Pittsburgh, PA - March 4 -13, 2005 - 24th Annual Duquesne Light Home and Garden Show’s Post-Gazette/Bidwell Vegetable garden. This collaboration between the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Bidwell Training Center Horticulture Technology Program opens Friday, March 4, 2005.

Where-David L. Lawrence Convention Center behind the Dream Home

Created by the Post-Gazette’s Backyard Gardener Doug Oster with Bidwell Training Center’s Horticulture Technology Program students.

The “Dream Garden” is a 225 square foot vegetable garden consisting of a series of raised beds which provides the perfect viewing opportunity for gardener’s of all ages. Educational in scope, the display is packed with practical gardening tips and design ideas guaranteed to inspire and motivate even those of us without “green thumbs”.

One of the most critical aspects of the project was finding someone who was interested in growing the seed. The students enrolled in Bidwell Training Center’s Horticulture Technology Program were up to the challenge. Working as an important part of the design team for the garden they grew the plants at Bidwell’s greenhouse in Manchester. There, the Drew Mathieson Center is a unique extension of the traditional classroom and affords horticulture students an array of practical training opportunities second to none in the area.

As part of an educational endeavor by the school, the students have been part of the project since its inception. This particular venture fit perfectly into the program’s structured curriculum, providing applied learning opportunities for students in the areas of propagation, specialty crops and design. One innovative idea from the students was to incorporate clear windows in the raised beds featuring root crops. This allows visitors to see the “magic” that evolves under the garden’s surface.

Just in case you are one of those gardeners who prefer not to get dirt under your fingernails, Bidwell students will also be displaying agricultural crops along with their signature Phalaeanopsis orchids; all grown hydroponically.

The demonstration garden is planted to showcase fun and interesting aspects of growing heirloom vegetables, but also focuses on organic growing and sustainable practices. For this project, Doug Oster, Garden Columnist Pittsburgh Post Gazette, consulted Tom Hauch who runs Heirloom Seeds in West Elizabeth. Some of the more interesting heirlooms are ‘Red Burgundy’ okra, ‘Lucky Leprechaun’ tomato, ‘Pimento Red Cheese’ pepper but there are many more, including Pittsburgh’s own ‘Potato Top’ tomato.

Bidwell Training Center students along with Doug Oster will be staffing the completed garden throughout the show. Mr. Oster and the students will be happy to explain the magic that sometimes needs to be performed to execute the art and science of gardening.

This collaborative effort between Bidwell Training Center and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also spotlights how symbiotic relationships between organizations can blossom into extraordinary opportunities that benefit both.