Classes and course catalog

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Calendar of Events

See all that’s happening this month!

GardenFest: Nov. 23, 2012 - Jan. 7, 2013

Classes, workshops, and lectures through April, 2012, are listed below. For detailed information and to register online click on the class title or view the calendar. Printed copies of the catalog are mailed to Garden members.

Request a mailed copy of the catalog here.

Download a printable registration form.

Programs are listed chronologically under interest area. To return to this page after viewing a description, click your 'back' button on your browser. Go directly to a subject area by clicking on a link below.

EDUCATION CALENDAR (through April, 2012)

Click below to go directly to a subject area. Click your brower’s back button to exit a class description and return to this page. Our cancellation and refund policy is here.

Register early: classes may be cancelled up to a week ahead because of low enrollment. Note: when classes run over a lunch hour, lunch times are not included in contact hour totals.

Lectures, Symposia and Seminars

Gardening and Garden Design

Floral Design

Art in the Garden

Photography in the Garden

Yoga in the Garden
Includes yoga, retreats, lectures, and more

Lunchtime Lectures

Enjoy informative programs with delicious food

Especially for Teachers

Plant Shows and Sales

Garden Tours and Travel

Library Programs

Children’s Garden Family Activities

Lectures, Symposia and Seminars

To see details for each symposium listed, click here to visit the Symposia page of the Adult Education section.

Landscape Architect registered provider, Continuing Education System Special notice for Landscape Architects: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a registered provider of LA CES. Each relevant symposium is registered with the LA CES system for continuing education credits for landscape architects. Available units are listed in each description.

REGISTER NOW!

Winter Symposium and CVNLA Short Course

Treading Lightly on the Land

Presented by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden,

Central Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, and Virginia Cooperative Extension

February 8, 9, and 10, 2012

8 am – 4 pm

Massey Conference Center, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

An event for green business owners and their staffs, landscape architects and designers, master gardeners, and seasoned home gardeners. Earn continuing education hours, update pesticide certification (Friday), network with colleagues, and rekindle passion for your profession.

$40 per day includes coffee and lunch

Net proceeds from this event help build CVNLA’s scholarship fund for students pursuing horticultural careers.

“Treading lightly on the land” requires a heavyweight commitment to learning, developing, and applying the practical knowledge, skills, and abilities that have a beneficial impact on our environment. This annual winter symposium for Central Virginia green industry colleagues features a rich roster of innovative thinkers—writers, designers, researchers, and practitioners—who remind us of the power of our individual and collective choices for landscape design and garden care. Through presentations and networking opportunities, you’ll gain a better understanding of how to achieve a balanced ecology in the landscape, whether in an urban, suburban, or rural setting.

Click here for details.

Click here to go to online registration.

Tree Care Symposium March 2, 2012 (This is a change)
An event for tree care professionals and their staff and tree stewards. Presented in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture. ISA CEUs are offered.

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Gardening and Garden Design

Planning and Designing a Cutting Garden / January 26 OR January 28

Learn how to create a garden for fresh floral materials year-round

Basic Home Landscape Design \ February 4, 11, 18, 25; studios February 12, 19

Create a plan for your own home landscape

Spring Pruning for Shrubs / February 11

Learn what and when to prune for best spring growth of your landscape shrubs

Garden Installation and Maintenance / February 14, 21, 28, March 6

Learn to create a garden from the ground up; including soils, plant selection, installation and planning for maintenance

Lunchtime Lecture: Cooking with Winter’s Bounty / February 16

Get creative ideas on what to make with winter squashes and root vegetables

Beekeeping for Beginners / February 18, 25, March 3, 10 plus a field trip, date tbd

Learn how to start and maintain your own hives of these important pollinators

Successfully Starting Seeds Indoors for Spring Planting / February 18

Get a jump start on spring gardens with these handy tips and techniques

Planning and Designing a Kitchen Garden / February 23, March 1

Learn how to make a vegetable garden that's beautiful as well as tasty

Worms: The Ultimate Disposal February 23

No space for a compost heap? Consider worm composting. Take home a completed worm bin

The Dirt on Soil: The Life under Your Feet / February 25

Organic gardeners look beyond standard NPK to trace minerals, microrhyzal funghi, worms, and more. Learn how soils function and their many components

Vegetable Gardens the Organic Way / March 8

Organic farmer Amy Hicks explains organic vegetable gardening and discusses unusual vegetable varieties for this area

Container Gardening NEW / March 15, 22, 29, April 5

No room for a garden? Need an accent area? Learn how to create a thriving container garden, including soils and plant choices

Creating New Plants for Fun and Profit / March 23

A Beautiful Gardens plant propagation workshop: take home a wealth of materials and your own starter plant

The Beginner’s Perennial Garden / April 19

Learn to create a successful garden with year-round interest

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Floral Design

Working with Garden Evergreens for Holiday Decoration December 3 (see Great Holiday Evergreens Sale, above)
Decorating ideas with fresh garden evergreens

“Fairy Houses' with Dried Natural Materials NEW

Create your own fairy house like the ones in the Garden's holiday train and library displays!

Adult/Child Workshop December 10
Adults’ Workshop December 10

Basic Floral Design, Part 1/ January 17, 24, 31, February 7

This starter course emphasizes shape, line, and technique

Stunning, Simple Centerpieces for Any Occasion Workshop / January 26

Learn a basic centerpiece technique you can use to create a floral highlight anytime

Arranging for the Altar / January 28

Learn to design for maximum effect with minimum purchased floral material

Bring Spring in Early: Dish Gardens, Terrariums, and Pot-et-Fleur for the Home February 4

New twists on classic techniques produce long-lasting miniature interior landscapes

Wedding Floral Design / February 21, 28, March 6, 13, 20

Learn the basics of designs for the big day

Ikebana Workshop: Freestyle / March 8 OR March 10

Express your creativity in this newest of Ikebana styles

Back to the Future: Designing without Floral Foam / March 13

Tried-and-true techniques to save on expense and waste in floral designs

Cut Flower Care and Handling / March 15, 22

Learn the basic types of florist materials, care, and preparation for long-lasting arrangements

Basic Floral Design, Part 2 / April 10, 17, 24, May 1

Go beyond the basics to learn complex shapes and techniques

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Art in the Garden

Ongoing: Diamonds in the Rough, a house-sized environmental sculpture by artist Patrick Dougherty

Exhibit: Honeysuckle Baskets by Anne Scarpetta McCauley through January 9

Exhibit: Seeing Trees: Photographs by Robert Llewellyn January 14 – February 26

Color Theory for Botanical Artists / February 1, 8, 15, 22

Beginning Botanical Illustration / March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Learn the basics of this style of plant depiction

Colored Pencil over Watercolor for Botanical Artists / March 7, 14, 21, 28

Learn a critical technique for effective delineation of plants

Exhibit: Selections from the Reichenbachia March 10 – April 22

Stunning l ate 19th-century chromolithographs of orchids are on view to complement Orchids Galore! in the Conservatory

Advanced Botanical Illustration Workshop: Orchids / March 20, 22, 27, 29 DATE CHANGE

Work with a plant you choose from those provided

Anatomy of Flowers for Botanical Artists / April 11, 18, 25

This up close look at flowers is a must for accurate botanical depictions

How to Draw Stuff (in the Garden) / April 14, 21, 28

Can't draw a straight line? You can do more than that after this fun, relaxed course

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Photography in the Garden

Make Any Picture Better / March 24

Basic framing and siting techniques take your garden photography up a notch

Flowers and Orchids Workshop with Allen Rokach / April 14, 15

Photography in the Orchids Galore! exhibit in the Conservatory and in the Garden with renowned photographer Allen Rokach. An intensive session that includes instruction in working with your photographs in digital software.

Nature Photography

Join nationally recognized nature photographer Lynda Richardson in these classes. You must have some familiarity with your single-lens reflex (SLR) digital camera for these classes.

Photographing Winter’s Wonders Short Course / February 9, 11, 16

The winter landscape is a visual feast of texture and subtle color; learn to make the most of it

Advanced Flash Clinic / March 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 NEW

Go in-depth to learn how to use this important tool for successful photographs

Making the Most of Your Digital Camera / April 18, 21, 25, 28, May 2

Master your digital camera by going beyond the obvious basics

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Yoga in the Garden

Yoga in the Garden 6-week sessions or drop in for single sessions

Gentle moves in small classes keep you refreshed

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