Upcoming Classes
Discovery Field Trips | HollyDay Magic | Southern Institute of Photography | Summer Camps at The Gardens
Floral Design 101
Instructor: Hank Ponder
Thursdays: September 9, 16, 23 & October 7 | 6-8 p.m.
$130 Members / $156 Non-members
Experience the joy and satisfaction of floral design. This course will introduce you to trusted techniques and styles commonly used by floral design professionals. Learn how to make long-lasting arrangements using the basic shapes, preparation techniques, and styles of floral design. Participants will need to bring scissors, knife and clippers. All other materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required.
Making a Down Under Pot II
Instructor: Hope Long
Saturday, September 11 | 10 a.m.-Noon
$30 Members / $36 Non-members
Join Master Gardener Hope Long to create your own ceramic upside-down planter. We will provide you with a bisque planter and paints and you get to create your own masterpiece. Don’t worry if you are not the "creative type," if you can hold a brush in your hand, you can do this project! We will have many different paints for you to choose from. Once finished, we will fire your planter for you. All materials are provided. Limited spaces available.
Introduction to Birding
Instructor: Greg Harber, Birmingham Audubon Society
Mondays: September 13, 20, 27 & October 4, 11, 18 |
6-8 p.m.
$150
Alabama is home to a wide variety of birds – more than 400 species to be precise! Watching birds is a fascinating endeavor, full of wonder and surprise. You'll learn how to select and use field guides and binoculars, as well as how to identify birds through the use of field marks, behavior, song and habitat. We'll review the various bird families and learn the characteristics of each species. Expect weekend field trips to local hotspots.
Salon Talk: Brandywine Valley Tour
Instructor: Fred Spicer
Thursday, September 16 | 6-8 p.m.
Free for Members / $15 Non-members
Did you miss our trip to the glorious Brandywine Valley this spring? No worries! This is your opportunity to enjoy the famous gardens of this epicenter of garden-making, armchair-style. Join us as Executive Director Fred Spicer takes us back to see the highlights of our May visit to Mt. Cuba Center, Winterthur House and Garden, Longwood Gardens, Chanticleer and exclusive private gardens, including Renny Reynolds' Hortulus Farm. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Glass Fused Jewelry
You design it, we fire it
Instructor: Deborah Ballog
Saturday, September 25 | 9 a.m.-Noon
$60 Members / $75 Non-members
Join artist Deborah Ballog to learn how to make glass fused jewelry! In this fun glass class, you'll be given all the components you need to create unique glass necklaces, earrings, pins, cufflinks or key chains. You will have plenty of time to make a number of projects to keep or to give as gifts. You have all the fun and we do all the work! No experience required.
Lawn Care: Fall Maintenance for Homeowners
Lunch & Learn
Instructor: Fred Kapp
Thursday, October 7 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
$12 Members / $15 Non-members
Ensure a healthy and uniform lawn next spring by preparing your soil and turf grass this fall. We'll cover techniques such as aerating, watering, fertilizing and how to control insects and diseases. The concept of integrated pest management, the methods of environmentally safe lawn care and the equipment needed will be presented. Bring your lunch and learn.
Contain Yourself!
Fall Container Gardening
Thursday, October 7 |
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Instructor: Ellen Riley, Oak Street Garden Shop Designer
$12 Members / $15 Non-Members
Celebrate autumn's arrival with a fresh take on containers. Learn how to put together a wonderful array of planters to showcase the best flowers and foliage for fall. Ellen Riley, former garden editor for Southern Living, will highlight assorted color palettes and use a variety of materials to take your pots from fall all the way through the holidays. Bring your gardening questions, ideas and creativity!
Grow, Create and Eat: Herbal Vinegars & Butters
Instructor: Wendy Ulrich
Saturday, October 9 | 10 a.m.-Noon
$20 Members / $25 Non-members
What a difference a sprig or two of fresh herbs can make to a plain ol' bottle of vinegar! Not only does it look nice, but the herbs add an enticing layer of flavor. In this workshop you will learn to make herbal vinegar and butter using fresh herbs from our garden or yours. Learn how to store and preserve your concoctions to spice up holiday entertaining, or even give it as a gift! Each participant will create their own flavor of vinegar and butter to take home.
From Plastic Wrap to Fabulous
Creating floral arrangements from the grocery store
Instructor: Hank Ponder
Thursday, October 21 | 6-8 p.m.
$20 Members / $25 Non-members
Never be embarrassed over your store bought floral bouquet again! Hank Ponder, floral designer for Artistic Concepts, will show you how to use store bought flowers to create a fresh and fragrant floral arrangements. Bring your own store bought bouquet and clippers.
Raising Urban Chickens
Instructor: Barbara Saurer
Saturday, October 23 | 10 a.m.-Noon
$15 Members / $18 Non-members
Back by popular demand! Are you interested in keeping chickens in your backyard? Raising chickens is a fun and exciting journey. Join Barbara Saurer in this introductory session on how to raise and keep chickens in urban and suburban environments. Learn about the benefits of chickens, hen selection, city ordinances and more.
Family Class: Let’s Create a Bird Buffet
Instructor: Helena Uber-Wamble, Education Director – Birmingham Audubon Society
Saturday, October 23 |
9-11 a.m.
$22 Adult Members, $12 Child Members / $27 Adult Non-members, $17 Child Non-members
Join us for the fun of preparing food fit for the birds! You will create several feeders and learn what natural foods in your yard can attract birds all year long. Participants will leave the class with at least three styles of feeders and the know-how of making great suet treats for the woodpeckers and birds in your backyard. Please note that there will be peanut butter used in several activity stations and that we will supply a separate table for those who have allergies. All materials will be provided. Please sign up early as space is limited.
Come Again...What Was That?
Translating botanical names for great results
Instructor: John Manion
Saturday, October 23 | 1-4 p.m.
$25 Members / $32 Non-members
Would you rather eat worms than deal with botanical names? Many people avoid the scientific names of plants because they are in a foreign language, and without an understanding of them, they can be intimidating and overwhelming. In this class, you'll learn how fascinating, enlightening and even humorous botanical names can be. For example, you'll learn names that mean mouse’s ears, eagle’s claws and donkey flatus, and about some of the intriguing people for whom many plants were named. You’ll be surprised how much you can discern about a plant merely by understanding its botanical name. Botanical nomenclature topics to be discussed will be their history, formatting, pronunciation, common prefixes and suffixes, recommended references, and much more! You'll leave ready to impress your friends with your ability to recite multi-syllabic words that they've never heard! Don't worry, there won't be an exam at the end! If time and weather allows, we'll step into the Gardens to try our newly-learned skills.
Class with Glass: Holiday Fused Ornaments
Instructor: Deborah Ballog
Saturday, November 6 | 9 a.m.-Noon
$60 Members / $75 Non-members
Deborah will teach you how to make your very own holiday ornaments that you can give as gifts or use to decorate your home for the holidays. All glass and materials will be provided. We'll help inspire you if you need it, or come up with your own one-of-a-kind design! You'll be amazed at how fun creating these beautiful creations is, even with no prior glass experience. Bring your friends and family and start a new holiday tradition!
Treasured Storytellers: Southern Turkey Tales
Greens & Get Togethers
Kathryn Tucker Windham & Dolores Hydock
Sunday, November 7 • 2-4 p.m. • Limited Seating
$25
HollyDay Magic
For children’s ages 5-11 years
Thursday, December 9 -or-
Friday, December 10 • 4-6 p.m.
$25 Members / $30 Non-Members
Click here to visit the HollyDay Magic web page.
Are you interested in teaching a class or do you have ideas about future educational offerings? Give Education Director Henry Hughes a call at 205.414.3951, or email him at hhughes@bbgardens.org.
