Plant ID & Ecology: Conifers

What’s an evergreen, yet not always an evergreen? In this field-study class, Jeff O’Donal, nurseryman and conifer grower, will explore the extensive world of conifers, including native and non-native species, specimen plants, and those great for naturalizing into our native landscapes. We'll explore the diverse shapes and sizes, variations of gold and blue, soft or coarse textures, varieties of needle lengths, deciduous or evergreen, fragrant or neutral—there’s something for every style and landscape. Class level: Beginner-Intermediate.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Jeff O’Donal
Price: $32 / $40
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Is It A Weed? (Canceled)

Weeds, by casual definition, are undesired plants found in a specific location. Delaney Pitman, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Horticulturist, leads a combination of field study and lecture discussing the perception of weeds, identification, cultural management, and ecology. You'll leave with a broader understanding of what and why plants are commonly known as "weeds" and whether they might be embraced or removed from a garden or landscape. Class level: all.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Delaney Pitman
Price: $32 / $40

Landscaping for Wildlife (Sold Out)

This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | 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 critical steps we can take to divert such loss. We'll begin 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. Class Level: Intermediate to Advanced.

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Location: Online & Bosarge Family Education Center
Instructor: Deb Perkins
Price: $62 / $75

Botanical Block Printing

Using the Gardens as inspiration, explore traditional block printing methods with a modern touch. These blocks can be used anywhere, as a printing press is not required. Participants will leave the two-day workshop understanding basic printing techniques and multiple prints of their designs. All levels are welcome. Suitable for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Jordan Parks
Price: $235 / $325
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Moth Lighting with The Caterpillar Lab

Join The Caterpillar Lab for a night of moth lighting at the Gardens and discover what moths and other nighttime visitors fill the summer skies! Moth lighting is the practice of providing an irresistible surface for insects to land on by illuminating a large white sheet. The evening will begin indoors at 8 p.m. with a brief introduction and some time to view The Caterpillar Lab’s indoor exhibit while the sun sets. After dusk, guests will visit the stations set up around the Gardens, and The Caterpillar Lab’s staff will be on hand to help identify the hundreds of species we’ll likely attract.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: The Caterpillar Lab
Price: $8 / $10
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Papermaking Workshop with Botanicals

Let’s learn and make together! Explore the world of paper-making with artist Ashley Page in this hands-on workshop. Participants will learn how to make paper at home or in a studio, leaving with their own paper creations. No previous papermaking experience is required. Suitable for teens 14+.

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Location: Timber Frame
Instructor: Ashley Page
Price: $95 / $160
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Medicinal Plants: Herbal Salve Making (Sold Out)

This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | From harvesting to bottling, learn the steps to make a herbal salve! Salves are topical ointments created from plants used to heal a specific condition such as dry skin, burns, scars, splinters, or sore muscles. The class will begin indoors with a live demonstration followed by a walk through the gardens to identify plants that can be used to make a salve. Each participant will take home a tin of herbal salve.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Cristina Pellegrini
Price: $64 / $80

Introduction to Native Flora of Maine

The first step to gardening with Maine’s native plants is meeting them in their wild habitats. Over this three-day in-person class, students will learn how to recognize frequent coastal species. This class will cover plant identification skills, terminology, and botanical etymology. Through guided walks, both at the Gardens and on the Boothbay peninsula, students will practice skills and collect samples for identification and botanizing native species. Class Level: Intermediate-Advanced

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Chris Schorn
Price: $175 / $205
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Paper Cutting: Birds and Blossoms

Learn the techniques and history of papercutting with examples of traditional and contemporary styles. Students will leave this two day workshop with several pieces of their own artwork, exploring different methods or approaches. The class theme will be birds and blossoms.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Dylan Metrano
Price: $175 / $295
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Plant ID & Ecology: Grassland Plants

Whether called fields, meadows, or pastures, these landforms all feature a dominant grass population in a wide-open, full-sun terrain mixed with wildflower and smaller woody species. Partnering with the Boothbay Region Land Trust, this class will guide students on two walks at local land trust properties. Led by Ted Elliman, co-author of "Grasses, Sedges and Rushes: An Identification Guide," participants will learn how to identify and better understand meadow culture. This is the perfect class for those interested in starting or sustaining an open grassland. Class Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Ted Elliman
Price: $46 / $58
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15th Annual Ina & Lewis Heafitz Endowed Lecture Series presents: Adventures in Ecological Horticulture (Sold Out)

This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | Gone are the days when a garden could be ornamental alone. We now understand the impact our land care practices have on the ecosystems around us and recognize the importance of encouraging biodiversity. The good news? We don’t have to sacrifice beauty when we invite butterflies and songbirds into our gardens. Discover how ecological approaches to gardening can transform both spaces and communities with Rebecca McMackin in this year's Ina & Lewis Heafitz Endowed Lecture Series.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Rebecca McMackin
Price: Free

Ecological Arboriculture

So many of us love our trees, yet they’re still too often seen and cared for as ornaments in our gardens or isolated organisms, rather than as dynamic parts of a living landscape. In reality, trees can serve as the heart of thriving ecosystems that support the birds and wildlife we love. This workshop introduces the principles of ecological arboriculture—a holistic approach to caring for trees, woody plants, and landscapes that recognizes trees as habitat, food sources, and essential ecosystem engineers.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Christopher Roddick
Price: $64 / $80
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Selecting Native Woody Plants

In this two-day hybrid class, 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 woody plants' role in plant reproduction and management as hosts for insects, birds, and other wildlife. You'll leave with recommendations for native species and cultivars and guidance for cultivation, landscape uses, and soil and light considerations. Class Level: Intermediate-Advanced.

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Location: Online & Bosarge Family Education Center
Instructor: Andy Brand
Price: $140 / $175
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Mosses and Liverworts: Natural History & Identification

The cool, damp climate of Maine and northern New England is perfect for mosses and liverworts, plants known as bryophytes. Join Maine Master Naturalist Jeff Pengel to examine, identify, and learn the natural history of mosses and liverworts. Through presentation, photographs, specimen examination, and fieldwork, students will learn to discern the differences between common groups, know key identification techniques and vocabulary, and recognize more than a dozen common species in the field. Class level: Beginner-Intermediate.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Jeff Pengel
Price: $46 / $58
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Body & Sound: A Yin Yoga Experience

Step out of your daily routine and into a multi-sensory experience that nourishes body and mind in this all-levels yoga class. Body & Sound combines supported yin yoga, essential oils, and sonic immersion using sound bowls, chimes, and nature-inspired instruments. There are no standing movements; all poses are on the ground. All levels are welcome, and participants are encouraged to engage to the degree that feels best—even simply relaxing and enjoying the sound bath.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Multiple Instructors
Price: $20 / $24
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Capturing the Colors of the Season

Paint the changing landscape in watercolor during this three-day workshop. Crafted for artists looking to enhance their skills, you'll learn to blend warm, earthy tones for autumn and cool, muted hues for winter, capturing these seasons' unique light and atmosphere. We'll master techniques to paint various trees, colorful foliage, and intricate shadows, adding depth and dimension to your work. For intermediate watercolorists.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Erica Qualey
Price: $245 / $380
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Forest Therapy Walk & Tea: Late Summer

Deepening your connection to nature through moving meditation offers enormous benefits for personal well-being. In this gentle and sensory-oriented class, students will experience the practice of walking mindfully through a forest to gain deep serenity and new awareness. Follow Susan Bickford, a certified guide in the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku also known as forest therapy/forest bathing, as she gives you the tools to begin your own meditation practice. The walk ends with a tea ceremony that honors the experience. Class Level: all.

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Location: Timber Frame
Instructor: Susan Bickford
Price: $28 / $36
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Five Days Drawing and Painting the Autumn Harvest

The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and pumpkins and gourds abound! Take advantage of nature’s bounty within Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens' spectacular Dahlia and Iris garden. Spend one, two, three, four, or all five days surrounded by stunning dahlias in full bloom and learn how to draw and paint the fall harvest. All levels are welcome. Class appropriate to teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $465 / $655
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Fall Foliage in Blazing Color

Immerse yourself in fall foliage. Using the spectacular leaves found on the grounds of the Gardens', create blazing seasonal watercolor, colored pencil and/or watercolor pencil drawings. All levels welcome! This class can be taken alone or as part of a five-day series. Class appropriate to teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $75 / $145
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Pumpkins and Gourds in Graphite

Fall is an excellent time to learn how to create the lumpy bumpy textures found in the Cucurbitaceae family, known as gourds. Learn all about different gourds, their shapes, and growth cycles. This class can be taken alone or as part of a five-day series. It is recommended to take Pumpkins and Gourds in Color as a complement to this class, but it is not required. All levels are welcome. Class appropriate for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $75 / $145
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Invasive Plants: Identification, Issues & Ecology

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. We'll discuss the complicated and sometimes political issues and how a plant becomes labeled "invasive." Class level: Intermediate-Advanced

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Amanda Devine
Price: $140 / $175
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Pumpkins and Gourds in Color

Fall is an excellent time to learn how to create the lumpy bumpy textures found in the Cucurbitaceae family, known as gourds. Learn all about different gourds, their shapes, and growth cycles. This class can be taken alone or as part of a five-day series. It is recommended to take Pumpkins and Gourds in Graphite as a complement to this class, but it is not required. All levels welcome. Class appropriate to teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $75 / $145
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Dahlia Details in Graphite

One of the greatest joys of fall is the emergence of the stunning dahlia. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has a particularly beautiful collection with a variety of shapes and colors. This class can be taken alone or as part of a five-day series. It is recommended to take Dahlia Details in Color as a complement to this class, but it is not required. All levels welcome. Class appropriate for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $75 / $145
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Dahlia Details in Color

One of the greatest joys of fall is the emergence of the stunning dahlia. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has a particularly beautiful collection with a variety of shapes and colors. This class can be taken alone or as part of a five-day series. It is recommended to take Dahlia Details in Graphite as a complement to this class, but it is not required. All levels welcome. Class appropriate for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $75 / $145
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Finding Wonder: Nature Journaling and Field Sketching

Join Maine artist, author/illustrator, and naturalist Rebekah Lowell in a nature journaling workshop to cultivate your curiosity. We'll learn what nature journaling is, how it benefits us (and our world), and then we'll get started in our nature journaling practice.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Rebekah Lowell
Price: $28 / $36
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Visible Mending: The Value of Repair

Empower yourself with the skills to mend clothing and give new life to well-loved garments through the beautiful and sustainable practice of visible mending. In this gentle and fun 2.5-hour workshop, we’ll explore the basics of visible clothing repair—an artful approach that keeps textiles out of the landfill while adding beauty and new life to closet favorites. Begin with hands-on instruction and stitch practice, then settle into a relaxed, community-centered space to work on your own pieces. Mending materials provided; beginners welcome.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Maggie Haaland
Price: $32 / $40
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Architecture and Botanicals in the Fall Gardens

Explore the unique architectural elements that blend seamlessly with nature in the Gardens. Discover how to capture the beauty of garden structures, from bridges and trellises to the whimsical Children's Garden play cottage, as you learn techniques to enhance your painting skills. Guided by Maine artist Susan Bartlett Rice, you'll create your own paintings inspired by the stunning autumn surroundings. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your creativity and a love for art and nature! This is a three-day workshop suitable for adults and teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Susan Bartlett Rice
Price: $265 / $375
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Dahlias: Digging, Dividing, Storing, & Propagating

Unlock the secrets to successful dahlia propagation in this hands-on class designed for adult gardeners of all levels. Learn when to dig up your dahlias, how to inspect tubers for disease or rot, and the best techniques for drying and storing them through the off-season. We’ll dive into the anatomy of a tuber, identify what parts are essential for new growth, and walk through identifying and removing the mother tuber, along with proper dividing techniques and timing. You’ll leave with the knowledge to keep your dahlias thriving year after year.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Courtney Locke
Price: $32 / $40
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Ecological Landscape Design

If you want to design landscapes inspired by and inclusive of nature, studying design principles through the lens of natural systems is essential. In this three-day course led by landscape designer and horticulturist Irene Brady Barber, students will learn to identify and incorporate the components of ecological landscape design. Online and onsite, we will examine the systems influencing design decisions, practice environmental site analysis, and design conceptual plot plans for a selected site. Class Level: Intermediate-Advanced

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Location: Online & Bosarge Family Education Center
Instructor: Irene Barber
Price: $160 / $190
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Decoupaged Pumpkins

Wow your neighbors and friends with these stunning decoupaged pumpkins. Gardens' Arts Coordinator Caroline Clare Davis will demonstate how to adorn your fall centerpiece with pressed garden flowers, grasses, and berries. Each participant will go home with one small pumpkin and one medium/large pumpkin. No tricks, only treats here! All levels are welcome. Suitable for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Caroline Davis
Price: $50 / $80
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Golden Hour: Nature Writing Workshop

Join poet and writer Andy Juele to learn how to develop a writing practice that deepens your connection to the natural world. Using examples from poetry, essay, and fiction, this workshop explores themes of the environment, self, and community with time spent outside in the gardens and trails for inspiration. We’ll consider how to translate fleeting, personal experiences in nature into authentic and meaningful writing. Come prepared to share your work and respond to the work of others.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Juele
Price: $25 / $32
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