A strong foundation in botany is essential to understanding how to maintain a healthy landscape. This course includes discussions on plant anatomy, plant life cycles and reproduction, taxonomy, and plant physiology. This course requires no previous knowledge of botany and is recommended as a first course in the certificate. Required text for the course: Introductory Plant Biology, by Kingsley Stern.

A strong foundation in botany is essential to understanding how to maintain a healthy landscape. This course includes discussions on plant anatomy, plant life cycles and reproduction, taxonomy, and plant physiology. This course requires no previous knowledge of botany and is recommended as a first course in the certificate. Required text for the course: Introductory Plant Biology, by Kingsley Stern.

The planning that goes into creating a beautiful garden is wasted if the soil is poor. Learn about soil structure, fertility, and water availability to understand what happens underground. Learn about different ways to improve the soil through amendments and other techniques. Lectures are supplemented by hands-on lab sessions. Students receive a copy of the BBG handbook, Healthy Soils for Sustainable Gardens. Required text: Teaming with Microbes, by Jeff Lowenfels.

Professional horticulturists teach you the ins and outs of maintaining a city garden. Master the tools and techniques for plan care, pruning, planting, transplanting, and other essential tasks. Learn about site assessment, maintaining flower borders, trees, shrubs, containers, grass, and groundcovers. Each class session focuses on a different maintenance topic.

Skilled gardeners must be able to identify and control common insect pests and diseases. In this class, learn which pests might attack your garden and how to control them. Proper site selection, plant selection, soil conditioning, and other integrated pest management (IPM) practices are discussed. Safe application of pesticides is also covered.

Using a small space to the best advantage is the aspiration of many urban gardeners. In this class, learn how to complete a thorough site analysis, work with space, become acquainted with many materials and techniques, and then select appropriate plants with which to create a design for an urban garden.

Using a small space to the best advantage is the aspiration of many urban gardeners. In this class, learn how to complete a thorough site analysis, work with space, become acquainted with many materials and techniques, and then select appropriate plants with which to create a design for an urban garden.

As you learn to grow and care for landscape plants, it's essential to know how to increase your stock. In this class, you are introduced to a variety of plant propagation techniques, such as hybridization (including an introduction to genetics), grafting, layering, and rooting cuttings. After a lecture and demonstration of each method, practice each technique in a hands-on lab session. Required text for the course: American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation, by Alan Toogood.

This class covers the elements of floral design and the tools of the craft through lectures, workshops, and critiques. Get a thorough introduction to basic techniques, including flower and foliage conditioning, greening an arrangement, and making bows. Create arrangements in a variety of styles: round, triangular, vertical line/mass, and three-sided, crescent, and seasonal arrangements. Learn to consider color, line, and texture. You will receive a toolbox to keep.

This class covers the elements of floral design and the tools of the craft through lectures, workshops, and critiques. Get a thorough introduction to basic techniques, including flower and foliage conditioning, greening an arrangement, and making bows. Create arrangements in a variety of styles: round, triangular, vertical line/mass, and three-sided, crescent, and seasonal arrangements. Learn to consider color, line, and texture. You will receive a toolbox to keep.
Location: New York Studio of Floral Arts on West 28th street in Manhattan. Directions will be mailed with registration confirmation.

Learn advanced styles and complicated design mechanics with a variety of fresh flowers. This class allows you to be more expressive in your designs. You'll master techniques for parallel designs, vase arrangements, and working without floral foam, among other topics. Lectures, hands-on workshops, and critiques are included. Prerequisite: Basic Flower Arranging.

Daily shop procedures, including processing orders and taking inventory, are just as essential to the business of floral design as the ability to create beautiful arrangements. This class teaches the basic business techniques required for day-to-day operations of a flower shop.

Daily shop procedures, including processing orders and taking inventory, are just as essential to the business of floral design as the ability to create beautiful arrangements. This class teaches the basic business techniques required for day-to-day operations of a flower shop.

Learn current trends in the floral design industry. Create the designs that are in demand now, such as theme-party designs, seasonal arrangements, and advanced designs. Prerequisites: Basic and Intermediate Flower Arranging. Bring your toolbox.

Learn current trends in the floral design industry. Create the designs that are in demand now, such as theme-party designs, seasonal arrangements, and advanced designs. Prerequisites: Basic and Intermediate Flower Arranging. Bring your toolbox.

This class is about the gorgeous, lush, and durable garden hydrangea. Learn when to prune the hydrangea shrub and how to maintain the color of the flower by adjusting the pH factor of the soil. Hydrangeas are gorgeous, durable, easy to dry, and versatile enough for many designs. Learn various ways to work with fresh hydrangeas, how to dry them, and how to create a lasting arrangement combined with other flowers. Bring floral clippers and/or a floral knife.

Florists are often called upon to create designs for themed parties—an opening party for a film or play, a marketing event, holiday celebration, or sporting event. Work with an instructor who has designed for TV (Celebrity Apprentice) and Broadway shows (Hair!) to learn how to use flowers and décor to make any theme work. Class is held at the New York Studio of Floral Arts; directions will be mailed with registration confirmation.

Create unique and exciting floral designs in glass vases without the use of floral foam. Experiment with a variety of materials that can be used to hold flowers in place. Construct floral arrangements to use as centerpieces or to add interest to any room. This class is for all flower lovers who want to design their own arrangements. Bring floral clippers and/or a floral knife.

Whether starting with an empty lot or rejuvenating an existing garden, get personally tailored advice from seasoned garden coaches! Find out how to analyze your site, avoid mistakes, lay out a hardscape, and choose the right plants. This two-part class is for people who want to design their own garden with professional assistance. No previous experience necessary. Expect to spend time researching, reading, and drawing outside of class.

Section A: Design a garden plan, developing your vision from concept sketches into a finished hardscape drawing.

Bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes are all types of storage organs that identify certain plants as geophytes. Learn about the terminology and biology of these specialized plants. Then join us on an extended walk in the Garden to identify summer geophytes such as dahlias, gladiolas, and begonias. Please dress for the weather; this class runs rain or shine!
This class is not listed in the printed catalog.

Whether starting with an empty lot or rejuvenating an existing garden, get personally tailored advice from seasoned garden coaches! Find out how to analyze your site, avoid mistakes, lay out a hardscape, and choose the right plants. This two-part class is for people who want to design their own garden with professional assistance. No previous experience necessary. Expect to spend time researching, reading, and drawing outside of class.

Section B: In this section you will design a detailed planting plan. Learn how to evaluate plants to combine them successfully and support your vision! All About the Space (Section A) is recommended but not required.

Learn to prune like a professional during this intensive workshop. Learn the principles of proper pruning in the classroom and then get hands-on practice on an assortment of small trees and shrubs on BBG grounds. For the Sunday outdoor session, bring lunch and hand pruners if you have them. Each participant will take home the BBG handbook Pruning Trees, Shrubs, and Vines.

It's time to take care of those trees on your block! Completion of this course certifies NYC citizens to care for and prune young street trees. Learn to identify street tree species and the many factors that cause diseases. Also learn how to help trees survive a harsh urban environment. You will receive an instruction manual and information about tools at the first session. Taught in collaboration with Trees New York.

Learn the techniques, materials, and traditions of bonsai culture. You'll work on a pre-bonsai houseplant in class, repotting it into a Japanese container, pruning it, and wiring it into an appropriate style. You'll also learn how to best take care of your bonsai once you get it home. Bring small pruners or surgical shears; all other materials will be provided, including the BBG handbook Growing Bonsai Indoors (you may purchase shears in class).

Fresh eggs and high-quality fertilizer are just two of the many benefits of having your own chickens. In this class you will learn the basic requirements for raising urban chickens: how to build henhouses and coops, heating needs, types of food, keeping pests away, nurturing chicks and hens, and collecting those first eggs. There will be handouts for resources in the metropolitan area as well as online sites.

This class is not listed in the printed catalog.

During World War II, 20 million garden plots were planted, producing 44% of the fresh vegetables in the U.S.! In these economically stressed times, the victory garden is making a comeback. Not only can you cut food costs by growing your own vegetables, the food will be fresher and more delicious than what you can buy at the store. This course will focus on garden planning to get the most food out of the space you have, plus fall jobs such as planting garlic and preparing the soil to make your 2010 victory garden a success. (Look for a spring follow-up course in early 2010.)

What's the difference between an annual and a perennial? What's mulch and why do I need it? Don't know the answers to these questions? Join us and learn! Spend the day at BBG with our gardening experts to learn all the basics. Class will cover how a plant works and what it needs, how to understand soil and composting, which tools every gardener needs, how to care for your plants as they grow, gardening with fragrant plants, and the importance of native species! Class will take a one-hour break for lunch—bring a bag lunch or purchase your meal at BBG's Terrace Café.

Now that the leaves have disappeared outside and the mornings are getting darker, your workspace needs some green! Not only do indoor plants brighten up a dreary workplace, but they can filter the air and improve your mood at work. This class will help you find plants that love exactly the amount of light, humidity, and other conditions in your office or workspace.

Throw away those toxic sprays and chemicals and learn the tried-and-true methods of natural rose culture (planting, feeding, pest control, pruning), along with hot tips on the cutting-edge science of Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR), which studies ways of bolstering a plant's own immunity to pests and diseases. Also included are instruction on pruning and winter protection and a slide-illustrated discussion of the lecturer's favorite beautiful, fragrant, disease-resistant roses.

Tai chi chuan ("supreme ultimate force") is a Chinese martial art emphasizing how one's yin and yang can be brought to balance. Regular practice of tai chi chuan improves blood circulation, relaxes your mind and body, increases your chi (internal energy), and gives you a good night's sleep. The class is held outside on BBG grounds (except Tai Chi Chuan I), weather permitting. Wear comfortable clothing that allows freedom of movement.

This class includes step-by-step instruction in the principles of this ancient Chinese exercise. No previous experience is necessary.

This class is appropriate for those who have taken Tai Chi Chuan I or have experience.

This class offers advanced study of tai chi. Students should have completed Tai Chi I and II or have equivalent experience.

Learn to make the ultimate pickled vegetable condiment, a Korean national treasure. Kimchee, also known as pickled cabbage, is packed with enzymes, packed with nutrients, and flavor. In this hands-on class, we will make a variety of kimchee to take home, using organic, local ingredients and wild herbs at the peak of the harvest season. Class will take place in BBG's new herb garden, weather permitting.

What is ethnobotany? How have indigenous groups in the Americas used herbs for both healing and spiritual purposes? What role do these helping herbs play in contemporary American society? Participants will visit the herb garden and Steinhardt Conservatory to learn to identify the herbs most commonly used today. In addition they will learn their medicinal uses, as well as basic gathering and preparation practices that are safe and respectful to the natural environment.

Learn the creative and colorful craft of crochet, with a botanical touch! This workshop will introduce basic stitches, techniques, and materials of crochet. Turning to the garden for inspiration, we will use our repertoire of stitches and a variety of fibers and beads to create crocheted flowers. Floral shapes may be used individually as pins or hair ornaments or be combined into scarves, shawls, afghans, and more! A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

This two-day workshop covers traditional and contemporary techniques of Western papermaking, including natural fiber pulp preparation, sheet forming, use of additives, pressing, and drying. On the first day, participants will learn the basics and explore lamination, embedding, and collage using cotton and abaca plant fibers. The second day will be dedicated to creating decorative and one-of-a-kind papers using formation aid, coagulant, water picks, and contact paper. Papermaking is a very wet process, so dress accordingly—plastic apron and shoes you don't mind getting wet. This is a small workshop, so register early! Class is held at Gaptoothed Studios in Williamsburg. Directions will be sent with registration confirmation.

Create your own beautiful holiday decorations! Fashion wreaths, swags, and centerpieces of pine and fir, and decorate them with a variety of natural materials, ribbons, and bows. Students are encouraged to bring their own baubles and ribbons to personalize their decorations. Bring scissors, pruning shears, and your holiday spirit! No previous experience necessary.

Form furniture and art from a pile of sticks under the guidance of master furniture builder Bim Willow. Arrive with a sense of fun and leave with a handcrafted heirloom! Register for Section A to create furniture from home-renovation scraps or junk found on the street, or Section B to make a more traditional piece. Books will be available in the Gift Shop for sale and signing. Preregistration for specific projects is required so that materials can be collected.

Grab a hammer and wood "junk" to turn your finds into heirlooms. You'll learn how to build with materials on hand—fallen branches, shutters, chair parts, skis—if it's wood, it'll work! Students choose from the following projects: an end table, plant stand, garden bench, or ladder-back chair. Just bring a hammer, pruning shears, and whatever wooden piece you'd like to transform into junque. All other materials provided. Please register according to the project you would like to complete. One student per project. One student may register for two end tables or plant stands (or a combination of the two). Other projects require the full session.

Form furniture and art from a pile of sticks under the guidance of master furniture builder Bim Willow. Arrive with a sense of fun and leave with a handcrafted heirloom! Register for Section A to create furniture from home-renovation scraps or junk found on the street, or Section B to make a more traditional piece. Books will be available in the Gift Shop for sale and signing. Preregistration for specific projects is required so that materials can be collected.

You'll never look at a stick the same way again. Come with a hammer and pruning shears and leave with a finished project of your dreams using the techniques of this traditional American craft. Students should not sign up for more than one project in this session due to time constraints; each project in this section requires at least three hours to complete. One student per project, please.

Learn to identify birds living in the area or passing through on their southward migration, and see how they fulfill their roles in nature. Classes meet at the locations specified; you will receive maps and directions at the first class. Carpooling is available; when registering, please indicate if you will need a ride. (Note: If a trip is postponed due to rain, you will be notified by phone the day before, so please provide a phone number where you can be reached on Friday evenings.)

Explore writing poetry outdoors, drawing inspiration from the changing colors of the Garden. This workshop is ideal for beginning poets as well as experienced ones. The class will read and discuss contemporary American masters, as well as poets in translation. Students will engage in creative assignments both in and out of class. Work will be critiqued in a supportive atmosphere, with individual attention from the instructor.
This class is not listed in the printed catalog.

Explore the fine art of botanical illustration to capture the mystery of plants in intricate detail. Students will spend time in and outside the classroom closely examining petals, leaves, berries, seeds, and pods. Learn about color, shape, form, and patterns in nature and how to record your observations using techniques of botanical illustration and journaling. This class introduces basic pencil and drawing skills, use of colored pencils and watercolor pencils, and how to identify, name, and label plants and their parts. This section focuses on plants in autumn. All levels of experience are welcome; some previous drawing experience is recommended. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Explore the fine art of botanical illustration to capture the mystery of plants in intricate detail. Students will spend time in and outside the classroom closely examining petals, leaves, berries, seeds, and pods. Learn about color, shape, form, and patterns in nature and how to record your observations using techniques of botanical illustration and journaling. This class introduces basic pencil and drawing skills, use of colored pencils and watercolor pencils, and how to identify, name, and label plants and their parts. This section examines the Chelsea Physic Garden exhibit. All levels of experience are welcome; some previous drawing experience is recommended. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Draw and paint outdoors (weather permitting) surrounded by the exuberant lateseason landscape of BBG. Drawing, composition, and watercolor techniques will be explored as you learn to follow your own vision. This class is for experienced students and dedicated beginners; some drawing experience is recommended. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Draw and paint outdoors (weather permitting) surrounded by the exuberant lateseason landscape of BBG. Drawing, composition, and watercolor techniques will be explored as you learn to follow your own vision. This class is for experienced students and dedicated beginners; some drawing experience is recommended. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Learn the basics of watercolor painting while exploring a fall variety of plants, pods, and foliage. You will learn basic watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet and dry brush, with a thorough discussion of materials and sources. Copious demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and individual attention form a major part of the class. A materials list will be sent upon registration.

Learn how to accurately depict the clear, luminous color in any type of flower when painting florals in watercolor. In this class, practice basic floral painting design techniques and discover how to achieve intense color in your work. This class makes the most difficult florals, with and without other subject matter, very easy with a few simple tips and techniques. A materials list will be sent upon registration.

Develop your understanding of color and composition using pastel, an opaque medium that allows layering and building of color much like oil paint. Each week uses live plants and other still-life materials to focus on a new concept with plenty of room for individual style and attention. This class is suitable for all skill levels and incorporates basic drawing principles for the beginner. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration; all other materials are provided.

Starting off with simple contour exercises, this class will teach you how to use line to delineate shapes—from still life to landscape. With each drawing you do, you will build skill and confidence to make finished drawings or as a foundation for painting. Subjects include art reproductions, still life, and of course, this beautiful garden landscape. Media will include pencil, pen, and colored pencils. A supply list will be available at the first class.

Nature is the theme. Simplicity is the key. Learn to paint in the Chinese style using a bamboo brush, Chinese ink, and rice paper. Learn the pictorial origins of Chinese characters. Get step-by-step individual instruction of this ancient art form, and develop your own style. All experience levels are welcome. Materials are provided for an additional fee if you do not have your own inks, brushes, and rice paper.

Focus on a better understanding of the color wheel and its properties. An in-depth discussion of color theory, including color mixing, hue, value, intensity, and temperature will be covered. Using watercolor, we will work on many exercises to explore warm and cool colors, complementary colors, neutral hues, limited palette, contrast, color schemes, and relationships. Students will be able to use these new skills to view and paint botanical subjects. This class is good for beginners, or anyone who would like to better understand color principles. Bring your own supplies. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a glorious collection of gardens. In this series, each course is dedicated to studying and sketching one treasure of BBG. Here is a way to acquaint yourself intimately with the beauty and botany of each site. Sharpen your observational and technical drawing skills while keeping a detailed sketchbook. Returning students should bring all supplies from past classes in this series. Newcomers to the series may purchase a sketchbook and basic drawing supplies in class.

The nobility of a tree's age may be reflected in its bark. Grotesque, funny, or strange shapes result from the long lives of old trees, giving each a unique character. Join this workshop to discover a collection of BBG's most mature trees, concentrating on lindens, horse chestnuts, hornbeams, and willows. BBG arborist Chris Roddick will discuss the work of an arborist in cultivating and maintaining trees throughout their long lives. The second session is a full day for drawing and painting, including demonstrations of watercolor technique used to render bark.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a glorious collection of gardens. In this series, each course is dedicated to studying and sketching one treasure of BBG. Here is a way to acquaint yourself intimately with the beauty and botany of each site. Sharpen your observational and technical drawing skills while keeping a detailed sketchbook. Returning students should bring all supplies from past classes in this series. Newcomers to the series may purchase a sketchbook and basic drawing supplies in class.

The Native Flora Garden is truly a BBG jewel. These two-plus acres of forest and meadow grow much as the natural areas of our own tri-state woodlands do. Wildflowers and other plants such as the mayapple may be found here, and bird life abounds. Meet curator Uli Lorimer for a full tour of this complex garden (dress for the weather!) and spend the rest of the day sketching. The next session offers a full day to work up sketches to the level of refined drawings, study plates, and/or paintings.

Finally, the watercolor skills you've always wanted to learn—in the evening hours! Focus on composition, placement, orientation, and drawing of plant parts; continue through color mixing, brushwork, and technique. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Each fall, rich colors and textures transform the grounds of the Garden. In this two-day workshop, master garden photographer Allen Rokach will demonstrate digital techniques and creative strategies for capturing this visually spectacular but technically challenging scene. Creative focus includes understanding the difference between beautiful and photogenic, making the most of natural light, color, line, shapes, and textures to create dynamic compositions. Technical topics include working with motion and reflections, white balance, maximizing digital image quality, and properly using ISO settings. Learn the difference between raw, tiff, and jpeg image file formats; and learn techniques to improve the final image.

Bring your digital SLR camera and dress for the weather. Specific equipment recommendations will be sent to you upon registration.

This class is intended for photo enthusiasts who are interested in expanding their visual skills while photographing the varied offerings of the Garden in fall. Expand your photographic knowledge through assignments that enhance your creative vision. On the first day, students will review camera handling and techniques and learn about historical and contemporary photographs. Each subsequent session will begin with a review and critique of assigned work. In the event of rain, we will work in the Conservatory. Bring your camera and instruction manual to the first class. Film or digital.

Explore the beauty of the Garden in beautiful black and white in this special two-session workshop. After an initial study of historic black-and-white images of landscape and gardens, the class will photograph sections of BBG. Work from the first class will be reviewed at the second meeting. Technical and visual information, with an emphasis on digital photography, will be discussed to assist in the continued exploration of black-and-white photography. This class is intended for photographers who are familiar with their camera beyond "automatic or program" mode. Film or digital.

This course examines some of the ways in which modern and contemporary abstract art can be influenced by nature. Explore painting and drawing methods through assignments both in the classroom and out. Abstraction, seen through the processes of some of our best-known painters, may indicate an unconscious knowledge of beauty, infused through nature and present in the austere application of color, line, form, and texture. Specific exercises, lectures, and observations from BBG gardens will articulate nature as a source of inspiration. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Explore watercolor with a twist. During this workshop students will discover how to turn their watercolor paintings into a monoprint using water-based products on Plexiglas to produce a singular print with unique qualities. A variety of watercolor techniques will be demonstrated and discussed. Work with your own reference material or the provided still-life arrangement, consisting of plants and flowers from the BBG gardens. Students will learn how to plan, simplify, and design the finished piece of work. A supply list will be provided for the watercolors; the instructor will provide the printmaking supplies.

In early 2009, BBG scientist Dr. Susan Pell led a historic ten-person expedition to a remote island chain, the Louisiade Archipelago, in Papua New Guinea. The group spent three weeks traveling by boat between islands to collect plants in some of the world's most isolated forests and savannas. Come along as Dr. Pell shares her stories of this adventurous expedition along with beautiful pictures of the places, people, animals, and plants (including many new discoveries) encountered along the way.

Did you know that coastal Louisiana once contained 40% of the wetlands in the continental United States? These biologically rich lands were formed over thousands of years by sediment deposits from the Mississippi River. Sadly, wetland areas have been disappearing since the 1950s, in large part due to human activity. Using dramatic aerial imagery and photos of wetland communities and plants, Dr. White will discuss almost 25 years of his wetlands research in the Mississippi Delta region.