Gardens Aglow tickets are on sale NOW! Weekends and holidays do sell out, so get your tickets early to ensure your ideal day and time.
Viburnums, offering essential habitat for wildlife and providing attractive seasonal floral and berry displays, are an important genus for our New England landscapes. Join Lon Ames, horticulturist for the Haney Hillside Garden, to learn about native (and a few nonnative) viburnums, and the sizes, habit, and characteristics that make them stand out from the crowd. We’ll view the collection on a walk through the Gardens and talk about their landscape benefits.
In her presentation, Jennifer Jewell will discuss the philosophy of Cultivating Place, her National Public Radio program and international podcast. Her podcast is a voice for gardeners and nature-lovers and operates from the belief that gardens and gardeners are potentially powerful agents and spaces for positive change in our world, helping to address challenges as wide-ranging as climate change, habitat loss, cultural polarization, and individual and communal health and wellbeing. In this program, she will explore how the power of gardens and gardeners can be viewed through a lens of invitation—both the invitations we recognize and accept from our gardens in our roles as gardeners and those we extend to the greater world through our gardening practices.
Friday, September 1 & Saturday, September 9 | Over two days, online and in-person, learn about native woody plants that contribute so much to our landscapes and local biodiversity. Andy Brand, Director of Horticulture at the Gardens, will discuss identification, habitat, and the role woody plants play in plant reproduction and management as hosts for insects, birds, and other wildlife. Online and in the field, Andy will recommend native species and cultivars, and explain cultivation, landscape uses, and soil and light considerations.
Tuesday-Thursday, September 5-7, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Experience the wonder of two crafts, block printing and embroidery, in this special three-day workshop. Combine two different approaches to mark-making, carving, and stitching by creating a fiber arts piece of your own design. Day one will concentrate on designing a block print motif, transferring your design to the block, then carving and printing your motif onto paper and fabric. Day two will focus on embroidery, learning and practicing various stitches to incorporate into your block-printed fabric. Continue the process of discovery and medium-integration on day three as you complete your final project.
Friday, September 8 & Saturday, September 16 | Habitat loss is the primary cause of declining wildlife populations, and learning how vital native plants are to wildlife and how much our landscape choices matter is one of the most vital steps we can take to divert such loss. Combined with a short online lecture followed by an interactive workshop and field-study at the Gardens, students will learn how and what to manage in the landscape and how to incorporate certain native plants to create welcoming habitats that attract wildlife, conserve natural resources, and encourage biodiversity.
Monday-Wednesday, September 11-13, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Beautiful things happen when the ancient medium of encaustic meets with mixed media materials. Join us for an intensive three-day workshop and explore encaustic on a basic level and its relationship to textile, photographs, and natural materials. Students will investigate how to transfer images, stencil, collage, and learn techniques for building up surfaces. There is a $60 materials fee per student; materials will be supplied by the instructor, including four- and eight-inch-sized beginner panels.
Tuesday, September 26, Tuesday, October 3, & Friday, October 13 | Invasive species are considered highly undesirable by botany, ecology, horticulture, and conservation professionals—and for good reason. In this three-part course, Amanda Devine, Regional Land Steward for Maine Coast Heritage Land Trust, will identify the basic ecological problems surrounding these aggressive, tenacious plants; the complicated (and sometimes political) issues surrounding them; and how a plant becomes labeled “invasive.”
Ever wondered what wildlife is living in your backyard? In our seasonal series of field-study classes (register separately for each), participants will learn more about the creatures that live in or around their garden, looking for shelter, food, and water. Join us and see autumn animal activity first-hand, an experience that will provide deeper insight into and appreciation for their roles in the ecosystem, better informing us how humans and wildlife can live together more harmoniously. This month, we’ll discuss preparing your garden for winter while also supporting the wildlife that migrates or overwinters locally. We’ll primarily focus on the ways birds, mammals, and insects are starting to prepare for winter.
Deepening your connection to nature through moving meditation offers enormous benefits for personal well-being. In this gentle class, experience how the simple practice of walking mindfully through a forest can provide deep serenity. By engaging with all five senses, we enhance awareness and presence. Follow Susan Bickford, certified guide in the ancient Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or forest therapy/forest bathing, as she gives you the tools to begin your own meditation practice. The walk ends with a tea ceremony.
Monday-Wednesday, October 16-18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
As the light and weather change, the Gardens provides new and interesting perspectives and invites students to find their own color and texture inspiration. In this three-day workshop, students of all skill levels will learn to paint the colors and textures of the Gardens in the French tradition, “en plein air,” or painting outside. Emphasis will be on working in the field: selecting your composition and working within a limited timeframe.
Support both healthy gardens and the health of Maine's landscape and ecology in this free community forum on integrated pest management (IPM), an environmentally sound approach to managing pests in gardens, farms, and forests. Five panelists will share introductory insight about common-to-emerging pest concerns, discuss practices, share resources available to Mainers, and feature recent studies and discoveries related to sustainable pest management.
Friday, October 20, Friday-Saturday, October 27 & 28 | To design landscapes inspired by—and inclusive of—nature, study essential design principles through the lens of natural systems. In this three-day course led by landscape architect Lisa Cowan and landscape designer and horticulturist Irene Barber, students will learn to identify and incorporate the components of ecological landscape design. Online and onsite, examine the systems influencing design decisions, practice environmental site analysis, and design conceptual plot plans for a selected site.
When it comes to admiring the forest canopy and individual tree species, there’s no better time than autumn. In this field-study class, we’ll highlight the value of northeastern forests – Maine’s macro- and micro-climatic regions consist of a wide assortment of deciduous and coniferous species valuable to thousands of living organisms. Come observe Maine’s trees and learn about their variety of habits and characteristics with District Forester, Shane Duigan. We'll discuss the history of Maine's forests, identify trees (the autumn colors help with that), management tips, the role trees play in the climate, and the changes they’re living through now and into the future.
Interested in learning about plants for pollinators? Want to understand why some plants attract pollinators better than others? For centuries, passionate plantspeople have collected plants from the wild, hoping to enhance floral or foliar displays or increase resistance to disease or pests. But where wildlife is concerned, beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Join us to learn from our pollinators and see what plants they choose. Join staff Entomologist Zac Smith-Hess to hear what the evolving research says about the ecological evaluation of native straight species, cultivars or non-native plants in built landscapes. We’ll talk about genetic diversity, clonal cultivation, pollinator syndromes, and their role in insect visitation and health.
Zac Smith-Hess’ passion for exploring and connecting people to nature has led him into both formal and informal education. Since graduating with a degree in zoology in 2014, he has spent much of his career working specifically with invertebrates in zoo and classroom settings. His students have called him a true lifelong learner; you can see this when you find him on grounds of the Gardens, providing wandering interpretation or, as he likes to say, just talking about bugs.
Thursday, November 9, 2-5 p.m.
Nights can be long in Maine—so why not introduce a little festive night light into your world? That’s exactly what we do every year during Gardens Aglow, an annual event that attracts visitors from all over the Northeast. Because we get many questions about our design and process, we're offering this lecture and walking tour. Join Brent McHale, Horticulturist & Gardens Aglow Program Manager, and Alison Webb, Horticulturist, and light-display specialist, to learn about creative and inspiring lighting design, color selection, and practical advice for your light display. We’ll discuss sustainable choices and practices, resourcing and repurposing materials for design concepts, set-up considerations, and more. After an introductory indoor presentation, we’ll go outside to see the light display and observe intricate details like the electrical components that make the display work successfully.
Tailored to emerging or current professionals in the green industry, Plants and Practices guides students through the valuable process of landscaping with native plants and working in harmony with nature to achieve high-performance, resilient landscape systems. The four-part course features detailed instruction about native woody plants and native herbaceous plants for specific environmental applications; instruction and discussion about effective implementation and long-term management practices for various projects; and how to establish comprehensive, functional, and successful communication between clients and contractors. We will discuss biodiversity in plant communities, plant adaptation, successional design and growth, erosion control, installation of green infrastructure, building trust and establishing landscape programs that include long-term management and design, and much more. These interactive virtual sessions are designed to help native-plant-savvy students plan for the next level of design and management.
Friday, December 1, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Creating a wreath from sustainably harvested, fresh, and aromatic evergreen materials, berries, decorative twigs, fuzzy flower buds, and more is the perfect addition to your winter decor. Wreaths come in all shapes and sizes and represent various holidays, celebrations, and themes, and this class will inspire you to think outside the box. During this in-person workshop at the Gardens, cocoa, tea, and sweet & savory snacks will fuel you as you develop your wreath-making skills. Please bring garden clippers or pruners (scissors are not recommended). All other materials are supplied.
Saturday, December 2, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Creating a wreath from sustainably harvested, fresh, and aromatic evergreen materials, berries, decorative twigs, fuzzy flower buds, and more is the perfect addition to your winter decor. Wreaths come in all shapes and sizes and represent various holidays, celebrations, and themes, and this class will inspire you to think outside the box. During this in-person workshop at the Gardens, cocoa, tea, and sweet & savory snacks will fuel you as you develop your wreath-making skills. Please bring garden clippers or pruners (scissors are not recommended). All other materials are supplied.
In the horticulture and landscape industry, peat is a ubiquitous material used in potting soils, composts, bales of straight peat, and more. It has long been considered a reliable horticultural resource, and recently, questions around sustainability, sourcing, and its role in climate change mitigation have come to light. In this presentation, peat research specialist Dr. Brian Jackson of North Carolina State University will share valuable information about using or not using peat in your landscape or horticultural practice. Talking points include peat alternatives for growing media, harvest locations and practices, and sourcing materials.
An increasing area of interest for gardeners and landscape clients is to convert a lawn space into a beautiful native wildflower ecosystem, benefiting insects, pollinators, and humans alike. Robert Graham, Land Steward of New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, will share insights on how to make a thriving wildflower garden. We'll dive into design considerations, the conversion process, and learnings from New England Botanics' own managed meadow space. You'll leave with tools for budgeting, timelines, and realistic management strategies to get the best out of your landscape projects.
Resilient landscapes in built environments are connected to the larger, evolving environment. Incorporating low-maintenance design and high-performance results, resilient landscapes sustain and regenerate under stressful environmental conditions rather than falling victim to stressors. These are aesthetic powerhouse systems providing ecological services, giving the landscape professional the opportunity to evolve their business and adapt to the changing environment. In Section I, Design and Structural Components, we will identify and assess the design process and factors, including ecological principles, processes, and materials, in order to create systems that are resilient and regenerative. Four separate online sessions focus on: Ecological Design for Resilience, Applied Soils: Restore and Engineer, Systematic Solutions to Water Management, and Sustainable Materials. Class Level: Advanced
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature and promote plant conservation through horticulture, education, and plant science.
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