By John Maruskin

Clark County Public Library

There are three sure signs of spring.

The star Arcturus appears in the sky shortly after nightfall, D & S Hardware displays power lawn mowers along its storefront on Main Street, and the Clark County Public Library presents its heirloom and organic gardening classes.

The first class of the season, “Raising Heirloom Peppers from Seeds,” will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. You can learn easy ways to start your favorite peppers from scratch at home at no or little cost.

Heirloom pepper seeds you’ll receive at this class include Red Cheese, Fresno Chile, Golden Marconi, Jimmy Nardello, Mini-Bell Mix and more — even some superhots.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the library presents its most popular gardening class, “Raising Heirloom Tomatoes from Seed.”

At this class, you’ll learn easy techniques for using recycled paper and plastic home goods to start your baby tomatoes right. Seeds include Bush Beefsteak, San Marzano Short Vine, Cherokee Purple and more.

The heirloom tomatoes workshop has become a Clark County gardening tradition over the past decade.

Tomato-growing novices and newbies come to learn growing techniques and hear stories of tomato travail and triumph from Lycopersicum fanatics.

The gardening classes are a lot of fun. They are free and open to the public.

If you have off-topic gardening questions, we can answer them too.

Whether you are new to gardening, experienced and looking for new, more organically sound techniques for growing, or so committed to digging in the dirt you still haven’t got your hands clean from last fall, you’ll enjoy these workshops.

Register to attend by calling the library at 859-744-5661, or go to the library’s webpage at www.clarkbooks.org and use the online Evanced program registration system. Invite your friends to come along, too.

Later in March, there will be classes about Victory Gardening, raising the Cream of Heirloom Crops, Seed to Plate in Six Weeks: Microgreens and More, and Glorious Gourds: Grow Art and History in Your Garden.

Information about those classes will be in subsequent columns, or you can get the whole rundown on March gardening classes by getting a library newsletter and calendar or by viewing them online at the library’s homepage.

Punxsutawney Phil said spring is coming early this year.

Get your gardening mojo working, now.

Other classes and events this week include

— Monday at 2 p.m., Chair Yoga. Kathy Howard, a certified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance, teaches this class. There is a $5 charge per class.

— Wednesday at 2 p.m., Kentucky Picture Show presents a 2018 film based on the true story of Forrest Tucker and his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70. His unprecedented string of heists confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Starring Robert Redford. Oh-la-la! Rated PG-13.

— Wednesday at 7 p.m., reference librarian Jeff Gurnee gives “Huh?!” new emphasis with Trivia Challenges at the Engine House Pizza Pub.

— Thursday at 9:15 a.m., Gentle Yoga. The class is taught by Kathy Howard, a certified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance. A $5 charge per class.

— Friday at 10 a.m., Write Local. A civilized writing posse.

— Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Outside the Lines Coloring. Want to cool down after a wicked Wellness Challenge week? Come ex-stress yourself by coloring.

Oh, here’s how to see Arcturus in the night sky.

These nights, the Big Dipper is standing on its handle in the northeastern night sky.

Find the last star in the Dipper’s handle, Alkaid. It will be pointing diagonally southeast.

Look in a straight line from Alkaid down toward the horizon. You’ll see a bright orange-yellow twinkling star.

That’s Arctus.

John Maruskin is director of adult services at the Clark County Public Library. He can be reached at john.clarkbooks@gmail.com.