Chicago Botanic Garden Classes, Chicago

Studies have shown that there is a fresh incentive to hone in on manual architectural skills and bring the use of hand rendering and hand drawing back to life.  There are conceptual and aesthetic qualities that software can neither equal nor replace. This course will offer an introduction, guidance, and techniques for hand-rendering on three...

Lay down, close your eyes, and allow the powerful frequencies of the singing bowls accompanied by a vocalist support you in reaching a state of deep relaxation and rejuvenation. No previous experience, ability, skills, or beliefs, are required to participate. Please bring a yoga mat, pillow, and anything else you need to be comfortable. Dress for...

Explore the building blocks to create a vibrant summer landscape painting. You will learn to extract your vision from the landscape, beginning with black and white sketches and progressing to full color compositions.  Emphasis will be on color, composition, gesture, form, value, and line. Color mediums can include oil, acrylic, pastel, gouache,...

Why seek out short-lived flowers for your photographic images when leaves can be so much more interesting? Foliage plants exhibit design, texture, and pattern. Learn to work with light and focus to create dramatic photos. DSLR camera (no phones); tripod and close-focusing lens strongly suggested.

Using the beautiful Georgia O’Keeffe flower paintings as a template, broken and cut art glass will be glued to an acrylic panel to form a realistic or abstract version of an O’Keeffe flower. This process takes into consideration color, shape, and shading using gorgeous transparent glass as the medium. All supplies are included.

Capturing a digital photograph is just one step in a multi-step process called the digital workflow, which is essential to managing and retrieving your photos. Learn methods of importing, storing, organizing, editing, and final polishing of images. Image sizing, card formatting, understanding the differences between web and print file types, and...

Vegetable gardens can be functional and attractive. Discover ways to take your edible garden up a notch with design ideas for planting vegetables and herbs in ornamental ways. Afterwards, we will stroll through the Fruit & Vegetable Garden for more ideas. Dress for the weather.

Explore the art of creating natural print design on fabric with flowers collected from the Chicago Botanic Garden. All levels welcome. All materials included. 

Are you interested in experimenting with a plant-forward diet but are not sure where to begin? In this demonstration cooking class, you will learn to incorporate delicious, satisfying vegan meals into your menu planning. You will get information on plant-based sources of protein, such as beans, lentils, and tofu, as well as tips for working with...

Join Justin LeBlanc, fashion professor at Columbia College Chicago, Project Runway alumnus, and former intern for the couture fashion house Alexander McQueen, to explore and learn the art of 3D floral embroidery. You will find floral inspiration from the Chicago Botanic Garden and translate it to an embroidery masterpiece. Each week, we will design...

There are 28 gardens and four natural areas within the 385 acres of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Join our horticulturists for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Garden areas they oversee. Explore plant varieties and combinations, design elements, garden features, and fun stories as you soak up a wealth of knowledge from years of experience working in...

Learn how to welcome pollinators to your home with a diverse array of flowering annuals that will also give you season-long color. Then prepare a warm-season mixed container suitable for a sun or partial shade location. Please bring gloves.

Cutting in butter is a mixing method in which you gradually break down large pieces of butter into your dry ingredients. This technique reduces gluten development and leads to flakier, more tender baked goods. You will learn how properly cut in butter, laminate pastry, and roll dough. Samples of sweet cream cheese turnovers, buttermilk biscuits,...

Apply knowledge and skills developed in previous design courses to basic grading and drainage concepts as they relate to design. Acquire a critical understanding of key earth forms and drainage patterns in residential landscapes through active discussions and hands-on projects.  Prerequisites:  Graphics Introduction to Professional...

Along every street are fleeting moments waiting to be captured to create intriguing images. Explore and analyze the various methods used by some of the best known street photographers and put those techniques to work using your own perspective. Discover backgrounds, lighting, shadows, subject framing, and much more.