There are a variety of classes held year-round at Boerner Botanical Gardens. Classes are open to both Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens members and non-members.
For further information or to
register call 414-525-5659
Vicarious Gardening
Winter Book Club facilitated by Patti Peltier, UW-Extension Horticulture Resource Coordinator
$10 each session / Free to members
Winter will fly by as you join our rollicking discussions of three books selected to give you a gardening “fix” this winter.
Saturday, January 17
10:30 to Noon
My Antonia, by Willa Cather. In this compelling classic romantic novel, narrator Jim Burden recalls his Nebraska prairie childhood exploits with his immigrant friend, Antonia. Discover what makes this story an enduring favorite.
Saturday, February 28
10:30 to Noon
A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold. Be moved by the loving, poetic way this Wisconsin scientist and scholar explores what it means to live in harmony with nature. No wonder he’s considered the father of wildlife ecology!
Saturday, March 14
8:30 to 10:00 am
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver. Enjoy this thought-provoking account of a novelist’s family as they try to keep only locally produced foods – complete with recipes and essays by the author’s husband and 19-year-old daughter.
One Stroke Painting - Floral Art
Trina Eve – certified One Stroke Painting instructor
Thursday, January 22, 29, February 5 and 12
6:30 to 8:30 pm
For all four sessions $100/$95 members
(Includes all materials.)
Back by popular demand, Trina returns to offer an intensive four session program where participants learn more strokes and create wonderful floral images. Bristol board paper and paint will be provided. The sessions cover:
Session 1 (Level 1)
Wild flowers including daisies and delphiniums
Session 2 (Level 2)
Sunflowers and bumble bees
Session 3 (Level 3)
Rose buds and grapevine wreaths
Session 4 (Level 4)
Tulips, full rose, wisteria and butterflies
So You Want to Become a Beekeeper…
Harris Byers, UW-Extension Milwaukee County Urban Agriculture Program
Saturday, January 31
9:00 am to Noon • $25/$20 members
If you have wondered how to get started working with bees, this is the program for you. Harris will give you the details on various aspects of beekeeping such as time commitments and equipment and show you a video of this year’s experiences.
Houseplants - Your Winter Garden
Dr. Patti Nagai
Racine County UW-Extension
Thursday, February 5
6:30 to 8 pm • $15/$10 members
Winter is the toughest time of the year for houseplants. Patti will guide you through all the issues that can help your plants grow vigorously throughout the winter - lighting, fertilizer, temperature and drainage. She will discuss which plants to grow – from the comfort plants for the novice planter to more challenging plants for the die-hard. Participants will take home an herb to add to your winter garden
Be Your Own Plant Doctor –
Using Resources at Boerner Botanical Gardens
Saturday, February 14
8:30 to 10 am • $10/ Free to members.
Diagnose your own plant problems using a wide variety of research-based resources. Find out what print, personal and online problem-solving resources are available through the UW-Extension Horticulture Center at Boerner Botanical Gardens and the Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens Library. Bring your horticulture questions so you can practice finding answers during class.
Trees for All Season
Sharon Morrisey, Milwaukee County UW-Extension
Saturday, February 14
10:30 to Noon • $15/$10 members
Trees are the most valued and most permanent plants in our landscapes. They may be mighty and majestic or small and sprightly. Come learn season by season which trees are in their glory. Discover many that enrich our landscapes throughout the seasons.
Plants for Midwestern Gardens
Paul Drobot, Perennial Landscapes
Thursday, February 19
6:30 to 8 pm • $15/$10 members
For over 25 years Paul has installed plants in the landscape and gardens in southeastern Wisconsin. Many have proven hardy, ornamental, and easily maintained. He will share his favorite shrubs and perennials that meet these tough standards. Also, find out which highly advertised plants he feels do not live up to their billing.
Gardening by Nature's Clues
Darlene Lochbihler, master gardener
Saturday, February 28
8:30 to 10:00 am • $15/$10 members
Observing nature’s clues can make you a better gardener. Find out how phenology, the study of nature’s cyclic events, can be used to manage insects, design flower beds for sequential bloom, and track global warming trends
New Plant Introductions
Shirley Dommer Walczak,
Boerner Botanical Gardens Director
Thursday, March 5
6:30 to 8 pm • $15/$10 members
Which plants rank top on the list by plant associations and industry leaders this year? Shirley gives us the inside scoop on which plants you expect to see on the market and which may be hard to find.
Little Known and Underused Ground Cover
Matt Singer, Four Season Landscapes
Saturday, March 14
10:30 to Noon • $15/$10 members
Groundcover plants are used to hide an otherwise bare area or to protect it from erosion or drought. They come in a wide range of sizes, colors and textures, adding interest, beauty, and uniformity to the garden. Hear about Matt’s favorite choices and his suggestions to make an area unique.
Playing in the Dirt
Nick Ternes, The Flower Source
Thursday, March 19
6:30 to 8 pm • $15/$10 members
It may just be “dirt” to us, but for your plants, the soil is home. The secret to gardening success is all in the soil. This class will explore the basics of soils, fertilizers, pH, tilling, and amendments to improve soil quality. The time and money you invest in soil preparation will pay off in the long-term growth and vigor of your plants.
Plant Propagation
Jerry Seroka, retired Milwaukee County Horticulturist
Saturday, March 28
8:30 to 10:00 am • $15/$10 members
Turn your basement in a green house this winter! Learn how to grow annuals under inexpensive shop lights. Have fun starting seeds, cuttings and bulbs.
Growing Heirloom Tomatoes
Nino Ridgway, Herbs and Everlastings
Saturday, March 28
10:30 to Noon • $15/$10 members
Are you ready to grow your own heirloom tomatoes this year? Find out which plants to grow and how to care for them. Learn tips for successful tomato growing from Nino, who has been producing tomatoes, without pesticides, for local markets for 18 years.
Tool Time
Jerry Seroka, retired Milwaukee County Horticulturist
Saturday, April 11
8:30 to 10:00 am • $15/$10 members
Jerry knows many timed-tested tricks to make even the toughest gardening job easy. A gardener needs to right equipment, and knowing how to care for it is the key. Jerry will demonstrate how to prepare your lawn mower for the season. Bring your hand pruners, flat spade, and sharpening stone to class to learn and practice techniques.
Spring Containers
Lynn Goldstein, Creative Landscape Design Inc.
Saturday, April 11
10:30 to Noon • $65/$60 members
(Includes all materials.)
Be the first on your block to welcome spring. In this workshop explore ways to use height, color, and texture in a container garden. Participants will receive a large pot to fill with their choice of plant material such as bulbs, pansies and violas to accent a porch, patio, or deck.
Miniature Tabletop Fantasy Garden
Vanessa Johanning, V Gardens
Thursday, April 16
6:30 to 8 pm • $65/$60 members
(Includes all materials.)
So you don’t want the hassle of planting a big garden this year? Why not join us in making a sedum garden. We will use sedum, moss, stones, and other small plants, to create a unique heirloom garden that will last for years. Best of all, no weeding!
Drawing Water Using Pastels
Heidi Endres, Member of Wisconsin Pastel Artists
Saturday, April 18, May 2, 16 and 30
8:30 to 11:30 am • $65/$60 members
(A selection of pastels and paper are provided.)
Artists love to paint water scenes in their landscapes, but painting water can be tricky. Each class will focus on the effects of weather on and the reflection of light and objects in various forms of water, such as streams, waterfalls, ponds, and water found in the crystal vases of still life arrangements.
Photography Workshop – Amazing Trees
Creative Image Photo Club
Saturday, April 25
8 to 9:30 am • $20/$15 members
Get tips on how to improve your photos of trees in all their individual beauty, both close up or in a landscape. Then, head into the Gardens to try out what you have learned. All participants are invited to the Photo Club meeting that follows the class.
The Bloom Team Tells All
Master Gardeners
Saturdays, May 9, June 13, July 11,
August 8, September 12
8:30 to 10 am
$15/$10 members for each class or
$50/$45 members to take all five classes
Learn about perennials through classroom presentations and garden walks led by the UW-Extension Horticulture Center’s Bloom Team. These Master Gardener volunteers have been monitoring the Perennial Gardens for two seasons. Find out which plants are on their “must have” lists.
IKEBANA Floral Design
Plant a Summertime Container
with Heidi Hornung, Shady Lane Greenhouses
One-Stroke Painting with Trina Eve, certified
One-Stroke instructor
