STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

It may not feel like spring, what with seven to eight inches of new snow in the north valley. But that won’t stop the Hailey Public Library from hosting a three-part series called “High Altitude Gardens.”

The library will offer the first part—an introduction to cool season gardening in the Wood River Valley—at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14. The talk will focus on plants that tolerate cool soils and chilly spring nights. And it will offer suggestions as to how gardeners can rescue them if temperatures drop dangerously.

The presenters will be Manon Gaudreau and Amy Mattias from 5B Resilience Gardens.

“The Wood River Valley is home to a remarkable number of excellent gardeners who have learned how to work with, and not against, our short growing season. They know that timing is everything,” said the library’s programs and engagement manager Kristin Fletcher. “So, it’s no surprise our gardening talks are a hit each Spring.”

Gaudreau is a Master Gardener who helped establish Valley Victory Gardens. She also heads up the Wood River Seed Library and has taught classes on gardening for many years. Mattias is program director for the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience. She serves on the Blaine County Food Council and is a board member of Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture.