Early Spring Brunch Delights

May 3 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

What’s a better way to bask in Spring than to enjoy the early season veggies and herbs! In this brunch-themed workshop we’ll be going over the steps of how to make a flavorful quiche that will be a staple for any brunch event!

Moon and Moonlight Photography

June 3 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 
Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park

Learn how to take photos of the moon and of the moonlight landscape. Use a camera phone or a digital camera. Don will discuss the use of tripods and other tools that can help one achieve beautiful photos in low light. The online class session will cover these tool and techniques for achieving captivating images of the moon. The in person session will give you the opportunity to try your hand at moonlight photography with supported help. 

Weedy Plant Wander

June 12 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Mellon Park, outside Phipps Garden Center

Join community herbalist and permaculture garden designer Therese Robbins of Heart Beet Herbals on a plant tour of Mellon Park. We will meet and interact with some medicinal, edible, and native plants and discuss their medicinal, culinary, or horticultural uses. There will be many opportunities to ask questions. This class will take place outdoors and will include some walking. Please wear walking shoes and feel free to bring a water bottle, notepad, and weather protection. 

Organic Pest Management for the Vegetable Garden

June 12 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. 
Mellon Park, outside Phipps Garden Center

Pests can destroy your vegetables and your morale, but with the right tools and preparation you can learn to prevent or combat these pests. Learn the principles of integrated pest management as it applies to the backyard garden, including scouting, proper identification, cultural and chemical management. Come away with practical strategies that will keep your plants and produce healthy.

Elective in the Ecological Gardening program

Weed Identification

June 17 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park

Need help identifying other plants growing in your garden? Whether its purslane, lambs quarter or another plant, this class will help you identify what’s growing in your garden, how to manage them, and some of their useful properties!

Shinrin Yoku Forest Therapy Walk

June 21 | 1 – 3 p.m. 
Frick Environmental Center

Come join Forest Awakenings for a relaxing nature retreat shaped by the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku. Join this shortened version of our popular forest therapy walk, where we’ll slow down and connect with the More Than Human World in a deeper, more intimate way. Following a research-based process, we’ll get in touch with our bodies and our place in the living fabric of life.

The Forager's Garden: Restorative Raspberries

July 8 | 6 – 8 p.m. 
Homewood- Brushton YMCA

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) not only provide a tasty berry to add to smoothies or eat right off the bush, they are also a beloved plant for foragers, herbalists or gardeners alike. Join us for this in-depth workshop to learn about the different ways raspberry fruits and leaves can be used in herbal kitchen concoctions! Come ready to sample a couple raspberry themed goodies.

Plant Based Summer Dining Series: Smokey BBQ Bean Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

July 9 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Live webinar presented through Zoom

Join Chef Emily on zoom for this season's virtual cook along series! This summer we're whipping up vibrant and flavorful dishes that are both plant-based and gluten free friendly! Whether you're a seasoned chef or new to plant-based cuisine, Chef Emily will guide you through each recipe step by step. This series is designed to cook along from home! You're also welcome to enjoy the show and try the recipes on your own another time! We'll start this series crafting a hearty, smokey-flavored bean burger paired with crispy sweet potato fries.

This series is plant based, vegan friendly and gluten free.

How to Digitally Capture Your Garden Nightlife

July 9 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 
Live webinar presented through Zoom

The garden from dusk to dawn is full of life that you may never have seen! Learn how to capture lowlight images and videos of the wildlife in your garden and backyard as well as nighttime sounds such as cicadas and frogs. We’ll explore many easy to learn techniques using cameras, smartphones, trail cams, and ultraviolet flashlights to capture the unseen wildlife around your home and to share it with others. A fun class for both kids and grown-ups with no previous experience necessary.

Elective in the Ecological Gardening and Landscape Design programs. Approved for 2.0 CEUs for landscape architects by LA CES.

Plant Based Summer Dining Series: Crispy Tofu and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Watermelon Salad

July 16 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Live webinar presented through Zoom

Join Chef Emily on zoom for this season's virtual cook along series! This summer we're whipping up vibrant and flavorful dishes that are both plant-based and gluten free friendly! Whether you're a seasoned chef or new to plant-based cuisine, Chef Emily will guide you through each recipe step by step. This series is designed to cook along from home! You're also welcome to enjoy the show and try the recipes on your own another time! Come back week two for crispy tofu and eggplant lettuce wraps, complemented by a spicy watermelon salad!

This series is plant based, vegan friendly and gluten free.

Native Gardening for Moths

July 21 | 7 – 8:30 p.m. 
Live webinar presented through Zoom

Of all the insects that visit our gardens and their flowers, the Order Lepidoptera is probably the most alluring. But gardeners likely only notice a tiny chunk of the vast diversity in this group, which includes butterflies and moths. While butterflies constitute only a tiny percentage of the Lepidoptera, these showy day-fliers steal the limelight as they are easy to observe. Mountains of literature on butterflies and how to garden for them exist, but their largely nocturnal counterparts the moths get short shrift. In North America, moth species far outnumber those of butterflies. Many of our native plants co-evolved with moths and are especially alluring to these fascinating creatures of the night. Having lots of moths about really amps up the ecological productivity of your property, as their caterpillars are an incredibly important part of the food chain, especially for birds. This talk will delve into the fascinating world of nocturnal pollination, and the beautiful plants that drive moth-rich ecological webs.

Elective in the Ecological Gardening program. Approved for 1.5 CEUs for landscape architects by LA CES.

Plant Based Summer Dining Series: Summer Goddess Glow Bowl with Creamy Herbed Dressing

July 24 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Live webinar presented through Zoom

Join Chef Emily on zoom for this season's virtual cook along series! This summer we're whipping up vibrant and flavorful dishes that are both plant-based and gluten free friendly! Whether you're a seasoned chef or new to plant-based cuisine, Chef Emily will guide you through each recipe step by step. This series is designed to cook along from home! You're also welcome to enjoy the show and try the recipes on your own another time! We'll wrap up the series with a summer goddess glow bowl, packed with seasonal ingredients, brown rice, poached vegetables, white beans and creamy herb dressing.

This series is plant based, vegan friendly and gluten free.

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The Basics of Composting and Soil Care

July 24 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Carnegie Library- Hazelwood

Great soil is the foundation to a healthy garden and great vegetables. Join us for this class as we go over the basics of soil care and the ways compost can support healthy soil so you can maximize your harvests!

Growing Fall and Winter Crops

Aug. 6 | 7 – 8:30 p.m. 
Live webinar presented through Zoom

Want to eat fresh from your garden even when it's cold? By adapting planting strategies used by farmers to grow year-round, you too can be harvesting crops in winter. Learn what can be planted for November harvests, how to overwinter for crops in late February and March, and how winter planting differs from other seasons. Fall clean-up and maximizing fall yields will also be mentioned.

Elective in the Ecological Gardening program

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Food Preservation Essentials: Dehydrating 101

Aug. 12 | 6 – 8 p.m.
Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Great soil is the foundation to a healthy garden and great vegetables. Join us for this class as we go over the basics of soil care and the ways compost can support healthy soil so you can maximize your harvests!

Seed Saving Workshop

Aug. 21 | 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Homewood- Brushton YMCA

Seed saving can be a cost effective and meaningful way to grow your favorite varieties every season while also sharing them with others to enjoy! Join us for this seed saving class to learn the basics of seed saving!

Weedy Plant Wander

Aug. 21 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Mellon Park, outside Phipps Garden Center

Join community herbalist and permaculture garden designer Therese Robbins of Heart Beet Herbals on a plant tour of Mellon Park. We will meet and interact with some medicinal, edible, and native plants and discuss their medicinal, culinary, or horticultural uses. There will be many opportunities to ask questions. This class will take place outdoors and will include some walking. Please wear walking shoes and feel free to bring a water bottle, notepad, and weather protection.