Chicago Botanic Garden Spring 2020

Horticulture To register, visit chicagobotanic.org/education or call (847) 835-6801. 41 Adults-Only Campout Camping out under the stars is inspiring. Add in the beautiful natural setting of the Chicago Botanic Garden, and you have a campout that would make any kid jealous. Bring your camp- ing gear (or rent from us) and set up your tent (indoor accommodations are also available). Pack a picnic dinner to enjoy overlooking the North Lake or by the campfire. Then have some camping fun! Campers set their own schedules, choosing from a tram tour, making (and eating) s’mores, a bird walk, and more. Feel free to skip the activities and just enjoy the great outdoors. Welcome the morning with a continental breakfast provided by the Garden. Open to adults ages 21 and over. Please plan to spend the night, as the Garden is unable to accommodate evening-only participants. $65/$78 | Regenstein Learning Campus Friday, June 26, 5 p.m. – Saturday, June 27, 9 a.m. Tent Rental: $20 Horticulture Backstage: Production Greenhouses The Chicago Botanic Garden grows nearly a half-million plants every year. Take a behind- the-scenes tour of the greenhouses and nursery. Be the first to see the spring annuals for the 2020 display beds, hanging baskets, containers, and hanging hayracks, plus preview the fall chrysanthemum preparation. Tim Pollak, outdoor floriculturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $32/$40 | Meet at Production Greenhouses Saturday, March 21, 9 – 11 a.m. Exciting Annuals: Preparing for Spring With the arrival of seed catalogs in your mail- box, it’s time to get excited about spring. Learn about the hot new plants, what to look for at garden centers, and new garden trends. Find out how to use annuals in containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets, what plants do best in shade or full sun, and how to incorpo- rate vegetables to enhance your garden. Tim Pollak, outdoor floriculturist, Chicago Botanic Garden $32/$40 | Classroom 4, Learning Center Tuesday, March 24, 6 – 8 p.m. New! Backyard Chickens: Extreme Chickens Prepare for various challenges that may arise when raising chickens. Learn how to best care for your flock in fluctuating midwestern tem- peratures, care options when you travel, and how to prepare an evacuation plan. Explore chicken anatomy, first-aid products and home- made natural remedies, as well as recognizing common illnesses. Christine Shiel, Chicago Botanic Garden $32/$40 | Classroom 4, Learning Center Wednesday, March 25, 6 – 8 p.m. Chronicle of a Vegetable Garden Experience a full season of a Chicago vegetable garden from an expert midwestern home gar- dener. You will learn all the steps to create your own successful home vegetable garden from plant selection through harvest, with details on what to do, why it is done, and when to do it. Glenn Grosch, horticulturist and agronomist $42/$53 | Classroom 4, Learning Center Saturday, March 28, 9:30 a.m. – noon Growing a Cook’s Garden If you have a spot in your garden, balcony, or deck that receives more than six hours of direct sunlight, you can grow herbs and vegetables. Discover how to grow tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, garlic, and leafy greens. Learn plant selection, soil preparation, potting meth- ods, pest protection, extending crops into fall, and food preparation. Nina Koziol, garden writer $32/$40 | Classroom 1, Learning Center Tuesday, March 31, 1 – 3 p.m. Organic Vegetable Gardening Series Spend an entire season in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden learning about organ- ic vegetable gardening. All sessions will be taught by Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Classes are a combi- nation of lecture, demonstration, and outdoor practice; bring your gardening gloves. Dress for the weather. Register for all three sessions at once and receive a ten percent discount. The Organic Vegetable Garden in Spring Learn about early-season vegetables that thrive in the cool spring temperatures. Discuss and practice early-season bed preparation, seed sowing, and harvesting techniques. $32/$40 | Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Classroom Saturday, April 4, 9 – 11 a.m. The Organic Vegetable Garden in Summer Through classroom discussion and outdoor ac- tivities, learn about heat-loving vegetables and herbs to grow in your summer garden. Related topics include direct sowing, transplanting, sustainable watering techniques, and more. $32/$40 | Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center Saturday, May 16, 9 – 11 a.m. The Organic Vegetable Garden in Autumn The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of home-grown vegetables. Discuss and practice how to get the most out of the growing season by adding cool-season vegetables to your fall garden. Learn about variety selection, mulching, and extending the season. $32/$40 | Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center Saturday, July 25, 9 – 11 a.m. $ Members receive a 20 percent discount, listed in each class description before the full nonmember price.