilience: Permaculture Through The Seasons
Design companion plant groupings, explore multiple uses of a greenhouse, harvest compost, integrate rather than segregate, and build soil for the next cycle.
Description:
November is about taking the fall garden to the next level. Participants will learn how to support plant health through companion planting, strengthen soil for continued production, and explore how greenhouses and covered growing spaces can help protect seedlings, extend the season, and be a space of multiple uses in different seasons.
This class is designed to help participants think beyond one garden bed and into garden systems: which plants support each other, how to prepare soil between planting cycles, and how simple greenhouse strategies can create more resilience in the garden.
Hands-on activities:
Participants will design companion plant groupings, explore greenhouse uses, start or care for greenhouse seedlings, harvest finished compost, apply compost to growing areas, and plan soil-building strategies for the next planting cycle.
Permaculture Principle:
Integrate Rather Than Segregate — Participants learn how companion plants, greenhouses, compost, soil life, and crop planning work together as one connected system.
Growing Organic Vegetables – Types of Vegetables, Seeds, Sprouts, and Transplants
Learn about tomatoes and other nightshades, peas, beans, mint, and other vegetable families
- Highlighting community gardening opportunities
This class is also available in the GOV 8-Part Series.
Cost: $30
If you can, bring your own trowel, gloves, water bottle, and hat.
For class matters, contact Kim Perry at kim@urbanharvest.org
If you cannot attend the class as scheduled, there are no refunds or substitutions.
Registration will close 24 hours prior to most classes and 48 hours before all Sunday classes.
(After registration you will receive two emails, one is a receipt and the other will be sent 3 days prior to the class with event details that include location, parking, and contact information. Contact kim@urbanharvest.org for questions)
Growing Organic Vegetables – Types of Vegetables, Seeds, Sprouts, and Transplants
- Learn how temperature affects growing success, focus on fall vegetable gardening, best locations and conditions for crops to thrive.
- Learn about planting schedules, temperature considerations, and direct seeding versus transplants.
- Discussing brassicas and herbs suited to the season and region.
This class is also available in the GOV 8-Part Series.
Cost: $30
If you can, bring your own trowel, gloves, water bottle, and hat.
For class matters, contact Kim Perry at kim@urbanharvest.org
If you cannot attend the class as scheduled, there are no refunds or substitutions.
Registration will close 24 hours prior to most classes and 48 hours before all Sunday classes.
(After registration you will receive two emails, one is a receipt and the other will be sent 3 days prior to the class with event details that include location, parking, and contact information. Contact kim@urbanharvest.org for questions
Roots to Resilience: Plant For Longevity with Permaculture
October is when the fall garden begins to take shape. This class focuses on planting cool-season crops, improving soil fertility, and keeping young plants healthy as they establish.
Participants will learn the basics of hot composting, including how to balance greens and browns, manage moisture, build heat, and turn organic material into rich compost for the garden. This month connects planting with active soil-building so participants understand that successful fall gardening depends on feeding the soil.
Hands-on activities:
Participants will plant fall crops, transplant seedlings, practice succession planting, learn pest prevention strategies, build or study a hot compost pile, turn compost, and feed young garden beds.
Permaculture Principle:
Obtain a Yield — Participants learn how thoughtful planting, composting, and garden care create real harvests for people, families, and communities.
Growing Organic Vegetables The Organic Approach: Why It Works
Introduction to the principles behind organic vegetable gardening and why the organic approach works.
Roots to Resilience: Practical Permaculture for Thriving Gardens, Part III
This Part 3 of three‑part Permaculture Project workshop series is designed to strengthen community connection, deepen ecological literacy, and build practical skills that support thriving home and community gardens.
Each session stands fully on its own, while also contributing to a larger learning arc—ensuring that any participant, whether they attend one workshop or all three, will walk away with a solid understanding of the five core learning objectives.
Across the series, participants will explore how permaculture principles can be applied in everyday garden spaces to increase resilience, reduce waste, and cultivate abundance. The workshops will introduce neighbors to the Palm Center Community Garden, highlight the role of community gardens in local food access, and inspire participants to become more engaged with the green spaces around them.
Through hands‑on demonstrations, simple design tools, and accessible language, the workshops will guide the community in:
Understanding what permaculture is and how its ethics and principles can be applied at home and in shared garden spaces.
Building the foundations for consistent yield, including soil health, water awareness, and seasonal rhythms.
Learning the basics of composting and energy cycling, with practical steps for turning kitchen and yard waste into living soil.
Exploring companion planting, crop rotation, layering, and natural pest management, using examples that fit Houston’s climate and community garden context.
Connecting more deeply with Palm Center Community Garden, increasing awareness of its resources, opportunities, and role in local food sovereignty.
Each workshop will include community‑building icebreakers, interactive learning, and take‑home strategies that empower participants to grow food more confidently and collaboratively. Whether someone is brand‑new to gardening or already tending a plot, they will leave with practical tools, renewed inspiration, and a clearer sense of how their actions contribute to a more resilient, connected, and food‑secure community.
About our Permaculture Presenter:
Patrick “Shui” Guillory is a former Division I swimmer who found balance through yoga, meditation, and Qigong during his years as an elite athlete. He later became a certified yoga and Qigong instructor, studying under Taoist master Mantak Chia, and apprenticed in regenerative gardening for seven years with master gardener Terry Garner. Shui holds a Permaculture Design Certification and graduated from the Urban Harvest Permaculture Teacher Training in 2025, deepening his ability to educate and guide others in regenerative practices.
Inspired by his grandfather’s legacy as a gardener, Shui designs edible landscapes, composting systems, and food forests that help families and communities create abundant, self-sustaining gardens. His work integrates practical permaculture strategies with a spiritual connection to nature, guided by the core ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share, fostering both ecological restoration and personal connection to the land.
Roots to Resilience: Practical Permaculture for Thriving Gardens, Part II
This Part 3 of three‑part Permaculture Project workshop series is designed to strengthen community connection, deepen ecological literacy, and build practical skills that support thriving home and community gardens.
Roots to Resilience: Practical Permaculture for Thriving Gardens, Part 1
This is part one of a three‑part Permaculture Project workshop series is designed to strengthen community connection, deepen ecological literacy, and build practical skills that support thriving home and community gardens.
Spring into Gardening: Everything You Need to Know for a Thriving Spring Garden
Get your garden growing with Spring into Gardening, a hands-on workshop covering everything you need to know to start and maintain a productive backyard garden this spring. From prepping your beds to weeding, watering, and harvesting, you’ll walk away with the skills and seasonal know-how to keep your garden healthy and abundant all season long.
Whether you're brand new to gardening or looking to refresh your routine, this workshop will help you build confidence, create a maintenance plan, and enjoy the rewards of your spring garden.
What to bring:
Bug spray, gardening gloves (optional), and your spring garden questions!
Spots fill fast — reserve your place today!
Grow + Flow with Pralaya Yoga
Immerse yourself in a transformative Mindful Gardening & Pralaya Yoga workshop that nurtures both body and spirit. Begin with Pralaya Yoga, guided by Master Yogi Robert Boustany, to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance joint stability through targeted postures and breath-guided movement. Then, step into the garden with Shui, where you’ll practice mindful transplanting, weeding, and breathwork, turning simple gardening tasks into a meditative, grounding experience.
Workshop Highlights:
Strengthen and balance the body with Pralaya Yoga
Increase flexibility and joint stability through breath-guided movement
Learn mindful transplanting and weeding techniques
Cultivate presence and awareness through gardening and nature connection