Chicago Botanic Garden Fall 2019

Prairie Flowers for the Home Garden If you have a sunny spot in your garden, you can create a butterfly and pollinator habitat with many native prairie plants. This class will look at a dozen easy-to-grow natives and native cultivars that provide bloom from early summer through fall. This class is offered in partnership with Harper College, Lifelong Learning. Nina Koziol, garden writer $32/$40 | Classroom 5, Learning Center Saturday, November 9, 10 a.m. – noon Holiday Lighting Techniques Do you wish that your outdoor holiday lights could be spectacular? Explore techniques to decorate trees and shrubs with lights. Learn to estimate equipment and time, install the lights, and maintain a beautiful show. A portion of the class will consist of outdoor demonstration. Dress for the weather. Heather Sherwood, senior horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $32/$40 | Classroom 8, Learning Center Tuesday, November 12, 6 – 8 p.m. Forcing Bulbs for Indoor Color To add a breath of spring to your home this winter, discover proper techniques for forcing bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and minor bulbs. You will learn to choose varieties that are good performers and to combine them in one pot for a mini-garden effect. You will then pot up some bulbs to take home. This class is offered in partnership with Harper College, Lifelong Learning. William Moss, horticulture educator $42/$53 | Classroom 5, Learning Center Saturday, November 16, 9 – 11 a.m. New! Reindeer Staghorn Fern Workshop Staghorn fern mounts are easy to care for and make beautiful and creative additions to your home, especially for the holidays! Mount your own staghorn fern, mimicking reindeer antlers, onto a rustic wooden board with moss and soil. Leave class with a completed mount and knowledge of basic care to keep them happy for years to come. Please bring gloves. Tim Pollak, outdoor floriculturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $71/$89 | Classroom 5, Learning Center Tuesday, November 19, 6 – 8 p.m. Holiday Dish Gardens Dish gardens, miniature landscapes grown in shallow containers, can be used as living centerpieces throughout the year. Learn about containers, materials, proper plant selection, seasonal color schemes, and how to incorpo- rate different themes. Then create your own beautiful, functional dish garden. Please bring an apron, gloves, trowel, and hand pruners. Tim Pollak, outdoor floriculturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $71/$89 | Classroom 4, Learning Center Monday, December 2, 6 – 8 p.m. Winter Containers at the Garden Explore the winter containers at the Garden and learn ways to extend your own contain- ers into the winter season. Then prepare a container with fresh-cut evergreen boughs and berried or brightly colored branches. Please bring gloves and pruners. Kathryn Deery, Chicago Botanic Garden $71.20/$89 | Classroom 4, Learning Center Tuesday, December 3, 10 a.m. – noon or 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. New! Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation Workshop The shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia that is used in many dishes across the world. Explore the history and various methods of shiitake mushroom cultivation. Each student will create and leave with their own inoculated oak log that will produce shiitake mushrooms for years to come. Moira O’Keefe, wild mushroom expert $42/$53 | Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center Saturday, December 7, noon – 2 p.m. Introduction to Beekeeping Learn all the basics needed to start keeping bees. This includes what to expect, how to put together equipment, how to get bees in your hive, finding the queen, feeding, what to look for after the bees are installed, and seasonal chores. Wil Pilipauskas, head beekeeper, Willie’s Honey Company $57/$72 | Classroom 2, Learning Center Sunday, December 8, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Backstage Pass: Winter Floral Wonders In the colder months, the Garden’s Green- houses brim with poinsettias and other holiday plants of many hues. Learn about propagation techniques, greenhouse environmental and computer systems, watering and fertilizing equipment, and how the growing space is managed throughout the year. Tim Pollak, outdoor floriculturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $32/$40 | Meet at the Production Greenhouses Saturday, December 14, 9 – 11 a.m.