Garden Classes in Chicago, IL

Enjoy painting botanical illustrations in the super easy to learn and forgiving medium of gouache, also known as opaque watercolor. This class is designed for both inexperienced students and those who wish to improve their skills. We will cover basic as well as more advance gouache techniques to paint a beautiful flower in a style I like to call "soft...

Join Luludi Living Art's fun and interactive Terrarium Class where you will create your own mini living world.  You will be provided with all materials (succulents, glass, moss, colored pebbles and toy), guidance from an experienced instructor, and a neat little plant care card. A perfect activity to de-stress and introduce nature into your...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Farms and edible gardens are popping up on rooftops across the country. But rooftop spaces have their own unique challenges for soil maintenance, watering, crop management, installation, and more. Annie Novak, co-founder of Eagle Street Farm (pictured here), America's...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Container gardening know-how is in high demand. Learn how to create a container garden for your patio, terrace, or entryway that is at once functional and gorgeous—and discover techniques for ensuring that your plants thrive in all four seasons. 

This class will cover pruning Japanese upright maples (fan pruning), Japanese laceleaf maples (shell pruning), pruning pines (cloud pruning) and shearing masses of lower story plants. This lecture series is designed for those who work in landscape maintenance. Each lecture provides information on tools and techniques for quality pruning with better...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Fresh from the release of her new book, The Complete Book of Ferns, Mobee Weinstein- NYBG's Foreman of Gardeners for Outdoor Gardens-will show you how to choose the right species of ferns to group together into a lush, living arrangement. Become familiar with...

This two hour slideshow covers the three main forms of mal-pruning: tree topping, inappropriate shearing of trees and shrubs, and over-thinning. Then we compare and contrast mal-pruning with bona-fide examples of pruning art: pollarding, cloud pruning, topiary, pleaching, and coppicing. The class ends on a humorous note as slides are shown of "The...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Learn how native plants enhance gardens and augment biodiversity. Study native herbaceous and woody plants: their identification, habitat, and culture. Hear about the significance of woodland soils, and how to promote a healthy environment to support spring ephemerals,...

Autumn is a dynamic season in the garden.   Many plants are heading into dormancy, while others are in a period of active growth. Doing the right gardening tasks now can set the stage for next year's garden: adding new plants for seasonal interest or making changes to address problems observed over the past season. Some of the best things to...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Discover how to get the best from a large array of hydrangeas that can bloom multiple times. Find out how to make these rebloomers sing with later season color. Hint: Pruning isn't always the way to improve plant performance.

This slideshow describes the three most common forms of mal-pruning (tree topping, over-thinning of trees and shrubs, and inappropriate shearing) and how to fix trees and shrubs which have been mal-pruned. This is an advanced course and those attending should already be familiar with principles of selective pruning. Included is discussion of water-sprouts,...

Learn to identify some of Western Washington’s common native plants as well as pick up a few tips on plant identification in general! We’ll cover several different species of native plants as well as their growth preferences and how best to incorporate them into your garden or yard at home. This online class will be delivered using Zoom and will...

Don't let a lack of sun cast a shadow on your garden! Find out which plants thrive in shady conditions while bringing charm and color. You'll see how to expand your palette from reliable standards such as hosta and plant for architectural and textural interest across the spectrum of trees, vines, shrubs, and perennials.  Discover ways to improve...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Mushrooms have been utilized for thousands of years for medicinal and edible purposes. John Michelotti, owner of Catskill Fungi, will show you how to cultivate gourmet mushrooms at home using safe and simple techniques. Using cardboard and coffee grounds, create...

Terrace Gardening Workshop: Potting Mixes and Plant Nourishment - ONLINE Get the dirt on potting mixes! This session teaches you how to create the right blend of ingredients for your container plants. You'll leave with potting mix recipes for each type of plant and simple secrets for fertilizers, compost, and annual soil refreshers that will help...