Soil Science for Gardeners (Sold Out)

This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | Soil is a living matrix of chemical and biological interactions, and a fundamental understanding of soil science is critical when selecting well-adapted native plants or choosing amendments needed by native plant communities. This two-day hybrid class for the ecologically-minded grower will discuss soil texture, chemistry, water-holding capacity, the biologically diverse life in the soil, and how these dynamic relationships can affect a plant’s health. Class Level: Intermediate

Learn More
Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Monique Bosch
Price: $140 / $175

Plant ID & Ecology: Viburnums

Viburnums are an important genus in New England landscapes, offering essential habitats for wildlife and attractive seasonal floral and berry displays. Join Lon Ames, horticulturist for the Haney Hillside Garden, in his online class to learn about native and non-native viburnums that can be used in your garden borders. Discussion will include sizes, habits, ecological benefits, and characteristics that make viburnums stand out in your displays.

Location: Online
Instructor: Lon Ames
Price: $22 / $28

Proper Planting: Plants & Practices

Strengthen your gardening skills with a focus on best planting practices in this in-person workshop and demonstration. We'll demonstrate how and when to sow seed, plant bare-root plants, and how to transplant both young potted seedlings and much larger, more mature specimens. You'll leave feeling informed about effective planting, including seasonal timing, rootbound plants, planting materials, and proper tools.

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

Selecting Native Herbaceous Plants

Presented in three parts, native plant expert Dan Jaffe-Wilder will introduce students to various native perennials to use in garden settings. The course will include two online presentations in May and September and an in-person fieldwork day in July. Through the series, we will discuss selecting the right plant for the right place in the right combination, using the best quality for the application, cultivation variables, choosing plants for their ecological role, specialized garden communities, aesthetics, propagation, and proper plant procurement. Class Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Learn More
Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Dan Jaffe-Wilder
Price: $155 / $190

Plant Your Own Vertical Garden

Leave with a beautiful vertical garden in this hands-on workshop. Designers Cheryl Tyler and Jen Dunlap will guide students through a step-by-step process of building and planting an 18"x 14" framed planter. The plant pallet of ferns, mosses, and lichens will be provided for outdoor and indoor applications. Class Level: All Levels

Learn More
Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Multiple Instructors
Price: $45 / $80

Sustainable Horticulture Practices

Ecosystem balance, soil, and water quality are all influenced by our landscape practices. This extensive, two-day sustainable horticulture class will help students apply the principles of ecologically safe gardening practices to their garden or landscape. Through online and in-person sessions, we’ll examine composting, techniques for eco-friendly soil amendments, alternatives to pesticides and herbicides, responsible native plant acquisition, erosion control methods, plant forms for function, and so much more. Class Level: Intermediate-Advanced

Learn More
Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Irene Barber
Price: $140 / $175

Plant ID and Ecology: Hardy Ferns

Ferns are commonly used to add elegance, texture, and an ethereal feeling to any shade garden, and did you know there are thousands of fern species? To learn more about fascinating fern ecology, genera, species, and cultivars, join Bill Cullina, former Director of Horticulture and President & CEO of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, now Director of Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of Native Ferns, Mosses, & Grasses for a captivating slideshow and garden tour exploring the extensive inventory of ferns at the Gardens. Class Level: All Levels

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Bill Cullina
Price: $36 / $44

Integrated Pest & Disease Management

State Horticulturalist Gary Fish leads this one-day class, which covers extensive ground on the insects, diseases, and deficiencies found on plants in the landscape. Applying principles of integrated pest management (IPM), the course will help students identify, monitor, and prevent poor plant health and, when necessary, deal with treatments. Mr. Fish will emphasize preventative measures and help students determine methods to mitigate further plant pest problems. Class Level: Intermediate

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Gary Fish
Price: $50 / $62

Landscaping for Wildlife

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. 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. Class Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Learn More
Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Deb Perkins
Price: $62 / $75

Is it Really a Weed? ID and Management

Weeds, by casual definition, are undesired plants found in a specific location. Delany 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 & why plants are commonly known as "weeds" and whether they might be embraced or removed from a garden or landscape. Class Level: All Levels

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Delaney Pitman
Price: $28 / $36

Plant Problems? Ask Garth

Garth Welch, staff IPM Specialist, is here to help identify your plant problems. Focusing on common issues found on garden plants, Garth will explain how to discern the cause from insect, disease, or deficiency. Emphasizing Integrated Pest Management, Garth will advise students on cultural recommendations to resolve the plant problem. Students can bring photo samples of up to two different plant issues for Garth to help identify. To prevent spread, please do not bring live samples of the plant(s). Class Level: All Levels

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Garth Welch
Price: $32 / $40

Garden Groundcovers: Plants and Uses

Groundcover plants combine beautiful form and function, supporting healthy soils and providing texture and color to any garden. In this class, you'll learn from staff Horticulturalist Jen Dunlap about the wide variety of groundcovers, especially those indigenous to the Northeast. We'll uncover their economic and ecological benefits, such as a solution to replace the need for any other kind of mulch.

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Jen Dunlap
Price: $28 / $36

Plant ID and Ecology: Goldenrods and Milkweeds

Milkweeds and goldenrods adorn our New England landscapes from July through October in shades of white, pink, and yellow, providing beauty and valuable nectar and pollen to native pollinators. Native plant ecologist and botanist Edward Elliman will lead students through a deep dive into the botanical and ecological lessons of these genera and species through a lecture, slideshow, and outdoor field study. Class Level: Intermediate-Advanced

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Ted Elliman
Price: $46 / $58

Selecting Native Woody Plants

Learn about native woody plants that contribute so much to our landscapes and local biodiversity in this two-day hybrid class. 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. 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

Learn More
Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Brand
Price: $140 / $175

Turning Garden Plants Into Houseplants

Improved air quality, aromatherapy, aesthetic interest, and emotional and edible nourishment are a few of the benefits of having houseplants. Join Brent McHale to learn about the garden plants that do best indoors, what kind of indoor conditions and considerations to be aware of, and the numerous ways to display the plants that you love outdoors, now indoors. Each student will pot and take home a young new houseplant. Class Level: All Levels

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Brent McHale
Price: $25 / $52

Ecological Landscape Design

To design landscapes inspired by—and inclusive of—nature, it is essential to study 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, 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

Learn More
Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Multiple Instructors
Price: $160 / $190