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Archive for the ‘gardening’ Category

Learn About Plants Through Painting, Basketry, Canning, Photography and Free Activities for Kids at UC Berkeley

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Photography on June 26, 2012|

There is SO much going on at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley this summer. Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > Northern 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. View a detailed schedule and register on the Garden’s website.

  • Sick Plant Clinic – First Saturday of Each Month, 9 AM – 12 PM. Free.
    No reservations required.
  • Monthly Butterfly Walks – Fourth Tuesday of each month (March – October); 3 – 4 PM. Garden volunteer, docent, and caterpillar lady, Sally Levinson, will lead walks through the garden in search of butterflies. Space is limited. Children welcome. Free with admission.
  • 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.
  • Hands-on Plant Activities for Kids – Thursday, July 5, 2012; 10 AM – 3 PM. Free admission and walk-up, hands-on plant activities for the whole family! We’ll explore a diversity of plant life up-close and get crafty. First Free Thursday!
  • Botanical Art with Catherine Watters: Summer Flowers – Friday, July 20, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM. Capture on paper what nature does so beautifully! Students will be instructed to observe, compose, draw and paint in great detail these wonderful subjects. Vibrant flowers from the Garden are sure to inspire your flower portrait masterpiece. All levels are welcome and students may use watercolor, colored pencils or graphite. Advance registration required; $80, $75 members.
  • Sunset Stroll – Tuesday, July 31, 2012; 5 – 8 pm. Experience a special evening docent-led tour of the Garden or enjoy the Garden on your own after hours. Free with admission.
  • Summer Birding Walk – Saturday, August 4, 2012; 9:00 – 10:30 AM. Join Phila Rogers, expert birder, and Chris Carmichael, the Garden’s Associate Director for Collections and Horticulture, on a morning walk to discover the Garden’s bird life. Advance registration required: $20, $17 members.
  • Blue Chair Fruit Company: Sweet Summer Strawberries – An Introduction to Jam Making – Sunday, August 19, 2012; 10 AM – Noon. Taught by Rachel Saunders, founder of Blue Chair Fruit Company. In this two-hour demo-style class, students will cook two different jams, one single-fruit and one mixed-fruit. Special attention will be paid to the preparation of raw fruit, the cooking process, and how to safely jar your jam. Participants will receive two take-home jars of jam and a set of class notes. Blue Chair Fruit Company is the premier artisanal jam and marmalade company in the United States. Advance registration required: $85, $80 members.
  • Dinosaur Plants & Terrariums for Kids – Saturday, August 11, 2012; 11 AM – 12 PM. Explore “living fossils” on this Garden tour and create your own terrarium! Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration required; $15, $12 members.
  • The PhotoBotanic Workshop with Saxon Holt – Saturday, August 25, 2012; 9 AM – 5 PM. Award-winning photographer Saxon Holt brings his PhotoBotanic workshop to the Garden and will help you “find your photo.” This all-day workshop with critique will begin with visualization exercises in the Garden and then concentrate on framing and focal points. Saxon will provide follow-up critique through the Flickr group created by students attending the workshop. Advance registration required: $95, $90 members. Learn more about Saxon Holt at www.photobotanic.com.
  • Pine Needle Basketry – Saturday, September 1, 2012;
    9:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Judith Thomas, master weaver, and Waldorf, handwork teacher, will instruct students how to craft a pine needle basket. Learn how to work with pine needles to create a small coiled basket, using a needle and waxed linen to bind the bundles of needles together. At the end of the workshop you will have a basket started and the knowledge to complete it on your own. Bring a lunch to enjoy in the Garden during the break. Coffee & tea will be provided. Advance registration required. $50, $45 members.
  • Kids Cook from the Garden – Saturday, September 22, 2012;
    1:00 – 2:30 PM. Join Garden Education staff to discover foods growing in the Garden’s Crops of the World Collection where you’ll harvest ingredients and learn to create delicious snacks. For budding chefs aged 7-12. Space is limited, registration required. $18, $15 members.
  • Small Space Orchards: Growing Fruit Trees in Small Gardens
    Sunday, September 16, 2012; 11 AM – 12 PM. Enjoy a special presentation and book signing by Bay Area author Claire Splan. Claire is a member of the Garden Writers Association and Alameda Backyard Growers and the author of California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. Learn how you can work with the Bay Area’s urban landscape and Mediterranean climate to grow your own small space orchard. Advance registration required; $15, 10 members.

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Create Pop-up Wildflowers and Vegetables

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities on June 6, 2012|

Paper engineer and book artist, Shawn Sheehy, will teach you how to create a field guide of wildflowers and a journal for your garden.

See what’s new in the Classes Near You sections for Minnesota, Ohio and Illinois.


Shawn Sheehy
www.shawnsheehy.com
A book artist and paper engineer whose work incorporates ecological principles observed in nature. Sheehy’s art reflects his interests in ecosystems, natural resources, population biology and evolution.

    Pop-Up Field Guide to Wildflowers – June 29 – July 1, 2012;
    9 AM – 4 PM. Create a pop-up book featuring North American wildflowers! In this three-day workshop you will learn the fundamental structures, techniques and materials of pop-up engineering while building 10-12 exquisite flower forms. You can bind the structures together to create a book or keep them separate for gifting to family and friends. Either way, you will have the knowledge and skills to begin creating your own cards at home. Cost: $300. Materials Fee: $17. Location: Grand Marais Art Colony Grand Marais, MN. View Details/Register


    Pop-Up Field Guide to Wildflowers     – July 14-15, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM. In this two-day workshop, you will create 8-10 pop-up cards featuring native flowers of the Midwest. Fundamental techniques of pop-up engineering will be demonstrated and practiced while building these flowers, using little more than a knife, glue and card stock. Aside from a collection of cards that you might either bind together and keep for further study or [as] gift[s] to family and friends, you will also receive the knowledge and tools to continue creating your own cards at home. No experience is necessary, but binding and/or sewing skills will speed your progress. This is a great workshop to take if you want to explore making your own greeting cards or would like to advance your skills in using paper as a medium for sculpture. Cost: $165. Location: Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory Cleveland, OH. View Details/Register


    The Pop-Up Vegetable Garden     – October 25 – November 2, 2012. Fundamental techniques of pop-up engineering will be demonstrated and practiced while building these vegetable plants, using little more than a knife, glue and card stock. At the end of the day you will have a collection of 4-5 cards that you might either keep for further study or gift to family and friends. No experience is necessary, but binding and/or sewing skills will speed your progress. Location: Chicago Botanic Garden Chicago, IL. Details and registration information will be posted here.

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Urban Sanctuary Hosts Botanical Art Exhibition and Classes

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling on May 21, 2012|

The Quinta Mazatlan Nature Center in McAllen, Texas is a historic adobe mansion featuring birding trails, an art gallery, a nature store and educational programs. The nature center has been added to Classes Near You > Texas. Take a look!


Quinta Mazatlan Nature Center
www.quintamazatlan.com
Built in 1935 as a private residence, Quinta Mazatlan is now an urban sanctuary dedicated to “sharing knowledge about birds, plants, and environmental stewardship in South Texas.” The nature center has partnered with the World Birding Center, Inc. and recently opened their first LEED-certified building, a Discovery Center for children. Quinta Mazatlan offers classes for adults and children and hosts art exhibitions too. The botanical art of Sue Sill is currently on view in the Art in Nature Gallery.

    Botanical Illustration – Saturday, May 26, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM. New students are welcome to attend the third installment of a workshop series about botanical illustration taught by Sue Sill. In this class, students will learn how to add watercolor to a drawing or sketch. Cost: $55 per person. Materials included. Bring lunch. View Details/Register.

    Nature Journaling – Saturday, August 4, 2012; 1-4 PM. Explore techniques you can use to record your observations. Learn techniques from sketching to writing to scrap booking. Cost: $5 per person. Bring water, hat, sunscreen and bug spray. View Details/Register

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New Botanical Art Classes Announced at Wellesley College Botanic Gardens

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, gardening, general botany, Learning Opportunities on May 7, 2012| 1 Comment »

Click to download flyer

The Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture has changed its name to Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Garden. The Friends’ listing in the Classes Near You section has been updated.

Here is what you’ll find at Classes Near You > Massachusetts:


Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens
Certificate Program in Botanical Art and Illustration
www.wellesley.edu/wcbgfriends
This program offers several weekly and two- or three-day classes on botanical art and scientific illustration with Sarah Roche and Jeanne Kunze and seminars with visiting instructors including Susan Fisher, D. L. Friedman, Kathie Miranda, Carol Ann Morley, Kate Nessler, Elaine Searle, Catherine Watters and more. The courses offered through this program cover all aspects of botanical art. The following is only a glimpse of what this program offers:

  • Foundations of Botanical Drawing and Painting
  • Techniques of Botanical Drawing and Painting
  • Plant Drawing for the Petrified
  • On Location: Daylilies with Sarah Roche
  • Fruit from the Orchard
  • Botanical Painting on Vellum
  • Flowers as They Grow
  • Playing with Transparency: Colored Pencil on Mylar

    • View current schedule & instructor bios


Additional Learning Opportunities
Daylilies at Collamore Field Gardens – July 17-19, 2012; 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Learn about daylilies at Collamore Field Gardens, an American Hemerocallis Society Display Garden featuring over 650 varieties of daylilies. Sketch lilies in the garden during peak bloom and learn how to transform your sketch into a watercolor painting in the studio. Botanical artist and instructor, Sarah Roche, will show you how! Cost: WCFG Friends Members $225, Non-members, $275. To register, contact wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu or call (781) 283-3094.

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Garden Writing at Wave Hill

Posted in Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities on March 21, 2012|

Wave Hill invites you to experience their garden through the writing process.

Fine-tune your writing skills while learning how to write about plants, texture, color and design.


Wave Hill: New York Public Garden and Cultural Center
www.wavehill.org
Wave Hill is a 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx. Their mission is to establish human connections with nature through horticulture, education and the arts. Visit their website to learn more about their gardens, special collections and art classes.

    Writing in Nature
    Thursdays, April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 31, 2012 (1-4 PM)
    “To learn about a tree, go to a tree,” wrote famed Japanese poet Basho many centuries ago. Guided by his advice, writing coach and former New York Times editor, Joan Motyka, works with participants to more acutely observe and write about individual plants and trees, as well as the general impact of the landscape, including color, texture and design. Reading and discussing selected nature writers enhances the experience. Cost: $180 members, $210 nonmembers. Location: Ecology Building. Details/Register

This information has been added to Classes Near You > New York.

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Heirlooms of the World to Grow, Paint and Eat

Posted in Education, gardening, Special Announcements, Special Events on March 12, 2012|

Hawaiian Pineapple tomato. Courtesy of Contra Costa Master Gardeners. All Rights Reserved

Contra Costa Master Gardeners Great Tomato Plant Sale
Heirlooms of the World
April 4-6, 2012

Grow and paint a gallery of heirlooms!

Over 3,000 heirloom tomato plants will be on sale at the Contra Costa Master Gardeners’ First Annual Great Tomato Plant Sale, Heirlooms of the World to be held from April 4-6, 2012 from 10 AM to 3 PM. The sale will be at the Master Gardeners Garden, adjacent to the Contra Costa Times parking lot at 2640 Shadelands Drive off of Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek (map).

More than 30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes from Russia, Japan, Italy, Mexico, West Virginia and Kentucky will be available. These hard-to-find varieties can be purchased for $2 each. All proceeds support the community education work of the Contra Costa Master Gardeners.

Visit the Contra Costa Master Gardeners online.

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New York Artists Exhibit Their Favorite Fruits & Veggies

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on March 5, 2012|

From Apples to Zucchini
The Horticultural Society
of New York
March 8-23, 2012

Recently three hundred K-6 students from Harlem and East Harlem in New York City used shopping totes and fabric paint to represent their relationship with fruit and vegetables. One hundred of these totes will be on display at the Gallery at The Hort during From Apples to Zucchini: The Fifth Annual Sprout Exhibition of NYC Children’s Art hosted by the Apple Seed program at the Horticultural Society of New York (HSNY). Through the Apple Seed program The Hort connects students with gardens and green markets to engage students in hands-on activities integrating science education and artistic expression across the school curriculum.

After the exhibition, students will take their totes home so their families can use them to buy fruit, vegetables and other groceries from local merchants.

An opening reception will be held this week on Thursday, March 8, from 4-6 PM.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 12-6 PM.

The exhibition gallery is located at the HSNY office in Midtown Manhattan. Visitor information and directions can be viewed here.

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