Questions?

For membership, please contact members@phipps.conservatory.org or call 412-315-0656.

For classes and programs, please contact edu@phipps.conservatory.org or call 412-622-6915, ext. 3925.

Rain Garden Walking Tour

Sat., May 9, 10 a.m. – noon

UpstreamPgh’s office, located at 321 Pennwood Ave, Pittsburgh PA, 15221
$25 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $30 nonmembers

Join UpstreamPgh and Phipps Conservatory for a rain garden tour in the Nine Mile Run Watershed! This year marks UpstreamPgh’s 25th anniversary and to celebrate, we’re taking a tour of past projects that combined manage over 10,000,000 gallons of stormwater. We’ll visit a residential rain garden and public green stormwater sites to learn how this infrastructure promotes climate justice. We’ll discuss the types of plants that are best suited for rain gardens, steps you can take to help manage stormwater at your home, and UpstreamPgh's new Environmental Justice Watershed Plan.

Meet at UpstreamPgh’s office, located at 321 Pennwood Ave, Pittsburgh PA, 15221 before walking to our first stop. There is street parking available on Pennwood Ave and Todd Street, and the office is near the MLK East Busway and the 61A bus route. The total route will be about 1.5 miles. There is an opportunity to drive to the final location to reduce the walking distance. 

[Virtual] Mindfulness and Meditation Anywhere

Mon., May 11, 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$5 members | $10 nonmembers

Feel like you don't have time to be present? Think again.

Join us for a class focused on bringing mindfulness into your everyday life, no matter how busy it gets. We'll explore practical techniques for finding moments of calm and peace in unexpected places—whether you're on your commute, waiting in line, or simply taking a break at home. Learn how to pause, reflect, and find your inner peace anytime, anywhere.

Right Plant, Right Place, Right Process

Tues., May 12, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

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

Many gardeners have heard of "right plant, right place," but far fewer know the ecological principles that underpin this adage. In this course, you will learn how plant life histories and strategies dictate where and how different species thrive (or not) and the right processes that help or hinder them. By implementing this knowledge in your garden, you can create more interesting, diverse, and beautiful spaces while saving yourself from unnecessary labor.

Mediterranean Meals: Fish and Legumes

Thurs., May 14, 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen
$75 members | $85 nonmembers

The Mediterranean Diet is celebrated as one of the world’s healthiest diets, known for supporting heart health, longevity, and reducing inflammation. Join Chef Erika Bruce in these hands-on cooking classes and learn how to use lean proteins, make plants the center of your plate, highlight whole grains and rethink seasonings. Chef Erika will also share tips complimentary to the Mediterranean lifestyle like mindful eating and the importance of a shared meal. Week One – Discover the essentials of the Mediterranean diet- it's health benefits, simple parameters, and delicious flavors. In this first class of the series, we’ll start strong with a French-inspired classic: Salmon and Lentils du Puy, paired with a vibrant spring salad, a meal that celebrates seasonal produce and the heart-healthy principles of the Mediterranean diet.

Mediterranean Meals: Veggies and Whole Grains

Thurs., May 21, 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen
$75 members | $85 nonmembers

The Mediterranean Diet is celebrated as one of the world’s healthiest diets, known for supporting heart health, longevity, and reducing inflammation. Join Chef Erika Bruce in these hands-on cooking classes and learn how to use lean proteins, make plants the center of your plate, highlight whole grains and rethink seasonings. Chef Erika will also share tips complimentary to the Mediterranean lifestyle like mindful eating and the importance of a shared meal. Week Two – Filling your plate with vegetables while feeling truly satisfied requires a combination of high-volume veggies, fiber-rich whole grains, and healthy fats. Learn about the many different whole grains out there, and how to best prepare them, while making Whole Grain Vegetable Bowls with a tangy tahini sauce.

Mediterranean Meals: Rethinking Seasoning

Thurs., May 28, 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen
$75 members | $85 nonmembers

The Mediterranean Diet is celebrated as one of the world’s healthiest diets, known for supporting heart health, longevity, and reducing inflammation. Join Chef Erika Bruce in these hands-on cooking classes and learn how to use lean proteins, make plants the center of your plate, highlight whole grains and rethink seasonings. Chef Erika will also share tips complimentary to the Mediterranean lifestyle like mindful eating and the importance of a shared meal. Week Three – You don’t need to rely on salt and unhealthy fats to develop robust flavors in a dish. By focusing on three key elements – adding brightness with acidity, freshness with herbs, and complexity with spices- we will create different varieties of tacos that are vibrant and good for you.

Secret History of Plants: Phipps After Hours Tour

Mon., June 8, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
$24 members | $28 nonmembers

Come get a private after-hours tour of the conservatory, when everyone else is gone. With this interactive, sun-down tour of the Conservatory, Boaz will encourage you to think about plants in an entirely new way. Plants aren’t just the building blocks of our gardens – they’re the source of food, medicine, housing, clothing, culture, and so much more! We’ll stroll through Phipps’ collection and discover how plant and human interactions have shaped our world in surprising ways.

A Love Letter to Yourself: A Self-Compassion Workshop

Mon., June 8, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$10 members | $15 nonmembers | $10 material fee

We’re experts at loving others, but when was the last time you were truly kind to yourself? Give yourself the space to reconnect within and become your own best friend. Join us for an evening dedicated to self-compassion and renewal.

The heart of this workshop is the creation of a beautiful, handwritten love letter to yourself. Through gentle movement and calming breathwork, we will quiet the inner critic and help you rediscover your own worth. Supplies will be provided but please feel free to bring a journal for any reflections. It’s time to celebrate the person you are.

Taste of Panama

Wed., June 10, 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen
$75 members | $85 nonmembers

We’re celebrating Phipps Conservatory’s new Tropical Forest Panama exhibit with new Panamanian Cuisine classes in Botany Hall Kitchen with Chef Rachel Homan! In this hands-on class we’ll whip up some traditional Panamanian dishes including chicken and vegetable tamales, ensalata de auguacate y tomate and a secco sour for sipping. Learn not only how to cook these delicious items but the significance behind the ingredients used and the history of each dish.

Knotweed Papermaking

Wed., June 10, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$30 members | $35 nonmembers | $15 material fee

In this class, you will get hands-on with the texture, natural color, and unpredictability of Japanese Knotweed paper pulp.

Make sheets of paper or even create three-dimensional works from knotweed pulp. From there, you can incorporate natural inclusions such as colored pulp, grasses, colored raffia, etc. to enhance your creations.

Horticycling: Using Site Materials as a Gardening Design and Habitat Focused Inspiration

Wed., June 10, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

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

This class focuses on using existing debris, plant stems, logs, stones, concrete, bricks, and branches to create ecological habitats, garden points of interest, and building soil without removing materials from the site. Design and plant selection will be discussed but site prep with sustainability and economics of materials will be the core of this class.

Summer Garden Sachets & Potpourri

Thurs., June 11, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$20 members | $25 nonmembers | $10 material fee

Celebrate the scents of summer by creating herbal sachets and potpourri using dried flowers and botanicals inspired by garden landscapes. Participants will explore fragrance, texture, and plant symbolism while learning how botanicals have traditionally been used to scent the home. This workshop offers a fresh, floral-forward approach distinct from winter-themed blends.

Wonderful Weeds: Herbal Plant ID

Tues., June 16, 6 – 8 p.m.

Botany Hall at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
$20 members | $24 nonmembers

Join community herbalist and permaculture garden designer Therese Robbins of Heart Beet Herbals LLC on a plant tour of the outdoor Phipps Conservatory Gardens. 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. Meet outside Botany Hall Lecture

Shinrin-yoku Walk

Sat., June 20, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
$18 members | $20 nonmembers

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.

[Virtual] Living with Flowers; Floral Design at Home - Summer Garden Series

Wednesdays, July 8 and 22, August 5 and 19, 7 – 8:15 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$95 members | $105 nonmembers

Have you ever purchased a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers and felt unsure on how to arrange them once you brought them home? Join Polly for a casual and informative weekly design session learning a variety of design techniques to develop your skills in garden vase design for pleasing results. The Summer Garden Series will focus on including locally grown seasonal garden flowers, as well as exploring local foraging options to add to your vase design. Students have the option to purchase their own fresh flowers to design along in class, or watch the recorded session and design afterwards. You will learn foliage basing skills, vase design styles, color theory, proper flower care, and tips for extending the vase life of your summer garden blooms.

Wonderful Weeds: Herbal Plant ID

Wed., July 8, 6 – 8 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$20 members | $24 nonmembers

Join community herbalist and permaculture garden designer Therese Robbins of Heart Beet Herbals LLC on a plant tour of the outdoor gardens 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. Meet outside Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park.

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.

Shinrin-yoku Walk

Sun., July 19, 1 – 3 p.m.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
$18 members | $20 nonmembers

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.

[Virtual] Vibrant Plant Forward Meals: Watermelon Poke Bowl

Tues., July 21, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$20 members | $25 nonmembers

Vegetables will take center stage in this three-part series, Vibrant Plant Forward Meals. Join us virtually with Chef Emily Larsen for approachable, crave-worthy dishes that highlight the summer season produce. Whether you’re fully plant-based or just looking to eat more veggies, this class will leave you well-fed and full of inspiration for making more plant-based meals right at home. We’ll start this series with a bright watermelon poke bowl full of flavor.

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!

Knotweed Papermaking

Wed., July 22, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$30 members | $35 nonmembers | $15 material fee

In this class, you will get hands-on with the texture, natural color, and unpredictability of Japanese Knotweed paper pulp.

Make sheets of paper or even create three-dimensional works from knotweed pulp. From there, you can incorporate natural inclusions such as colored pulp, grasses, colored raffia, etc. to enhance your creations.

[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.

Elevated Understory

Thurs., July 23, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

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

This class integrates design and ecology to help you create attractive understory plantings. These could be under front yard trees or shrubs or any areas of woodland edges. Gain inspiration for your own gardens that will look wonderful and add an important aspect of supporting wildlife.

[Virtual] Vibrant Plant Forward Meals: Curry Cauliflower Wings with Green Chutney

Tues., July 28, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$20 members | $25 nonmembers

Vegetables will take center stage in this three-part series, Vibrant Plant Forward Meals. Join us virtually with Chef Emily Larsen for approachable, crave-worthy dishes that highlight the summer season produce. Whether you’re fully plant-based or just looking to eat more veggies, this class will leave you well-fed and full of inspiration for making more plant-based meals right at home. For round two we’ll have curry cauliflower wings with a fresh made green chutney.

Summer Short Course: Saving Seeds

Tues., July 28 | 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Special Events Hall at Phipps Conservatory 
$95 member | $110 non-member before July 1
$105 member | $120 non-member, July 1 and after

Saving seeds is an ancient practice, but one which remains essential to preserving the genetic diversity in our landscapes. It’s also a great way to get a lot of free plants! Spend the day with Phipps and Penn State Extension learning the essential skills and rationale for saving seeds from edible, native and woody plants in our landscape.

Natural Dye Workshop: Fresh Flower Printing

Thurs., July 30, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

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

Join us for some fresh flower printing fun! Workshop participants will learn how to transfer flowers and leaves to cloth with hammers via the method sometimes referred to as hapazome or tataki-zome. Join us to make your own flower-printed scarf/bandana, cotton market tote, or pennant using a collection of fresh flowers from my dye garden + some additional materials. Transfer a bit of the summer abundance to your choice of material. Come out and join us for a little bit of magic and plant appreciation! Each participant will go home with their own custom made, unique, botanically printed organic cotton bandana, cotton market tote bag or cotton wall pennant!

[Virtual] Vibrant Plant Forward Meals: Crispy Bean Tostadas

Tues., Aug. 4, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Live class on Zoom
$20 members | $25 nonmembers

Vegetables will take center stage in this three-part series, Vibrant Plant Forward Meals. Join us virtually with Chef Emily Larsen for approachable, crave-worthy dishes that highlight the summer season produce. Whether you’re fully plant-based or just looking to eat more veggies, this class will leave you well-fed and full of inspiration for making more plant-based meals right at home. For round three of the series we’ll have Mexican inspired crispy bean tostadas.

[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.

Grass to Garden

Mon., Aug. 10, 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$20 members and Sustainable Landcare accredited professionals | $25 nonmembers

This class teaches you how to transform your lawn into a thriving garden. Learn various ways to remove your lawn without disrupting the existing soil structure or losing valuable nutrients. Match the best method of grass removal with the type of garden you want. Do you have dreams of a mini meadow? Just want more flower beds? Learn how to prepare your garden, then start selecting your plants.

Shinrin-yoku Walk

Sat., Aug. 15, 1 – 3 p.m.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
$18 members | $20 nonmembers

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.

[Virtual] History of Victorian Gardens

Tuesdays, August 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.

Eat Your Landscape: Designing Good-looking Landscapes that Give You Food

Wed., Aug. 19, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

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

In this class Chris Kosin from GaiaScape will explain how to incorporate edible trees, shrubs, perennials, and veggies into your yard without making it an eyesore. Learn how to make your garden not just beautiful with year-round interest but also a source of homegrown food. Whether you're improving your current garden or planning a new one, this class will show you how to add good-looking edible plants without upsetting your HOA.

Weaving Your Zen

Sat., Aug. 22, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park
$30 members | $35 nonmembers | $20 material fee

Find your Zen! We'll use the traditional basketweaving techniques of twining and twilling as a form of meditation, reducing stress and building mindfulness and focus. A perfect way to de-stress! Weaving with a combination of natural and hand-dyed reed, you'll leave class with a beautiful handmade twilled basket to keep for yourself or gift, and the skills to practice on your own.

Natural Dye Workshop: Fresh Indigo

Sat., Aug. 29, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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

Join us to get familiar with the incredible plant, Japanese Indigo (persicaria tinctoria.) Indigo has been used to dye textiles for thousands of years! We’ll get acquainted with fresh indigo plants and use the salt rub/mash method to dye one of your textiles. It’s such a fun, special process! We'll also learn how to hammer indigo leaves onto fabric. Each participant will go home with their own custom made, unique, fresh indigo dyed piece!