Class Schedule May – August 2026

NEW! Gardening for Pollinators and Wildlife | May 18 | IN-PERSON

Enjoy a quiet early morning tour before the garden opens to look for wildlife and pollinators. Bring your camera! Return to the classroom for a lecture and discussion about how to create a pollinator and wildlife habitat at your home.

Intermediate Botany | Starts May 27 | IN-PERSON

Join Dr. Douglas DeBerry for an in-depth overview of the tools and techniques used by botanists to identify plants to the species level, with a strong emphasis on family characteristics. Attendees will be exposed to concepts in plant classification, nomenclature, habitat, distribution, and of course, vegetative and reproductive characteristics—all of which can be used to help identify plants to the species level. Emphasis is on native or naturalized species in Virginia and the use of dichotomous keys in technical plant manuals and regional floras. An important focus of the course will be on empowering attendees to “dismantle” the seemingly endless complex of scientific terminology surrounding plant identification. This course will include a mix of time for lectures, labs, and field practicums. Attendees should be prepared for some fieldwork homework assignments.

NEW! Grounded: Landscaping with Native Plants for Soil and Water Health | May 30 | IN-PERSON

What if your garden could do more than look beautiful – what if it could actively protect your home, your soil, and your local waterways? Discover how your landscape can play a vital role in managing stormwater, reducing soil and pollution runoff, and strengthening soil health from the ground up. During this course, we’ll explore the innovative new landscape & stormwater management design features to observe practical, attractive strategies you can apply at home. Leave inspired and equipped with actionable project ideas that turn everyday gardens into resilient, environmentally powerful spaces.

Ecological Landscaping 101 | June 20 | IN-PERSON

Learn how to create a thriving, resilient garden that works with nature rather than against it. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to design gardens that support pollinators, beneficial insects, birds, and soil life while still producing beautiful, abundant plantings. We’ll cover companion planting, habitat layering, soil stewardship, water-wise practices, and how to encourage natural balance so your garden becomes healthier and more self-sustaining over time. Ideal for gardeners of all experience levels. Participants will leave class with a ecological landscaping kit that will include seeds, soil amendments, a native pollinator plant, and immense knowledge to apply at home!

NEW! Beginning Botany — Learn the Plant Families Every Virginian Should Know!
| July 16 | IN-PERSON

Curious about the plants you see every day? This engaging introductory course makes botany accessible, practical, and fun. Join the Garden’s Vice President of Horticulture, Danny Cox, as you explore the ten most common plant families in Virginia—and learn how to recognize them anywhere you go. You’ll build the foundational skills that botanists use daily: essential terminology, naming conventions, and the pattern recognition techniques that make plant ID quicker and more intuitive.

Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes | Starts July 30 | IN-PERSON

Identification of grasses, sedges and rushes is often perceived as one of the most difficult activities in the realm of botany. This is due to many factors, the most prominent of which are that grasses, sedges, and rushes (i.e., “the graminoids”) are usually small, narrow-leaved plants with unassuming, diminutive flowers – and they all look alike! Even more disconcerting, the “language” surrounding graminoid botany seems like an insurmountable pile of un-pronounceable Latin words with no end in sight. This course with Dr. Douglas DeBerry is for the disgruntled multitudes who would like to gain a better understanding of grass, sedge and rush terminology, classification, nomenclature and most importantly, identification. In addition, those already proficient in plant identification will find this course to be a useful refresher. Emphasis is on native or naturalized species in Virginia, and the use of dichotomous keys in technical plant manuals and regional floras.