Beginning a base plan for a plan-view design of your garden may not be the most exciting part of the process, but it is an all-important one! Join us as we discuss everything from how and what to measure for a new garden to translating that information into a scaled drawing on paper. Once a base plan is established, the designer can get creative, tracing over it until they are happy with (and excited about!) their design, the topic of discussion in the next class: Dreams to Design. Students will be responsible for their own design materials, supply list available upon registration.

In this panel presentation, four CMBG horticulturists will review their top five annuals, from longtime favorites to new darlings from the 2021 growing season. With so many beautiful annuals at CMBG, each showing off unique foliage, flowers, and structure, it’s difficult to choose which ones to feature—but these top-20 are a good place to start!

Tuesdays, March 22 and 29 | Countless new terms and often-conflicting advice can make gardening intimidating, not only for newcomers, but also for those who have been gardening for years. In this course, we’ll set gardeners up for success in the potentially overwhelming world of horticulture. Using practical, real-life examples and engaging activities, we'll review how plants are named and classified, basic plant anatomy, and how environmental factors can influence plant growth.

Soils, mulches, and amendments are fundamental for growing plants successfully indoors or out, but it’s easy to become confused, overwhelmed, or unsure. In this webinar, we’ll review what’s what, addressing in-ground and above-ground applications pertinent to vegetable, woodland, or container gardens. We’ll also discuss the variety of manufactured soil and soilless blends, mulches, amendments like composts and mineral additives, the basics of the soil chemistry and biology, and making sustainable choices.

Whether designing a secret garden or an extensive wildflower garden, it’s critical to run an assessment of the setting—built features, where water flows, and how much sun hits the area between growing months. We'll discuss what a site assessment and inventory looks like and how sketching this information gives designers a visual diagram, providing a clearer understanding of any variables to consider. The more informed you are as a designer, the better a designer you’ll be! Students will be responsible for their own design materials, supply list available upon registration.

Orchids are amazing plants—and an engrossing indoor hobby for us northern gardeners. In this fun and enlightening class, learn from CMBG horticulturist Courtney Locke how to successfully grow orchids year-round as houseplants. With so much advice out there, it’s inevitable that confusion would arise. Learn from a true orchid grower and enthusiast, and soon you’ll be on your way to nurturing these intoxicating plants in a variety of arranged containers.

From gardening to landscape projects, the right tool makes the process easier, less strenuous, and more efficient. A chef wouldn’t use a butter knife to slice a roast, and a carpenter wouldn’t secure an inch-thick board with a half-inch nail! In this behind-the-scenes look at the CMBG horticulture staff's favorite tools, you'll learn why certain tools are appropriate for certain jobs. We’ll also discuss the more effective and ergonomic options out there—it might be time to replace that splintering, 30-year-old spade you're still using!

Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. Come learn what happens in their branches, month by month, a tangible cycle of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers harvesting hundreds of acorns to the jewel caterpillars grazing greenery, Tallamy describes and celebrates these backyard wonders. Learn practical advice about planting and caring for oaks and the best oak species for your area. Leave inspired to treasure, nurture, and protect these remarkable trees.

Whether designing one garden or several, the first step is to learn the foundation and classical inspirations of garden design. Understanding design principles and becoming aware of how garden design has evolved through the centuries and is represented through different cultures helps new designers establish a basis and broadens perspectives. In this online class, Irene Barber, landscape designer and the Gardens’ Adult Education Program Manager, will introduce students to garden themes from different cultures and civilizations, all of which relate to the principles and elements of design relevant to today.

Geography and cultural history are pertinent factors when making garden design decisions, particularly in New England’s unique and diverse landscapes, from river valleys to rolling fields to narrow, rocky corridors. In this online class, students will learn how to establish a sense of place and belonging, wherever their prospective garden is to be located. No matter what cultural elements and influences you want to incorporate, this class will help you get creative while staying true to a sense of place.

Whether designing a secret garden or an extensive wildflower garden, it’s critical to evaluate, document, and sketch out a setting's details—built features, water movement, sun exposure throughout growing months, soil types and so on. This online session will help students develop longhand documentation and, more importantly, sketch the assessed information, resulting in a visual diagram that provides a clearer understanding of any variables to consider. The more informed you are as a designer, the better a designer you’ll be! We strongly recommend students to have a scaled base-plan in-hand before moving forward with this stage. Upon registration, students will receive a supplies list that will be useful for designing a new garden.

Once we have the conceptual ideas narrowed down to one or two general schematics of our garden spaces, we can start shaping them with program and structure. Structure and movement consist of more than a row of shrubs, a fence, a path or a wall at your property line – this is how you shape a space, create a sense of enclosure, and lead the eye to landscape destinations. This online lecture and demonstration will identify features and design principles captured initially on trace layers, which will ensure both pragmatic and inspirational function in our gardens. After this class, students will feel empowered to practice on the personal project that will help them prepare for the next class, Garden Design: Details in the Layers. Upon registration, students will receive a list of supplies recommended to pursue their own design project.

Are you interested in growing hydrangeas in your garden? Or maybe your hydrangeas aren’t performing as well as you'd like? Join this online presentation with Horticulturalist Courtney Locke as she provides a thorough overview of the many different types of hydrangeas and how to successfully grow them for bountiful blossoms and sturdy structure.