What’s Cookin’ and Good Lookin’ In the Kitchen Garden, Spring

Witness the seasonal evolution of the Burpee Kitchen Garden. Filled with edibles and floral accents, the garden’s wares range from arugula to zinnia, itty-bitty seedlings to 12-foot stalks. Diane Walden, the Burpee Kitchen Garden’s designer and tender, will share her favorite garden occupants. In this unconventional kitchen/cutting garden, you'll discover new and unusual selections as well as the classics, whether planted in-ground or in containers, vertically trained with tuteurs.

This session is about the bones of the garden and covers early-season preparation; the planting of the first crops, seeds, and plugs; establishing larger plants; and laying out tuteurs and pots. Learn about soil preparation and how to implement a design that will evolve long into the summer and autumn.

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, May 29, 2021

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

Gardening with Herbs

There’s something powerful about herbs; whether it’s their scent, taste, or long therapeutic history, growing them successfully at home is especially fulfilling. Herbs also lend something special to any garden design, particularly curly parsley, sage, basil, and rosemary. In this class, we’ll cover common herbs as well as the often-overlooked like chervil and chamomile. Join Irene Barber, HTR, horticulturist and Horticultural Therapist, in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses to learn more about using herbs in garden design as well as tips for management, harvest, and recipe ideas.

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 5, 2021 @ 2–4 p.m

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

Plant ID in the Garden: Shade Garden Perennials

For shade gardens, a wide variety of planting options exist featuring amazing texture, foliar color, and bright floral accents. In fact, some of the most fragrant flowers prefer the cooler temperatures shade offers. CMBG’s Dan Robarts, horticulturist and grower, and Andy Brand, Curator of Living Collections, will take you through our extensive shade gardens, pointing out the classics as well as the unusual perennials, their characteristics, habits, and cultural preferences. Come with your curiosity and leave inspired!

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: Dan Robarts
Price: $25 / $32

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