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

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

White Pine Cone and Chick-a-Dee

Join us as we celebrate the Maine state bird, the Black-capped Chickadee, and the unique state flower, the White Pine Cone and Tassel (Pinus strobus, linnaeus). Learn about this tiny bird from egg to feather and its deciduous habitat as we explore anatomy and composition. By the end of the four-week online class, students will create an original painting of a Black-capped Chickadee on a White Pine tree branch with a pine cone! All levels are welcome. Suitable for teens 14+. Students can work in watercolor or colored pencil.

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Location: Online
Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe
Price: $180 / $260

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

Fundamentals of Botany (Sold Out)

This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | A core understanding of plant biology will open up the world of plants for any gardener. Through discussion, lecture, and hands-on lab work, this class begins with basic plant anatomy, exploring how every aspect of a plant works to sustain photosynthesis, respiration, and water and mineral uptake.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Bryan Peterson
Price: $140 / $175

Certificate In Botanical Arts Orientation

Are you interested in learning more about our Certificate In Botanical Arts Program? Enroll in this 60-minute online orientation to hear about the courses, workshops, and other program requirements. Students who complete the program will receive a certificate and an opportunity to exhibit their work at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It is a requirement that all Certificate students must be Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Members. The orientation will take place on Zoom and will be recorded for those who cannot attend live.

Location: Online
Instructor: Caroline Davis
Price: $25

Member Photography Club

Every other Thursday, May 9-October 10

Photography Club is one of the unique perks of being a member. Experience the serenity of the Gardens at 7 a.m., where local wildlife and dew-soaked petals wait around every corner. The club runs every other Thursday from May 9 - October 10, allowing you and club members an opportunity to grow your skills over three seasons.

Please note that there is no meeting on July 4.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Caroline Davis
Price: $35

Horticultural Ecology

Plants interact with their garden environments, from abiotic influences like temperature, pH, humidity, and sunlight to biotic influences like other plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and even humans. This two-day hybrid class teaches how plants adapt, compete, and depend on these influences. You'll learn concepts like parasitism, pollination, plant adaptation, and dispersal. Class Level: Intermediate to Advanced.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Dan Robarts
Price: $140 / $175

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

Watercolor Batik with Erica Qualey

Watercolor and wax is an exciting combination, and when you add in a delicately textured rice paper, WOW! The results are fantastic and lovely, with rich, bold colors and soft textures created by the natural qualities of rice paper. Erica will lead you step by step through layering paint and wax, teaching you all the skills you need to know to start creating your watercolor batiks. We'll begin with how to choose a good reference photo, how to design a strong composition, and finally, where to apply wax and how to make corrections when you make a mistake. All levels of painters, from beginners to advanced, are encouraged to join the fun. Suitable for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Erica Qualey
Price: $235 / $325

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

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

Natural Communities of Maine (Sold Out)

This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | Guided by ecologist Ted Elliman, this comprehensive, two-day hybrid course will introduce students to natural plant communities, their defining physical environments, the plants living in them, and the natural processes affecting them. Online discussion and hands-on field work will evaluate the variety of plant communities throughout Maine and how this information influences your gardening choices. Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Ted Elliman
Price: $140 / $175

Forest Therapy Walk and Tea: Spring

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, certified guide in the 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 that honors the experience. Suitable for teens 14+.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Susan Bickford
Price: $15 / $36