March gardening classes conclude next week with three of the best. Those classes will teach you how to grow luscious sprouts, heirloom greens and vegetables and beautiful, useful and tasty gourds from late spring to late autumn. Here’s a run-down of the classes.

From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Clark County Public Library Director Julie Maruskin will present one of her favorite gardening classes, “Victory Gardening: The Cream of the Heirloom Crops. The best of the best heirloom veggies for your backyard or front yard gardening needs.”

At this class, you can pick up a package of heirloom seeds to keep you eating for victory, health and happiness from spring to fall.

During World War II, victory garden accounted for 40 percent of the vegetables Americans ate. Those vegetable were grown in citizens’ front, side and back yards — yards just like the ones we have around our houses here in Winchester and Clark County.

All it takes to grow your own healthy food is a bit of know-how and dedication. Working in the garden is a wonderful way to tone up and get healthy.

If you’re taking part in the Winchester-Clark County Wellness Challenge, a great way to extend your commitment to the program is by gardening. Stay limber and eat healthy.

There’s an heirloom double-header next Saturday.

From 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, the will be the “Seed to Plate in Six Weeks: Microgreens and More” program.

In this class, participants learn about fast-growing edibles for early kitchen garden, including a smorgasbord of beautiful heirloom radishes like Pink Beauty, Thumbelina carrots, Green Arrow sugar peas and a rainbow of greens.

Sweet carrots, tart radishes, sweet peas and fresh crisp greens topped with tangy sprouts make one of the best meals you can eat. Part of the satisfaction is knowing you grew the salad yourself.

From 2:30 to to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, learn about “Glorious Gourds: Grow Art and History in Your Garden.”

Try your hand at growing gourds for beautiful vines in your garden and beautiful gourds at season’s end. Tennessee Spinning Gourd and Birdhouse Gourd seeds available.

Supplement what you learn in this class with Amy Goldman’s beautiful gourd pictorial, “The Complete Squash: A Passionate Grower’s Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds (call no. 635.62 Gold) or get musical by looking at “Making Gourd Musical Instruments: Over 60 string, wind and percussion instruments and how to play them,” by Ginger Summit (call no. 784.192 Summ). Learn to make an Aero-, Idio-, or Membranophone, among other gourd instruments

Thales of Miletus (624 to 546 BC) opined one should have “A sound mind in a sound body,” so the library also offers a number of programs next week to keep your gourd tuned.

— At 11 a.m. Monday, March 25, All Over the Page Book Group discusses “The Silent Patient,” by Alex Michaelides. A therapist becomes dangerously obsessed with uncovering the truth about what prompted his client, an artist who refuses to speak, to violently murder her husband in a way that triggers mass public speculation. Books are available at the Circulation Desk.

— At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Meeting of Minds tackles Cognitive Biases, mistakes in reasoning, evaluating, remembering or other cognitive processes, as a result of holding onto one’s preferences and beliefs regardless of contrary information. To acquire the readings for the meeting, email john.clarkbooks@gmail.com.

— At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Kentucky Picture Show features the film that won the Academy Award for best picture this year. A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South. 

— At 7 p.m. Wednesday, reference librarian Jeff Gurnee  will make your head rattle like a dried gourd with his flabbergasting trivia challenges at the Engine House Pizza Pub.

— At 10 a.m. Friday, the Write Local team thrills to exciting final chapters of the latest Michael Tate caper.

— From 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, horse racing trainer, Patrick Gilligan signs his new book: “Around Kentucky with the Bug,” an account of a father’s whirlwind year around Kentucky with his apprentice (bug) jockey son.

And if you really want to take Thales’ advice remember, Kathy Howard, a certified instructor for the Yoga Alliance teaches Chair Yoga from 2 to 3 p.m. on Monday and Gentle Flow Yoga from 9:15 to 10 a.m. Thursday. Classes are $5 each.

As Steve Allen used to ask: “How’s your gourd?”

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