Stained-Glass Mosaic: Wonderland

Mon., May 18, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$40 members | $45 nonmembers | $25 material fee

This three-and-a-half-hour class will allow you to explore color and composition as you decorate a frame with colorful pre-broken glass and tile selection. This special themed edition of Mosaic Tile will include optional templates, including mushrooms, rabbits, flowers and more whimsical Wonderland themes to go along with Phipps' summer show. Join us for a fun night out and walk away with a unique piece inspired by Alice's Adventures, or get creative with a free-style composition. Mix and match pieces to see which best fit together as Debbie from Songbird Artistry teaches you how to make your own Mosaic tile for your home.

You will also learn how to grout your tile in class. Grouting supplies will be available to take home to be used later if you desire.

[Virtual + Garden Visit] British-Inspired Garden Design for PA Gardens

Thursdays, May 21 and 28; 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Garden visit: Sat., May 30; 10 a.m. – noon

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
Garden visit at private residence in Grove City
$85 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $94 nonmembers

Join UK-trained horticulturist and garden designer Julie Witmer for two intensive online sessions about how to adapt British-inspired plantings and garden design elements to your own garden.

Then for the third session on May 30th, join fellow students for an in-person, guided garden tour at Julie Witmer’s private one-acre garden, Havenwood, in Grove City, PA. Please plan to attend all three class sessions.

Macro Photography: Through the Looking Glass

Mon., June 1; 6 – 8 p.m.

Center for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory
$40 members | $45 nonmembers

Peer through the glass and learn how to photograph the miniature magical marvels that exist all around us. Learn how to turn lenses on their head to see the otherwise impossible. We'll explore macro photography tools such as extension tubes, close-focus filters, a split-diopter and even DIY tools that will make tiny creatures appear larger than life. Following a short demo we'll wander through Phipps together and use our talents (and cameras) to capture magnificent subjects with our newfound knowledge. Bring a camera, any macro equipment you already own, a tripod or monopod, and a sense of wonder and adventure.

Tea Cup Moss Garden

Tues., June 2; 6 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$30 members | $35 nonmembers | $35 material fee

“It’s always tea time”, says the Mad Hatter, or at least, time to make a tiny succulent garden in a tea cup. Participants will choose from an assortment of succulents to plant in a moss covered tea cup planter. Plant selection and care will be discussed.

A Mad Tea Party: Tea Based Mocktails from Alice's Garden

Fri., June 12; 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen
$65 members | $75 nonmembers

“At any rate I’ll never go there again!” said Alice as she picked her way through the wood. “It’s the stupidest tea party I ever was at in all my life!” Our tea party will be stupid – stupidly fun that is! Tea is great base for mocktails, and it’s a lot more versatile than you might think. In this hands-on class, you’ll learn about all the complex flavors tea can bring to your glass, from fruity to herbal to smoky. You’ll also make a fun ingredient to take with you, so you can make more drinks at home. Hanna will focus on the plants in the glass, and Drew will provide drink making tips and tricks. Don’t be late for this very important date!

Language of Flowers

Wed., June 17; 6 – 7 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$13 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $14.50 nonmembers

Flowers are beautiful, often fragrant and always appreciated. But did you know that they can also speak volumes and convey very complex emotions. The Victorians used flowers to say many things that they may not have been able to say out loud. Come explore the Language of Flowers and learn how you too can express your emotions without saying a word.

Alice in Wonderland Paper Lantern

Thurs., June 18; 6 – 8:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$25 members | $30 nonmembers | $20 material fee

A four-sided lantern that is illuminated with a battery-operated candle. Choose from various Alice in Wonderland templates to cut out for this project. Perfect for beginner to advanced paper artists.

Alice in Wonderland Dinner Party

Fri., June 19; 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen
$90 members | $100 nonmembers

Fall down the rabbit hole and into Botany Hall Kitchen for an evening of curious flavors and playful surprises at our Alice in Wonderland Dinner! Chef Emily Larsen will prepare a whimsical menu featuring unexpected bites and tasty surprises. Wonderland-inspired attire is not required but strongly encouraged! We invite you to come dressed the part with bold colors, playful accessories or a hint of storybook flair! On the menu we have “eat me” petit fours, savory tarts, fruit sandos, and a jeweled radish terrine also with a “drink me” sparkling color-changing mocktail for sipping!

A Musical and Literary After Hours Tour of Phipps

Sun., June 28; 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
$26 members | $30 nonmembers

Join TV Correspondent Boaz Frankel and musician Sharon Steele on an immersive after-hours tour of the conservatory. Which summer blooms inspired William Shakespeare and Jane Austen? How did gardens inform the music of Schubert and Debussy? Through theatrical readings and live musical performances, we'll discover how plants inspired centuries of culture.

Mad Hatter Tea Party: Curious Tea Creations

Mon., July 6; 6 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$30 members | $36 nonmembers | $25 material fee

Do you like sipping tea, but don't know where to start? Come and be entertained at a tea party that celebrates locally grown delicious herbs that will help support your mind, body and spirit! Find tasty ways to cultivate creativity, curiosity and confidence. Hone your intuition as you blend herbs, creating unique and special tea blends. Participants will mix up a personalized tea blend to bring home. Wear a fun and funky hat to get into the spirit!

Off With Their Heads! Deadheading and Other Gardening Tasks Done Right

Tues., July 7; 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Botany Hall Lecture at Phipps Conservatory
$25 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $30 nonmembers

There are many tactics that professional horticulturists use to keep gardens healthy and looking their best. Learn the best practices for various gardening tasks from Phipps Outdoor Display Manager, Jess Horenstein. This course will cover deadheading, when to do it and why; as well as when to skip it all together. Other garden care methods such as proper garden clean up, mulching and weeding strategies will be covered. Learn ways to keep your garden healthy, beautiful and wildlife friendly.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Exploring Teas through Fantasy

Mon., July 13; 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$25 members | $30 nonmembers | $25 material fee

Alice famously drinks a potion to shrink down to wonderland size, and we're still working on the exact blend of herbs she used to get there, but in the meantime, come learn about herbs for fantasy. We'll share folk lore and stories about herbs for courage, mischief, trickery and triumph. Herbs are magic and today we'll be a part of that magic. Participants will mix up a personalized tea blend to bring home.

Growing Your Own Tea Garden

Tues., July 21; 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$25 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $30 nonmembers | $10 optional material fee

A kitchen garden often contains all the herbs you'd need to flavor your favorite dishes- and in a tea garden you get to grow your favorite herbs to blend in to delicious, relaxing beverages that will last you the whole year. Tea gardens are attractive and easy to start. Many of the plants are perennials and have gorgeous flowers throughout the season so you'll get the added medicine of relaxing in nature as you tend your plants. Michelle Soto from Cutting Root Farm has 12 years' experience growing tasty and medicinal plants in Butler PA so come with queries and questions about what you'll want to grow!

[Virtual] Paint the Roses Red: Crafting with Roses

Wed., July 22; 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$15 members | $20 nonmembers

Crafting with flowers is good for you! Studies show that creative activities help lower stress and boost feel-good chemicals in the brain. For centuries, people have crafted with roses, transforming their beauty into keepsakes that preserve special memories.

Discover how to turn fresh or dried roses into modern potpourri, delicate rose petal beads, natural dyes, botanical handmade paper, and more.

Candles at the Conservatory: Scents from Wonderland

Fri., July 24; 7 – 9:30 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen at Phipps Conservatory
$45 members | $50 nonmembers

Join us for a night of candle-making at Phipps Conservatory. You will learn how to make your very own candle, picking from several PGH Candle scents, all curated specifically to transport you to the whimsical world of Wonderland. With scents like Apothecary or White Copal and Bergamot , there will be plenty of fun options to customize your candle. Decorate your candle with flowers, cats, rabbits and more fun Alice imagery. Kayla will also teach us how to reuse and repurpose your candle jar. While your candle is setting, explore the conservatory at your leisure and pick up your candle on your way out. At the end of the night, you will have a customized soy candle and care card, with a burn time of up to 60 hours.

[Virtual] A Sustainable Rose Garden

Thurs., Aug. 6; 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$25 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $30 nonmembers

This lecture highlights all of the sustainable methods used to inform the recent redesign of the Rose Garden at Brookside Gardens, a 55-acre public garden in Wheaton, MD. Learn about heirloom roses, the importance of a diversified plant palette, and IPM techniques that are crucial to practice when keeping an organic rose garden.

Drink me! Curiouser Cocktails from Alice's Wonderland

Fri., Aug. 7; 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$65 members | $75 nonmembers

While none of these drinks will make you shrink or grow (we don’t think), we can promise a lot of fun at this hands-on class focused on whimsical drinks inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland! We’ll be making and learning about cocktails with some magical twists: bright colors, unusual flavors, and drinks that aren’t quite wheat they seem. You’ll sample those unique cocktails while discovering the history and science in your glass. You’ll also make a fun ingredient to take with you, so you can make more cocktails at home! Hanna will focus on the plants in the glass, and Drew will handle the boozy side of things. Take a trip down the rabbit hole with us!

Pressed Flower Glass Magnets and Trinkets

Tues., Aug. 11; 6 – 8:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$35 members | $40 nonmembers | $45 material fee

Preserve flora, fauna, and your memories in glass! Make any 2: brooches (pins), magnets, or curious objects. Objects will be maximum 3 inches. You will learn how to cut sheet glass and foil the edges, although pre-cut glass shapes will be provided, along with all materials. Optional: students may bring their own poems, handwritten notes, paper collages, magazines, pictures, and thin materials like pressed dried flowers, feathers, or anything sentimental you would like in the glass. Items must be flat.

Mushroom ID Journaling and Foraging

Sat., Aug. 15; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Schenley Park Welcome Center
$18 members | $20 nonmembers | $15 material fee

Join us outside for a Saturday full of mushroom searching and sketching. Participants will learn to forage for mushrooms while learning the basics of starting a nature journal to log all your finds. This is where you will learn how to record your find and helpful identification markers for native PA mushrooms. This class emphasizes observation skills, sketching, basic ID and structure of mushrooms for personal records. We will also go over foraging safely. During this Mushroom walk we will be ID'ing any possible mushrooms that can be utilized in the papermaking and ink making process (if available and weather permitting,) with given handouts for at home DIY. Each budding beginner forager will receive a pocket sized journal to begin their mushroom records.

[Virtual] History of Victorian Gardens

Tuesdays, Aug. 18, 25 and Sept. 1; 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$75 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $83 nonmembers

The many advancements in manufacture and transportation during the Industrial Revolution ushered in significant changes in garden design and horticulture. Although named after the contemporary Queen of England, the Victorian style quickly became popular in the United States. From plants to production, discover how technology shaped the aesthetic desires of a growing portion of each population for their private, residential gardens and what vestiges of the style are evident today.