Want to learn more about birding? Join Buz Sawyer, birdwatcher since childhood, for a fun-filled and informative morning exploring this enjoyable hobby. We’ll talk about where to go, what to take, which birds are likely to be seen at which time, how to identify birds and how to help birds with conservation techniques. Birding is […]

Channel your creativity and find your bliss in this workshop with local artist Dana DuMont. Use nature as your inspiration to design complex, imaginative images with repeated organic lines and shapes. Working with graphite, watercolor and colored pencils, you will create small works suitable for framing. This relaxing workshop will be held in a classroom […]

Learn how to use native plants in your container gardens! Join instructor Kaity Bevenour, native plant specialist & owner of Parallel Nursery, to examine what makes a native plant species a good container plant, how to create visually appealing plant combinations in the sun or shade. We will review some commonly available native perennials that […]

As the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to don their vibrant fall hues, it's time for garden enthusiasts to turn their attention to an essential seasonal task: fall pruning. While autumn is often associated with garden cleanup, fall pruning, when done correctly, can significantly impact the health and vitality of your plants come […]

In the fall, our pollinator friends are busy at work! Join entomologist and former Butterflies LIVE! Coordinator, Clara Aus, as she navigates how to best support the local Virginia wildlife with your fall plantings. You’ll learn pollinator flower preferences, fall-blooming keystone species, host plants, fall planting techniques, and how to create a fall garden that […]

In this immersive and intellectually engaging session, you’ll experience what sommeliers and wine judges face every day: the mystery and thrill of blind tasting. Led by WSET 3 certified & sommelier Justin Ferguson (@theblacksommrva), you’ll learn to identify six wines (three red, three white) without ever seeing the label — using nothing but your senses, […]

Embrace the beauty of nature’s untamed elegance in the autumn-inspired Botanical Whimsy, a floral design course dedicated to creating loose, organic, and garden-inspired arrangements. This class will explore techniques for designing with movement, texture, and open air, while celebrating the charm of locally-sourced fall blooms and foliage. Students will learn how to work with seasonal […]

Although the classical school of botanical art does not recommend illustrating plants with sunlight illumination, many contemporary academic botanical artists are achieving spectacular results with that, without any impairment of the morphological or chromatic aspects of the plants portrayed, proving that the pictorial tendencies in all types of visual art are in constant motion. Thus, […]

Intricate leaf veining? Pillowy patterned leaves? Dark, shiny, smooth leaves? Folding? Curling? Insect damage? Serrated edges? In this "focus" session, you will build confidence and skill in practicing techniques to achieve realistic effects. Mixing greens in watercolor will be the main color focus. Layering colored pencil and watercolor will be demonstrated and can be practiced […]