Planting a Vertical Garden | SOLD OUT

Let’s grow up! In this fun, innovative container-garden class, we’ll plant mini vertical gardens that can be mounted on a fence, a stone wall, an exterior wall, or against a post. Let us supply the plants and planting materials while you select which plants you’d like in your vertical garden. Registrants will be asked to choose between sun-loving succulents or shade-loving ferns and foliage plants. After registering, contact Irene Barber by e-mail, with your choice of sun or shade plants.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Rain Date: Saturday, June 12, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Irene Barber
Price: $60 / $70

Maintaining Creative Energy in Photography

This is the second of three interactive lectures by renowned photographer Ron Rosenstock. Students may take just one or all three; each program lasts approximately 50 minutes with a Q&A period to follow. In this lecture, Ron will cover how photographers can maintain and continue creative efforts when circumstances (and plans) change. He will share a variety of photographic subjects and projects that are always available for photographers to explore.

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Location: Online
Instructor: Ron Rosenstock
Price: $20 / $35

Container Garden Inspirations: Elements and Sizes

Garden designer Jen Dunlap creates dynamic and texturally driven designs that build upon traditional container gardens. Join her on a tour of the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden where she’ll provide the details of various container garden plant combinations. She’ll offer insight into her compositions and demonstrate the tricks to planting in various types and sized containers. From the small to the very large, Jen will leave you comfortable no matter what the scale of your container garden project.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Rain Date: Satuday, June 19, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Jen Dunlap
Price: $25 / $32

Monitoring Maine’s Forest Health

Our heritage trees of Maine are under a great amount of stress, dealing with inclement weather and infestations of pests. Is there anything we can do to help preserve and support these species? Come take a walk through CMBG with forest pathologists and entomologists from the State of Maine, Aaron Bergdahl, Colleen Teerling, and Tom Schmeelk, to learn more about the health of Maine’s forests and what a landowner or concerned steward can do to help.

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Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Aaron Bergdahl
Price: $25 / $32

Drawing and Painting Monarch Butterflies and Milkweed

Tuesday and Thursday, June 22 and 24 | This two-day workshop focuses on the monarch butterfly's life cycle in symbiotic relationship to its host plant, milkweed. Depict flight by learning basic butterfly anatomy and wing positioning. Understand basic metamorphosis and how the butterfly interacts in the pollination process. Color application can be in watercolor and/or colored pencil. All levels welcome!

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Location: Online
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $95 / $125

Plant ID in the Garden: Sun Garden Perennials

While sun gardens tend to feature lots of color, there’s more to know about sun-loving perennials: their seasonal performance, structural habits, and bountiful pollinators. In this class, horticulturist Brent McHale will highlight sunny perennials that perform at different times of the growing season, how to distinguish among similar species, and explain different subcategories to help you make proper selections for your garden.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Rain date: Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Brent McHale
Price: $25 / $32

Artful and Functional Landscape Structures, Field Study

From arbors to pergolas, toolsheds to tea-houses, outdoor landscape structures can add function and aesthetic interest to any property. Karl Alamo, horticulturist and landscape architect, will take students through the Gardens, pointing out the design and structural elements that serve as storage, entry points, and sanctuary. Discussion will include green roofs, sustainable materials, and architectural choices. This class will outline what choices you can make to help you create artful and functional garden features.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 people. We are practicing social distance protocols.

Rain Date: Saturday, July 31, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Karl Alamo
Price: $25 / $32

What’s Cookin’ and Good Lookin’ In the Kitchen Garden, Mid-Season

As warm temperatures and longer days drive an abundance of growth, the Burpee Kitchen Garden series will focus on how to grow warm-season greens, herbs, flowers, and vegetables. Diane will elaborate on practices such as weeding, successional cropping, and harvesting, all while highlighting her favorites, alliums and basil.

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Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Diane Walden
Price: $25 / $32

Introduction to Medicinal Plants: Cultivation and Cultural Uses

Join horticulturalist Lesley Paxson in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses as she introduces you to our new Medicinal Plant Garden. Before modern medicine, we looked to the natural world to heal the body and mind. By looking through the lens of three populations, Indigenous Peoples of Maine, European settlers, and traditional Eastern cultures, we will explore the new garden’s plantings. We will compare and contrast the different uses and philosophies associated with these important plants. We will also take a stroll through the Lerner Garden and discover the healing powers of some common backyard garden plants.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Rain date: Saturday, July 10, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Lesley Paxson
Price: $25 / $32

A Children’s Garden: Plants, Features, & Activities

Join horticulturist Jennifer Dunlap and Youth and Family Coordinator, Erika Huber, for a detailed tour of the plants, features, and activities that make an effective children’s garden. Jen and Erika know first-hand the wants and want-nots of a children’s garden, and they’ll share insider knowledge regarding the plants that serve as aesthetic, educational, and fun features, including edibles and good ingredient and activity plants. Discussion will include how water, soil, planting activities, creative features, and living creatures all play a part in the make-up of an unforgettable children’s garden.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Rain Date: Saturday, July 17, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Jennifer Dunlap
Price: $32 / $40

The Forest in Watercolor

Using watercolor, capture the peace and majestic beauty of our forests. In this class we’ll explore some of the techniques used to build depth, atmosphere, and capture a sense of light. Conducted via Zoom, day one will be include group instruction. Days two and three will be held at the Gardens, and participants will paint plein air, receiving one-on-one instruction and feedback.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Erica Qualey
Price: $210 / $255

From RAW to Finished Print

This is the third of three interactive lectures by renowned photographer Ron Rosenstock. Students may take just one or all three; each program lasts approximately 50 minutes with a Q&A period to follow. In this lecture, Ron will cover the journey from RAW image to finished print, illustrating through examples and explaining his process.

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Location: Online
Instructor: Ron Rosenstock
Price: $20 / $35

Pollinators: Butterflies & Moths (Field Study)

Join us outside with our Lepidoptera specialist, Alicia Miller, on an interactive tour through the Native Butterfly and Moth House and adjacent pollinator garden to discover the many different species calling CMBG home.

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Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Alicia Miller
Price: $25 / $32

Is It Really a Weed?

In this outdoor class, permaculture landscaper Justin Nichols will offer a new perspective on common weeds. Illustrating that truly “one person’s trash is another’s treasure,” many consider weeds valuable medicinal, edible, and ecological plants that can tell a story about surrounding soil conditions. Of course, there are also those that can be a nuisance. In this class, Justin will share weed-related wisdom, guiding participants in identifying, recognizing, and then approaching these gardening questions—nuisance or nutrient?—from a more informed perspective.

Justin Nichols has been enthusiastically maintaining landscapes since 1989, including many years as a gardener on a 30-acre estate in the Boston area and six years here at CMBG on the horticulture staff. He currently runs an ecologically-focused landscape and design business based in the Portland area. He is a NOFA Certified Organic Landcare Professional, holds a master’s degree in education and enjoys teaching horticultural topics to people of all ages.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Justin Nichols
Price: $25 / $32

Drawing and Painting Bees and Pollinators

Bees play a vital role in our environment, especially when it comes to pollination. Honey bees and native bees are all abuzz this time of year. Learn to capture their behavior and create a composition featuring your favorite native flower! Color application can be in watercolor and or colored pencil. All levels are welcome!

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Location: Online
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $95 / $125

Pollinators: Bees & Beyond (Field Study)

In this field-study course, join Sarah Callan on a walking tour of the Gardens and discover the diversity of bees in the landscape, bee identification, pollinator preferences, bee anatomy and behavior, and the latest research into these important pollinators.

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Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Sarah Callan
Price: $25 / $32

DIY Garden Mobiles

Artistic, eye-catching mobiles can add whimsy and natural music to any garden as they catch the wind. Secured to posts, branches, or arbors, these features can reflect light, capture the spirit of a space, and offer depth and vertical interest to any landscape. In this creative craft class, we will make garden mobiles from found and natural objects supplied by instructors Caroline Davis, the Gardens' Coordinator of Botanical Arts and Exhibits, and Irene Barber, Horticultural Therapist and educator. Students are welcome to bring their own found, repurposed, or natural objects to incorporate in their garden mobiles. Please bring a pair of form-fitting work gloves.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 people. We are practicing social distance protocols.

Rain Date: Saturday, August 14, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Caroline Davis
Price: $50 / $62

Container Garden Inspirations: Styles and Management

Join horticulturists Diane Walden and Brent McHale on a tour of their container garden designs in the Burpee Kitchen Garden, the Arbor Garden, and the Great Lawn. Learn about the different styles on display, from the organized to the whimsical, the bold to the muted, and the minimalistic to the complex. Diane and Brent will describe the plant varieties providing those stylistic differences and how plant placement can affect the design and overall management throughout the summer.

To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, class are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.

Rain Date: Saturday, August 14, 2021

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Diane Walden
Price: $25 / $32

Aquatic Botanicals In Watercolor

Join naturalist and botanical watercolor artist Hillary Parker for a fascinating three-day botanical watercolor workshop exploring the submerged plant life growing along the rocky shoreline of the Gardens' stretch of the Back River.

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Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Hillary Parker
Price: $265 / $310

Plant ID in the Field: New England Grassland Species

Led by Ted Elliman, author of Grasses, Sedges and Rushes, An Identification Guide, participants will learn how to identify and better understand New England meadow plants. This is the perfect class for those interested in starting or sustaining an open grassland.

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Location: Oak Point Farm and Zak Preserve 60 Samoset Road, Boothbay Harbor
Instructor: Ted Elliman
Price: $30 / $38

11th Annual Ina and Lew Heafitz Endowed Lecture: Planting Your Path (Online)

This registration is for the online event. Please note: both online and in-person registration is available for this event.

In this conversation Abra Lee will discuss her garden roots from the dirt-road country of the rural South to a lesson in family history that helped define her life’s purpose. This is a story of failure, persistence, and how taking her Mama’s advice to “don’t be no educated fool” led her on a journey to uncover Black America’s legacy in ornamental horticulture.

The Ina and Lew Heafitz Endowed Lecture celebrates leading thinkers in horticulture, landscape design, sustainability, and more. These nationally-recognized speakers address cutting-edge and timely topics, presenting enriching talks centered around their work in nature-related fields. The annual lecture is free for all.

Abra Lee is a national speaker, writer, and owner of Conquer the Soil, a platform that combines Black garden history and current events to raise awareness of horticulture. She has spent "a whole lotta time" in the dirt as a municipal arborist, extension agent, airport landscape manager, and more. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University and alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows, a global network of public horticulture professionals.

Location: Online
Instructor: Abra Lee
Price: FREE

11th Annual Ina and Lew Heafitz Endowed Lecture: Planting Your Path (at CMBG) | SOLD OUT

This registration is for the in-person event, which will take place indoors in our Education Center at 75% capacity. Please note: both online and in-person registration is available for this event.

In this conversation Abra Lee will discuss her garden roots from the dirt-road country of the rural South to a lesson in family history that helped define her life’s purpose. This is a story of failure, persistence, and how taking her Mama’s advice to “don’t be no educated fool” led her on a journey to uncover Black America’s legacy in ornamental horticulture.

The Ina and Lew Heafitz Endowed Lecture celebrates leading thinkers in horticulture, landscape design, sustainability, and more. These nationally-recognized speakers address cutting-edge and timely topics, presenting enriching talks centered around their work in nature-related fields. The annual lecture is free for all.

Abra Lee is a national speaker, writer, and owner of Conquer the Soil, a platform that combines Black garden history and current events to raise awareness of horticulture. She has spent ""a whole lotta time"" in the dirt as a municipal arborist, extension agent, airport landscape manager, and more. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University and alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows, a global network of public horticulture professionals.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Abra Lee