ArtPlantae Today

The botanical garden at UC Berkeley updates their profile and invites you to learn about plants and art, beginning with the Plants Illustrated exhibition opening on January 8, 2011.

Now at Classes Near You > California:

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/
This 34-acre garden was established in 1890 and is now a non-profit research garden and museum. The botanical art classes below are taught by Lee McCaffree and Catherine Watters . Download a detailed schedule for October 2010 – January 2011 here.

• 2nd Annual Plants Illustrated Exhibition – Saturday, January 8, 2011 – Thursday, January 27, 2011. Display of botanical artwork sponsored by the Northern California Association of Botanical Artists. Free with garden admission.
• Botanical Garden Docent Training – January 10 – April 18, 2011; Mondays & Thursdays from 1 – 4 pm. Teach school children and the public about plants and the natural environment. Training is provided by horticultural staff, experienced docents, plant specialists at UC Berkeley and plant specialists from the surrounding community. There are 24 training sessions. Cost: $250. For more information and to apply, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at (510) 643-1924 or email perry@berkeley.edu.
• Botanical Art Through the Ages – Thursday, January 20, 2011;
  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm. Botanical artist Catherine Watters will present prints, slides, and other media highlighting the work of Pierre-Joseph Redouté and Maria Sibylla Merian. Her presentation about the history of botanical art will also touch on Tulipmania and the Age of Exploration. FREE with garden admission.
• Introduction to Botanical Art – Saturday and Sunday, February 12 & 13, 2011; 10 am – 4 pm each day. We invite you to participate in our Winter series of classes in botanical illustration with the talented instructor Catherine Watters. This two-day class will teach you to observe, measure and draw plants in great detail with botanical accuracy. Work with graphite, colored pencils and watercolor. A materials list will be posted on the website.Cost: $160 non-members, $150 members. Register for two or more classes and receive $10 off each.
• Horticultural Walk: The Arid House – Thursday, January 20, 2011; 1 pm – 2:30 pm. Join Horticulturist Bryan Gim on a tour through the Garden’s Arid House. Explore colorful cacti, succulents and other plants from cool dry and warm dry areas of the world in this glasshouse adventure. Reservations required. Cost: $10 nonmembers, Free for members
• Winter Bird Walk – Saturday, January 22, 2011; 9 am – 10:30 am. Winter is a surprisingly active time for birds in the Garden. Join Chris Carmichael, Associate Director of Collections and Research and Phila Rogers for this lovely morning walk through the Garden. Reservations required. Cost: $20 nonmembers, $15 members
• Flora Felting Workshop – Sunday, January 30, 2010; 11am – 2pm. What do you do when it’s too cold and rainy for gardening outdoors? Bring the garden inside with GoGo Craft’s felt flower pin workshop! Make your own gorgeous felt flower pin inspired by the Garden collection. For crafters of any skill level. Materials & snacks included. Reservations required. Cost: $20 nonmembers, $15 UCBG Members & UCB Students
• Valentine’s Day High Tea for Kids – Sunday, February 6, 2011; 1 pm – 2:30 pm. Enjoy a special celebration of herbs and flowers at this afternoon tea party. We’ll use our senses to explore these fragrant edibles, talk about their uses and benefits, and see how they grow. Make fresh teas and herb finger sandwiches. Also make valentines from pressed botanicals to take home. Reservations Required. Cost: $20 nonmembers, $17 members for one adult and one child. $10 each additional child or adult per family.
• Horticultural Walk: Treasures Under Glass – Thursday, February 17, 2011; 1 pm – 2:30 pm. Tour the Garden’s glasshouses with expert horticulturist, Christy Matasick. Learn about plant collections at the Arid House, Orchid, Fern and Carnivorous House and the Tropical House. End your tour with coffee, tea and cookies in the Ornduff Room. Cost: $10 Public, Free members. Space is limited, registration required.
• Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation – Saturday, February 19, 2011; 1 pm – 3 pm. Asphalt to Ecosystems is a guidebook for designing and building natural schoolyard environments that enhance childhood learning and play experiences while providing connection with the natural world. Sharon Gamson Danks, Environmental Planner and founding partner of Bay Tree Design, in Berkeley, California, has visited and documented over 175
  green schoolyards in North America, Europe and Japan, and has shaped and facilitated the master planning process for dozens of ecological schoolyards. Free with garden admission. Books available for sale at the event.
• Planning Your Edible Landscape – Wednesday, February 23, 2011; 6 pm – 9 pm. Learn how to grow edibles in you ornamental garden with Kathleen Elliot, Horticulturist and owner of Hillcrest Ranch in Sunol. Learn about Bay Area plants, the difference between direct seeding and starting seeds in a pot. Enjoy herbal tea and create a small herb garden to take home. Cost: $30 nonmembers, $25 members.
• Sustainable Home Horticulture – Saturday, March 12, 2011; 9 am – 12 pm. Learn how to meet the needs of your garden and your lifestyle. Horticulturists Anthony Garza and Dylan Ferreira will introduce you to the basics of composting. This session will introduce you to compost tea and vermi-composting techniques. Reservations required. Cost: $25 nonmember, $20 members
• Horticultural Walk: Southern Africa – Thursday, March 17, 2011; 1 pm – 2:30 pm. Learn about the early annuals and spring flowering bulbs that fill the Southern Africa section with color. Join horticulturist, Meghan Ray, on a walking tour celebrating this annual show of color. Reservations required. Cost: $10 nonmembers, Free members
• Fiber & Dye Exhibit – Saturday March 19 – Sunday April 3, 2011; 9 am – 12:00 pm. Plants are the origin of most of the fibers we use in our daily lives, and of the dyes that provide us with colors. Feel fabrics, see and smell dyes while learning about the many uses of plant fibers & dyes from around the world. Free with garden admission.
• Garden Garments: Opening Reception, Workshop and Book Release with Sasha Duerr – Saturday, March 19, 2011; 1 pm – 4 pm. Learn to dye with creative alternative sources of natural plant dyes from your very own garden, or even urban sidewalk, with Sasha Duerr, textile designer and founder of Permacouture Institute. Create a surprising array of colors for a garden dyers sample book and artistically dye a plant colored and patterned textile to take home with you! Sasha will be speaking from her new book The Handbook Of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft With Organic Colors From Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, And Other Everyday Ingredients. Reservations required. Cost: $25 nonmembers, $20 members. Books available for purchase.
• Felting with Plant Dyed Wool For Kids – Sunday, March 26, 2011; 1 pm – 2 pm. Learn how to make a beautiful felted textile using plant dyed wools from Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool, using a wet-felting technique. For ages 6 and up. Reservations required. Cost: $20 nonmembers, $15 members. Price includes one adult and one child. $10 each additional child or adult per family.
• Sick Plant Clinic – First Saturday of Each Month, 9 am – 12 pm. Free. No reservations required.
• Garden Strollers – Second Wednesday of Each Month, 11 am – 11:45 pm. A 45-minute tour of the garden for adults with young children (3 and under). Tour will end on the lawn for play and snacks (bring your own). Children must be in a stroller or carrier during the tour. FREE with garden admission. Meet in front of the Garden Ship. For more information, call (510) 642-7082 or email garden@berkeley.edu.