Watercolors in the Spring Garden
Tuesday-Thursday, May 30-June 1, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Come out and enjoy painting in the best studio ever, the great outdoors! In spring, the Gardens offers joyous inspiration, sparking creativity after a long winter with daffodils, tulips and budding trees. Via both group instruction and putting skills to work in the Gardens, class will focus on watercolor techniques and learning what creates a good composition. Students can expect demonstrations as well as time to work independently, with plenty of instructor feedback. Though open to all levels, students will benefit from having some basic knowledge of painting with watercolor prior to these workshops. While this class is a part of our adult education offerings, it is open to advanced younger students, ages 14 and older.
Tuesday, May 9 & Monday, June 5, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 9 & Monday, June 5, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. & noon-1:30 p.m.
Monday, June 5, noon-1:30 p.m. & 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Garden tuteurs, garden obelisk, or trellis—no matter what term you're familiar with, this creative pyramidal structure supports edible or ornamental vines. These practical features add vertical interest and provide visible textural contrast, line, and structure to a garden. Join us just in time to support seasonal vines and make your own rustic wooden tuteur to add to your garden space. Instructor and CMBG Horticulturist, Kelsie Birney, will provide all needed supplies and lead students through the constructing process. Please bring your own gloves, clippers, and battery-operated or cord drill, if you have one handy. While this class is a part of our adult education offerings, it is open to advanced younger students, ages 14 and older.
Tuesday, June 13, 1-2:30 p.m.
Water-wise gardening is another way of referring to designing with water in mind, especially relevant to drought conditions. Water-wise container gardens lend themselves to an exotic and creative assortment of annuals or perennials like succulents, alpines, and plants with fuzzy leaves, leathery-glossy leaves, or those with varied color- and textural characteristics. Join Gardens Horticulturist Jen Dunlap for this creative workshop and make your own drought-tolerant container garden. Students are encouraged to bring their own clippers, apron, and garden gloves. While this class is a part of our adult education offerings, it is open to advanced younger students, ages 14 and older.
Water gardens are growing in popularity for a number of reasons: to attract wildlife like birds and butterflies, to add a melodic sound feature, to contribute light reflection, to offer a place for personal respite, and to cool down a garden space. Water gardens that incorporate unique and lush plants add bold shapes, forms, colors, defined lines, and textures to a garden space. In class, students will make and take home a small water garden container filled with personally selected plants supplied by the Gardens. We'll talk about the wide variety of plant options, materials, and different kinds of water garden designs. While this class is a part of our adult education offerings, it is open to advanced younger students, ages 14 and older.
Wednesday-Friday, August 16-18, 9:30-a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Unleash your creativity in this family-friendly silk painting workshop lead by artist Erica Qualey. Inspired by the enchanting flowers and foliage gathered from the Gardens, participants will embark on a journey of artistic expression. Using resist and dyes, attendees will design their silk scarves, playing with vibrant colors and creating intricate patterns that capture the essence of the natural world. Parents/Caregivers are welcome to work with their young artist to craft a unique silk masterpiece together (adults do not need to register), or adults with a child taking the class may register separately to create their own wearable work of art. This workshop is a perfect opportunity for children and adults to bond over art. Scholarships are available for families with a financial need.
Tuesday, May 7, 10-11:30 a.m.
Monday, May 13, 10-11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 7, noon-1:30 p.m. & 2-3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 7, 10-11:30 a.m.
Join us for an immersive poetry workshop with Wolastoqiyik writer and artist Mihku Paul. Poetry and art are great pathways to learning about nature. In this workshop, we'll explore new perspectives on our insect world through fun writing exercises. From direct observations in the garden and time with our entomologist, participants will document insects they encounter, collecting ideas, sketches, and pictures that will then become the basis for writing a poem or prose. Examples and templates will be provided to aid as a jumping-off place. Students will also be introduced to the Indigenous perspective on nature and learn some Passamaquoddy vocabulary as part of the instruction.
Join artist and forest therapy guide Susan Bickford for a guided, mindful walk and craft workshop. Returning to a time pre-technology, participants will employ their eyes, ears, and touch to document their experience, transferring their observations into a 3-dimensional creative collage map. This fun, interactive, and tactile activity further deepens awareness of nature's elements, resulting in a texture-rich, aromatic artistic representation that participants will take home. Locally foraged herbal tea will be offered during the workshop to sustain participants' newly awakened senses and imagination. All materials will be supplied.
Monday-Wednesday, August 19-21, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Gardens horticultural therapists will lead customized, interactive plant-based exercises to help strengthen interpersonal skills, hand-eye coordination, math and science problem-solving, and applied critical thinking. This educational and mindful activity session is designed to be inclusive of all abilities and learning levels and adapted to each participant. After planting a succulent bowl or fern terrarium to take home, students will tour the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, where they will use all of their available senses to explore the biodiversity demonstrated inside this universally accessible garden. Parents/guardians are asked to attend this session with their homeschoolers.
Come and explore the Native Butterfly House at the Gardens! Students will be introduced to butterflies and moths in all stages of their life cycle and their role in the food web. We will also discover the differences between butterflies and moths and their unique adaptations for survival. Meet the important plants that provide nectar and those that host these amazing creatures. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Ancient Egyptians used willow and myrtle to treat pain and fevers, and Mayans used the papaya tree for many herbal remedies including digestion. Plants have been used as medicine from the beginning of our existence, and hundreds of modern-day medicines have been inspired by plants. In this session, participants will explore which plants in our gardens and surrounding woodlands can be used to treat colds, upset stomachs, stress, anxiety and so much more. The session will end by making an herbal tea from cuttings collected during the session. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Can you tell the difference between a rusty-patched and a two-spotted bumble bee? Did you know that some types of wasps and flies are pollinators? Join us on an exploratory walk with our resident entomologist, Zac Smith-Hess, as he shows students how to identify different types of pollinators. Students will also learn some fun facts about flowers and their relationship with these amazing creatures. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
On this fall walk, we'll learn handy tricks for remembering Maine woods' coniferous and deciduous trees. Participants will gain an understanding of the ecology of native trees as well as the science behind fall foliage. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Explore how climate change is impacting the places we live and how we can come together to make our communities stronger. Join us on a walk through Slater Forest Pond and down the Haney Hillside to the Shoreland Trail; we will share stories about the natural world and practice observing the plants and animals around us. With the understanding of our relationship with our environment and how climate change impacts us all, we'll discuss how we can use our interests and talents to make those relationships more resilient to change. Enjoy sharing your perspectives and practicing problem-solving in this unique, conversational format. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register multiple children for one program or one child for multiple programs receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Deepen your understanding of Wabanaki values and traditions on a special garden walk with Passamaquoddy educator Sandra Bassett. Sandra will introduce us to the newly planted Three Sisters Garden, demonstrate singing and drumming, and teach us a sampling of Passamaquoddy words. We will also spend some time learning about the significance of the four “R’s”-Reciprocity, Relationship, Respect, and Responsibility. The session will end with a birch bark etching activity.
