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March 19

Designing with Native Shrubs: Formal to Naturalized Applications

From ornamental to functional benefits, there are many opportunities to use native shrubs in any landscape. It's time to scratch privet off the shopping list and add New England native plants, northern bayberry or fragrant summersweet. In this online presentation, we'll see examples of various native shrubs and discuss their applications and plant combinations. Whether you're doing a formal garden perimeter or a wildlife habitat naturalizing project, we'll share management practices and plant selection to help you meet your design goals.

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Location: Online

Time: 4:00pm-5:30pm

Cost: $15–18

March 21

Form and Texture In Graphite 2

In a continuation of Form & Texture with Graphite Part I, students will further develop their understanding and application of graphite to more complex natural subjects. By using pineapples, pine cones, the interior of a pepper, and so on, students will develop their skills, including working on rendering different pigments in greyscale. Explore the tonal quality and textural differences between the papery skin of garlic and the deep, dark shine of an eggplant. Learn to translate multi-colored subjects into tonal values, all while maintaining form and perspective. This class will meet via Zoom from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on March 21 & 28 and April 4 & 11. Pre-requisite: Suggested as a continuation of Form and Texture with Graphite Part I. These classes are recorded and available for future viewing.

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Location: Online

Time: 9:30am-11:30am

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $145–165

March 21

Garden Design: Assess and Sketch

Whether designing a secret garden or an extensive wildflower garden, it's critical to evaluate, document, and sketch out a setting's existing details—built features, water movement, sun exposure throughout growing months, soil types, etc. This online session will help students develop longhand documentation and, more importantly, mark the assessed information, resulting in a visual diagram that provides a clearer understanding of any variables to consider. The more informed you are as a designer, the better a designer you'll be! We strongly recommend students have a scaled base plan before moving forward with this stage. Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Online

Time: 9:30am-12:30pm

Instructor: Cheryl Salatino

Cost: $36–46

March 21

Gardening Fundamentals: Plants & Practices

Growing plants can be truly fulfilling and enjoyable, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Gardeners learn by trial and error; however, it can be costly and frustrating. In this two-part online class, Dr. Sonja Birthesel will help you save money and increase gardening success with guidance and insight into horticulture. We'll provide practical information about sustainable garden practices, including an overview of plant biology, adaptation, habit, and cultivation. Class Level: Beginner-Intermediate

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Location: Online

Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm

Instructor: Sonja Birthisel, PhD

Cost: $20–46

March 26

Sowing and Growing Cut Flowers

Perhaps you love to cut and arrange flowers from your garden, but have you considered growing them from seed? In this class, you'll learn how to grow your favorites and new varieties from seed, including annuals, biennials, and perennials, from cut-flower grower and aficionado, Courtney Locke. As the grower, you'll get to nurture and manage the quality of your plants and save money. Plants grown from seed acclimate to your garden better than those grown elsewhere.

Class Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Location: Online

Time: 9:30am-12:00pm

Instructor: Courtney Locke

Cost: $15–36

March 30

Garden Design: Conceptual Planning

When we design a garden, we do much more than create a space to show off favorite flowers; we reflect personality and a sense of place, incorporating circulation, function, and design principles. Join us at the Gardens as we explore the conceptual process that awakens creativity and trains the brain to draw freehand while learning how to use graphic tools. We’ll practice with onsite spaces and have time for students to apply newfound skills to their projects. Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 9:30am-3:00pm

Instructor: Cheryl Salatino

Cost: $60–75

April 2

Staff Top 20 Erosion Control Plants

Staff horticulturists Jen Dunlap, Catherine Kaczor, and Lon Ames share their top 20 plants for erosion control in this online panel discussion. While these plants can be functional to support our soils, they are beautiful and can be utilized in combinations as ornamental as any traditional garden. Learn about the various heights, habits, and ideal environments.

Class Levels: All Levels

Location: Online

Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm

Instructor: Multiple Instructors

Cost: $15–28

April 4

Garden Design: Structure & Movement

Once conceptual ideas are narrowed down to one or two general schematics of our garden spaces, we can start shaping them with program and structure. Structure and movement consist of more than a row of shrubs, a fence, a path, or a wall at your property line – this is how you shape a space, create a sense of enclosure, and lead the eye to landscape destinations. This online lecture and demonstration will identify features and design principles captured initially on trace layers, ensuring pragmatic and inspirational functions in our gardens. Upon registration, students will receive a list of supplies recommended for the class and ongoing design projects. Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Online

Time: 9:30am-12:30pm

Instructor: Cheryl Salatino

Cost: $36–46

April 12

Soil Science for Gardeners

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

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Monique Bosch

Cost: $140–175

April 13

Garden Design: Its in the Layers

In this class hosted at the Gardens, we’ll look at the palette and plant choices that coordinate with the structure and movement of our design space(s), along with personal and environmental considerations. Using a base plan, we’ll focus on implementing the layers of details, from ground to canopy, onto layers of trace paper. By constructing your physical garden’s layers on layered drafts of trace paper, you can avoid becoming overwhelmed, and before you know it, your dream design is intact! Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 9:30am-3:00pm

Instructor: Cheryl Salatino

Cost: $60–75

April 18

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. Students can work in watercolor or colored pencil.

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Location: Online

Time: 9:30am-11:30am

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $230–260

April 23

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

Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm

Instructor: Lon Ames

Cost: $22–28

April 26

Fundamentals of Botany

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 hybrid class begins with basic plant anatomy, exploring how every aspect of the organism works together to sustain photosynthesis, respiration, and water and mineral uptake. Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Bryan Peterson

Cost: $140–175

April 27

Garden Design: Final Plan to Fruition

Whether you're working on a new garden design or revising an existing one, this class at the Gardens will address both the large-scale process and the detailed specifics of design. After a brief recap of the design process to ensure comprehension and strengthen the core intent of our designs, we'll address how to merge the layers of design details, ensuring legibility is maintained. Through a collaborative workshop, students will present their design projects, exchange constructive feedback, and discuss the means for making the design come to fruition. As the series final installment, students should come prepared with a design project they've been working on, no matter the stage. Upon registration, students will receive a list of supplies needed. Class Level: Intermediate

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 9:30am-3:00pm

Instructor: Multiple Instructors

Cost: $60–75

May 10

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

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Dan Robarts

Cost: $140–175

May 20

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!

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:00pm

Instructor: Erica Qualey

Cost: $295–325

May 21

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

Time: 9:30am-12:30pm

Instructor: Dan Jaffe-Wilder

Cost: $155–190

May 24

Trees of Maine: ID, Ecology & Management

Kick off Memorial Day weekend with this field-study class honoring our northeastern forests and learning more about their fragile ecosystems. Wabanahkik (Dawnland), the broader territory that includes the area now known as Maine, consists of a variety of climate conditions that host an assortment of deciduous and coniferous species valuable to thousands of living organisms. We'll discuss individual tree species, their ecological roles, and management practices that support the health of the living matrix. Class Level: All Levels

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 9:30am-9:30am

Instructor: Multiple Instructors

Cost: $15–34

June 6

Natural Communities of Maine

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

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Ted Elliman

Cost: $140–175

June 10

Wearable Art: Marquetry Jewelry with Polymer Clay

Build your own pin or pendant (or both) based on inspirations from the flowers and foliage in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. From observational drawing or photography, develop a simple flower or leaf design based on a color palette of your choosing. Employing Bonnie's signature marquetry techniques for surface design, and construct your pendant before making a pin back or pendant bale using wire and clay for a beautiful and fun finish. Basic polymer skills will be helpful but not required.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:30am-3:30pm

Instructor: Bonnie Bishoff

Cost: $295–325

June 21

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

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Irene Barber

Cost: $140–175

June 28

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

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 9:30am-3:00pm

Instructor: Gary Fish

Cost: $50–62

July 11

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

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Time: 9:30am-11:30am

Instructor: Deb Perkins

Cost: $62–75

July 15

Block Printing with Jordan Parks

Explore traditional block printing methods with a modern touch, which can be used anywhere, as a printing press is not required! Participants will leave the workshop understanding basic block printing techniques and multiple prints of their designs. We encourage students to use the gardens as inspiration and/or to bring ideas, sketches, or photographs from home. During this two-day workshop, you'll learn about the various tools and materials used in linoleum block printing, how to transfer ideas to sketches, and how to take those sketches from tracing paper to block and paper. No previous printmaking experience is required, but students with experience are also welcome.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-4:30pm

Instructor: Jordan Parks

Cost: $265–295

August 5

Art & Botany: Creating a Botanical Dissection Plate

Combining botany, design, and illustration, students will have the opportunity to create an artful botanical dissection plate during this two-day workshop. Botanical dissection plates have been around since the invention of the microscope and are realistic educational illustrations of plant anatomy. Participants will learn valuable techniques used by science illustrators, such as field sketching, plant dissection, and drawing from magnified plant specimens. Students will also learn how to use color and design to create eye-catching compositions. The workshop will take place both in the gardens and the classroom, where students will learn how to translate their knowledge into creative and visually appealing illustrations. This workshop will take a loose and artful approach to this typically technical and time-consuming process. All experience levels are welcome!

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 9:30am-4:00pm

Instructor: Joy Grannis

Cost: $275–310

August 14

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, Melissa Cullina, the Gardens’ Director of Plant Science & Collections, will help students recognize around fifty frequent coastal species. As a staff botanist, Melissa will cover plant identification skills, terminology, and botanical etymology. Through guided walks, both at the Gardens and a Boothbay Region Land Trust property, 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

Time: 9:30am-4:00pm

Instructor: Melissa Cullina

Cost: $175–205

August 19

Monotype Workshop with Suzanne Stokes

This two-day workshop will focus on how to create monoprints, which are one-of-a-kind prints where an image made with ink is transferred onto various papers. Unlike most printmaking techniques, which allow for multiple originals, monoprinting creates a single, unique image at a time. The beauty of this technique lies in its spontaneity and its allowance for combinations of printmaking, painting, and various mark-making methods that can be printed multiple times in a variety of ways. Open to all artistic and printmaking skill levels.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-4:30pm

Instructor: Suzanne Stokes

Cost: $295–325

August 30

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

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Andy Brand

Cost: $140–175

September 9

Mosaic Botanicals and Beach Finds

Make your own small sparkling mosaic wall piece (or two) in this two-day workshop. You will be provided with a variety of pre-cut shapes. Experiment with various types of glass, ceramic tile, beads, and shells. Add dyes and glitter to your grout for added sparkly, colorful texture. All levels are welcome.

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Location: Timber Frame

Time: 10:00am-4:30pm

Instructor: Caroline Davis

Cost: $185–215

September 17

Invasive Plants: Identification, Issues and 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

Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm

Instructor: Amanda Devine

Cost: $140–175

September 23

The Maine Forage: Five Days of Maine Forage Drawing with Mindy Lighthipe

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is filled with natural treasures waiting to be drawn and painted! Join Mindy Lighthipe for this fun five-day workshop as we focus on capturing wild Maine. From the beach to the woodlands, learn to draw forms and figures like shells, seaweed, woodland creatures, mushrooms and more in graphite, and then transpose into full-color illustration. On the last day, we will take all our sketches and drawings and create a coastal Maine original composition. All levels are welcome. Get the best value by signing up for all five classes. For those who can't attend all five, you may sign up for individual days.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $585–615

September 23

The Maine Forage: All Things Beachy in Graphite, Day 1

Bring your beach-combed treasures or borrow from our collection as we investigate shells, seaweed, crab claws, horseshoe crabs, and more through form and shading. On day one, we will draw with graphite.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $125–145

September 24

The Maine Forage: All Things Beachy in Color, Day 2

Bring your beach-combed treasures or borrow from our collection as we investigate shells, seaweed, crab claws, horseshoe crabs, and more! For day two, we will draw and paint in color using colored pencils, watercolor, and gauche! Students choose their medium. All experience levels are welcome!

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $125–145

September 25

The Maine Forage: Woodlands in Graphite, Day 3

From woodland creatures to forest floor treasures of Maine, students will study specimens and photographs and render them in graphite. We'll explore the fur textures of the red squirrel, mushrooms in leaf litter, twigs, acorns, and more! All experience levels are welcome.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $125–145

September 26

The Maine Forage: Woodlands in Color, Day 4

From woodland creatures to forest floor treasures of Maine, students will study specimens and photographs and render them in the color medium of their choice. Starting with graphite drawings and learning to transfer to full-color illustrations, we'll explore the fur textures of the red squirrel, mushrooms in leaf litter, twigs, acorns, and more! All experience levels are welcome.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $125–145

September 27

The Maine Forage: Grand Finale, Day 5

Day five is the culmination of five days of exploration through Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Combining shells, leaves, and forest friends, we'll create an original composition. Students can use the medium of their choice, either in graphite or color. All experience levels are welcome!

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Mindy Lighthipe

Cost: $125–145

October 9

Encaustic Critters with Hélène Farrar

This is a unique opportunity to work with wood and the ancient medium of encaustic in creating a "critter" in the form of a relief wall piece! Whether a chipmunk, baby barred owl, or hedgehog is your critter of choice, we'll explore forms on board and then learn to cut with a jigsaw to establish wings, feet, and other creative design elements. Students will be introduced to the molten beeswax paint to create a rich surface for their critter.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm

Instructor: Hélène Farrar

Cost: $295–325

October 15

Painting the Autumn Gardens with Pastels

Be inspired by the brilliant colors of autumn and beautiful gardens in this two-day pastel workshop. Geared for all levels of experience, this course will introduce beginning artists to pastels with pure pigments that offer the perfect complement to the colorful bounty of nature. For experienced painters, the course offers techniques to create painterly works with bold color and mark-making. Diana combines demonstrations with one-on-one attention and encouragement at the easel. Using fun exercises, participants will learn how to use color and value selection, simplified compositions, and mark-making to create expressive garden and landscape paintings. Participants will have plenty of time to paint and complete fully developed paintings.

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Location: Bosarge Family Education Center

Time: 10:00am-4:00pm

Instructor: Diana Rogers

Cost: $265–295

October 25

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

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Time: 9:30am-2:30pm

Instructor: Multiple Instructors

Cost: $160–190