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Adult Education Classes
- Certificate in Horticulture
- Gardening & Landscaping
- Community Horticulture
- Health, Herbs & Cooking
Gardening and Landscaping
Beautiful Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants
Uli Lorimer
Join Native Garden curator Uli Lorimer on a two-season tour of the best garden plants our region has to offer! Invasive species pose a huge threat to our local flora. These often non-indigenous plants find their way from gardens into natural areas, and once there can establish quickly and cause extensive damage. Learn what makes a plant invasive and the 20 worst offenders in the NYC metro area. Also learn about gorgeous native plants that are great substitutes, including trees, shrubs, vines, wildflowers, and grasses, and sources for buying native plants. This class will take place in spring, with a follow-up class offered in early fall, each focusing on the best plants for that season. Participants will take home the BBG handbook Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants.
Saturday, April 26 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
$34 member, $39 nonmember
(Fee includes $5 materials charge.)
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Spring Garden Maintenance
Laura Furmanski
Get ready for spring! In this hands-on workshop, explore the fundamentals of springtime garden care. Learn how and when to prepare your soil for new plantings, how to plant seeds, how to transplant, and how to propagate. Also discover the proper maintenance needs for your established plants. Dress for the weather—part of this class will be held outdoors.
Sunday, April 27 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
$39 member, $43 nonmember
(Fee includes $5 materials charge.)
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Citizen Pruner Certification
Chris Roddick
It's time to take care of those street trees on your block! Completion of this course certifies NYC citizens to care for and prune young street trees. Learn to identify street tree species and the many factors that cause diseases. Also learn how to help trees survive in the harsh urban environment through proper maintenance. You will receive an instruction manual and information about tools at the first session. This course is taught in collaboration with Trees New York.
4 Mondays: April 28–May 19 | 6–8 p.m.
Outdoor Lab: Saturday, May 10 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
$90 payable to: Trees New York
51 Chambers St., Suite 1412A, New York, NY 10007
DO NOT REGISTER WITH BBG.
For more information, please call 212-227-1887.
Lavender: Grow It and Use it!
Ellen Spector-Platt
Learn from an expert where and how to plant, grow, and cook with lavender! This class will teach all about lovely lavender: pruning techniques, fertilization, propagation, choosing the best variety for a given situation, and designing a garden with lavender. You'll also learn how to use your wonderful new plants to cook and make stunning crafts.
Tuesday, May 6 | 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
$26 member, $29 nonmember
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Secrets to the Annual Garden
Nancy Seaton
Discover how BBG's annual garden goes from initial concept to glorious completion. Nancy will give you a special tour of her design and planting process for the garden this year. Don't miss this chance to learn insider secrets from a premier annual expert!
Tuesday, May 6 | 6–8 p.m.
$21 member, $23 nonmember
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City Gardens High and Low
Linda Yang
Do you have a quirky city space but not a clue how to create a garden in it? Join the author of The City Gardener's Handbook for a slide lecture and discussion on how to assess a potential garden site—whether it's a rooftop, balcony, or even (gasp, lucky you!) a yard. This short course will give you a start on design and get you thinking about the plants that best fit your situation, considering light, wind, privacy, space, and budget.
Wednesday, May 14 | 10:30 a.m.–Noon
$21 member, $23 nonmember
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Japanese Pruning Techniques for Small Urban Gardens
Asher Browne and Brian Funk
Japanese pruning techniques used to bring out the beauty and character of specimen trees and shrubs can help city gardeners make the most of each plant. Focus on aesthetic pruning of small conifers, Japanese maples, and flowering small trees and shrubs in this outdoor, hands-on workshop. Learn how to prune specimen trees, maintain size and scale, and bring out the plant's natural beauty. Bring a lunch or buy lunch at the Terrace Café. Stay for Asher's presentation at 3 to expand on this theme!
Saturday, May 31 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
$43 member, $49 nonmember
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Urban Gardens of Japan
Asher Browne
Focusing on the small urban gardens of Japan, this presentation explores the settings of wooden townhouses, famous tea shops, classical inns, old Samurai houses, elegant restaurants, and tea houses used for Geisha entertainment. Study common themes and gain inspiration for your own urban gardens!
Saturday, May 31 | 3–4 p.m.
$10 member, $12 nonmember
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Water-wise, Eco-friendly Gardening
Joan McDonald
You can create and maintain a beautiful garden using less water and fewer chemicals! This workshop focuses on basic principles of garden design and xeriscaping; drought-tolerant plant characteristics and selection; irrigation and other environmentally sound practices. Survey your garden to uncover smart techniques you may already apply without realizing it—and learn new ideas to save water, money, and our planet!
You will receive a site survey form and letter from the instructor with registration receipt.
Saturday, June 7 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
$39 member, $43 nonmember
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Expanded Course!
Veggies & Herbs in Containers
Leda Meredith
Many herbs and vegetables thrive in containers, making them easy to grow in small spaces or on decks, terraces, and rooftops. Learn which varieties do best in containers and how to take care of them so that they will reward you with a delicious and bountiful harvest! This popular course is so packed with info that we expanded it to two sessions to maximize your gardening power!
2 Sundays, June 8 & 15 | Noon–3 p.m.
$64 member, $71 nonmember
(Fee includes $5 materials charge.)
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Cottage Gardening
Karla Chandler
Cottage gardens are perfect for small urban gardens and busy lifestyles. In this class, you will learn the history and development of the cottage garden in England and America, the most commonly used plants, and how to plant and maintain a cottage garden. Each participant will take home the BBG handbook Intimate Gardens.
Saturday, June 21 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
$32 member, $37 nonmember
(Fee includes $3 materials charge.)
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Gardening for Fragrance
Leda Meredith
A rose by any other name won't smell as sweet unless it is one of the fragrant varieties! Learn which plants will grace your garden with fragrance and appeal to more than just the eye. This class also looks at the botany of fragrance, including why plants produce aromatic chemicals. Weather permitting, we'll tour BBG's Fragrance Garden.
Sunday, June 22 | 2–5 p.m.
$29 member, $34 nonmember
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To Weed…or Not to Weed
Uli Lorimer
Weeds—love them or hate them, you should definitely get to know them! Learn what they are and how they're so darn good at what they do. Discover the "weeds" growing in BBG's gardens, then return to the classroom to learn about their life cycles and adaptations to harsh conditions. You'll learn to appreciate these pesky plants by exploring their cultural history and economic value. The focus is identification rather than eradication, but organic control methods will be covered.
Monday, June 23 | 6–8 p.m.
$21 member, $23 nonmember
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