Garden Classes in Chicago, IL

Do your part to keep bees and other pollinators busy this summer. Bees, butterflies, and other insects play a crucial role in both nature and in agriculture through the process of pollination. They pollinate everything from the flowers outside our window to the food we put on the table. According to the USDA, one third of all agricultural output in...

Come and join us and learn how to create you own Terrarium! You will learn how a terrarium works! How these self-contained ecosystems survive so well on their own and how to look after them. We will help you guys to get your hands in there and build your own! We will supply you with all the plants you need and an arrangement of pebbles and...

Today’s pruning of your trees and shrubs will define how they grow for years to come. Learn which cuts to avoid, which cuts are essential, and which cuts area matter of your personal style. Class size is limited.

Capture the graceful curve of an unfolding bud, the surprise of new leaves, or the lightness of a cloud through Ikebana -- the art of Japanese flower arranging. The instructors will demonstrate several techniques and then help you create your favorite version. All plant materials will be collected fresh from the Arboretum grounds. Each student will...

Do you admire those fabulous hanging baskets you see at the Chicago Botanic Garden? Learn some tricks of the trade during a discussion of different styles, materials, and plant ideas. Maintenance tips will also be discussed. Each student will plant their own wire and moss hanging basket to enjoy at home. Please bring gloves.

The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of home-grown vegetables. Discuss and practice how to get the most out of the growing season by adding cool season vegetables to your fall garden. Learn about variety selection, mulching, and extending the season. 

Grab a drink and get your hands dirty in this DIY houseplant workshop. Learn why houseplants are such great additions to your home. Find out which types of plant might be right for you and how to care for it so it keeps you company for years to come. Then assemble your own dish garden with a variety of small houseplants that you can take home. Decorate...

Most of us notice how gorgeous gardens are when the sun is shining, but how often do we see what they look like at night? Take an evening Garden walk to view and discuss night blooming plants and how to add them in your own garden. You might even catch some night pollinators in action.

Exuberant gardens overflowing with old-fashioned flowers come to mind when we think of cottage gardens. Shrub roses, foxgloves, poppies, forget-me-nots, hollyhocks, vegetables, and herbs all have a place. Discover bed and border designs and plant combinations that can help you get the look of an English-style cottage garden.

Summer is the best time to work on your tropical bonsai trees. This comprehensive workshop will cover all aspects of tropical tree care, styles, grafting, air layering, and soil types. Bring your trees in for critique, styling, and repotting, and set a course for the future of your bonsai tree.

The term “flower essence” is frequently interchanged for “flower remedy”: an unscented, herbal infusion made from the flowering part of a plant. See flowers (and archetypes) in a whole new way, exploring botanical family, form and gesture, color, geometry, fragrance, texture, taste, seasonal and daily cycles, relationship to the environment,...

This workshop will help you get your tree and display ready to show at the Garden’s August bonsai exhibition. With each stage of development in bonsai, different techniques are needed to increase the refinement of your tree. Focus on detail wiring, refinement, and basics of bonsai display. Bring your tree, stand, scroll, and accent plants to build...

Learn the how and why of saving seeds for thrifty gardening and farming, biodiversity preservation, and food sovereignty. In this course, you will receive open-pollinated seeds to take home with you as well as information to help you feel confident saving seeds for future farm and garden seasons.

Take a Garden walk to view the Garden’s fall containers. Then create a cool-season mixed container with a variety of plants suitable for a full-sun or partial-shade location. Your container may include annuals, perennials, herbs, decorative foliage, cool-season vegetables, ornamental grasses, a decorative vine, and gourds.  Please bring gl...

A thorough one-day experience for those who wish to learn all the fundamentals of bonsai.The class includes the basic principles of successfully growing, maintaining and styling your bonsai, both for outdoors and indoors. Demonstration and hands-on experience with individual instruction to help students create their own bonsai. Fee includes instruction,...