To register for CE classes, please call the Garden office at 343-8649 or mail in your payment to the Garden along with contact information.

Pruning Deciduous Trees
DATE/TIME: Thursday, March 28, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTORS: Toby Mancini, IBG Horticulture Manager, Certified Arborist
FEE: IBG Member: $10 Non-Member: $15
LOCATION: Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage

Correct pruning is part art and part science. The science comes into play when you begin to understand how plants grow and respond to pruning cuts. This knowledge will help you to decide how, when, where and why to trim your trees. Toby will share the basics of pruning that will aid you in increasing your trees’ vigor and directing their growth. He will also discuss pruning tools and the cultural practices that will help keep your trees pest and disease free.

Garden Weeds
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, April 3, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Don W. Morishita, U of I Professor of Weed Science and Extension Specialist
FEE: IBG Member: $10 Non-Member: $15
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage

The owner of a well maintained garden inevitably deals with weeds and weeding. With a little foresight, weed management time and effort can be minimized. Attend this class to learn to identify garden weeds and recommended control methods.

Spring Bird Walks
DATE/TIME: Friday, April 12, 8 a.m. - Class if full
OR Saturday, May 11, 7:30 a.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Leanne Lloyd-Fairey, Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Idaho Master Naturalist
FEE: IBG Member: Free, Non-Member: $5, Senior 65+ Non Member: $3
LOCATION: Meet in the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage

Wear walking shoes and bring binoculars if possible. Each walk is limited to 20 people, pre-register to reserve a spot. Register for one or both.

Join Leanne for a stroll through the Idaho Botanical Garden searching for birds visiting or living in the area. Some of the birds to look for include American Kestrel, Great Horned Owl, California Quail, Northern Flicker, Black-billed Magpie, House Wren, and a variety of returning migratory species.

Design Your Garden for Four Season Interest - Class if full
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, April 17, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Terry Sims, accredited Landscape Designer
FEE: IBG Member: $10 Non-Member: $15
LOCATION: Meet in the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage

A garden can be interesting throughout the year by selecting the appropriate plants and placing them strategically in the landscape. Terry will walk you through the basic design process and share her knowledge of four season plants. Stagger interest with emerging foliage, blooms, and evergreens; beauty in the garden is January through December. Handouts will be provided. Make your reservation quickly, Terry’s last class was standing room only. Presented by Award Winning Landscape Designer Terry Sims, The Garden Artist LLC.

Wildflower Walks
DATE/TIME: Thursday, April 25, 6:30 p.m.
and/or Thursday, May 2, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Ann DeBolt, IBG Natural Communities Specialist, and others
FEE: IBG Member: $0 Non-Member: $0
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Admin Building

Come join a celebration of our foothills wildflowers. Botanists will lead participants on a 1.5-2 hour leisurely walk on trails behind the Old Penitentiary. Native and not-so-native species will be identified and discussed during the session. Bring water, a jacket, and good walking shoes, but please, no dogs. Attend one or both walks. There is no charge, but please register so that an adequate number of guides may be arranged.

Fairy Gardens I (Adult/Child Workshop)- Class is Full
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Dickey, IBG Education Director
FEE: IBG Member: $15/pair Non-Member: $20/pair
Fee includes soil, plants, and some decorative material
LOCATION: Meet in the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage

Bring your own 12” diameter container, no more than five inches deep is best to cut down on soil weight. Make sure that it has drainage holes. Adult/child pairs work together to create a single fairy-sized outdoor container garden sure to entice any pixies wandering through your neighborhood. Elizabeth will help you plant a container with fairy-scale plants and construct fairy furniture to set the scene. Set it outside to attract magical creatures or add your own favorite fairy statuettes.

Fairy Gardens II (Adult Only Workshop)- Class if full
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 27, 1 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Dickey, IBG Education Director
FEE: IBG Member: $15 Non-Member: $20
Fee includes soil, plants, and some decorative material
LOCATION: Meet in the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage
Bring your own 12” diameter container, no more than five inches deep is best to cut down on soil weight. Make sure that it has drainage holes.

Create your own imaginative fairy-sized outdoor container garden sure to entice any pixies wandering through your neighborhood. Elizabeth will help you plant a container with fairy-scale plants and construct fairy furniture using corkscrew willow twigs and hot glue.

Tai Chi in the Garden
DATE/TIME: Saturdays, beginning May 11, 9:30 a.m.
No class on 8/24 & 9/14
INSTRUCTOR: Jeff Rylee, long-time practitioner
FEE (per 5 class punch pass, advanced registration required to receive punch pass): IBG Member: $0, Non-Member adult: $25, Non-Member senior: $15
Per class: IBG Member: $0, Non-member adult: $5, Non-Member Senior: $3
LOCATION: Meet in the Meditation Garden
Wear comfortable clothing for the outdoors

Become centered within the invigorating morning sounds and scents of the Idaho Botanical Garden. Tai Chi, a meditative practice incorporating slow movement, has been described as magical and as poetry in motion. This popular class is suitable for beginners. The series will be held through September.

After registration you will receive punch card(s) for five sessions each. The instructor will check-in people at the beginning of each session. The card may be used for any Tai Chi session. Please indicate how many cards you’d like to receive/purchase when you register (up to 15 sessions). Additional cards can be requested at the admissions kiosk during weekends or at the Administration Office during the week. Unused sessions are not refundable.

Paper Making Workshop - Class is full
DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 18, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Class is full
INSTRUCTOR:Tom Bennick, Artist
FEE: IBG Member: $30 Non-Member: $35
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage Picnic Tables

Wear clothes that can get wet and messy! This class focuses on creating hand-made paper from a variety of fiber and inclusions from different vegetation. Examples of inclusions include flowers, leaves, and bark. Join us to learn the ancient art of making paper and produce several sheets of unique paper you can later turn into writing paper, note cards and books. Each participant will receive written instructions and hands on experience producing a variety of paper to keep. A mould and a deckle for making paper at home will be available for purchase. Class limited to 10 participants.

Hypertufa Trough Workshop
DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.(part 1) and Thursday, May 23, 6 p.m.(part 2)
INSTRUCTOR:Rebecca Needles, IBG Garden Operations Manager
FEE: IBG Member: $35 Non-Member: $40
Includes material, soil and plants
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Greenhouse
On May 23, please bring: hammer, metal file and wire brush, if possible

Hypertufa troughs make wonderful planters for shallow-rooted outdoor plants such as alpines, thymes and succulents. Rebecca will show you how to create your own freeform trough using a cement, perlite and peat moss mixture. You’ll make your trough on Saturday and finish it on Thursday, planting it with a variety of creeping plants.

Garden Stepping Stones - Class is full
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, May 22, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Dickey, IBG Education Director
FEE: IBG Member: $25, Non-Member: $30
fee includes materials, soil & plants
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Greenhouse

Dress in clothing suitable for working with cement.

Homemade stepping-stones are wonderful, functional garden ornaments that personalize your yard. During this workshop you’ll learn step-by-step directions on how to make the stones, receive ideas on how to decorate your stone with leaf prints, mosaic tiles, and broken pottery pieces; and then make two 16” diameter round stones. The Garden will provide a variety of materials you may use to embellish your work. You are welcome to bring your own decorations if you already have a particular design or material in mind. You’ll need to leave the stones at the Garden to cure, and then pick them up over the weekend. The molds are yours to keep!

Paper Making Workshop II
DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 25, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR:Tom Bennick, Artist
FEE: IBG Member: $30 Non-Member: $35
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage Picnic Tables

Wear clothes that can get wet and messy! This class focuses on creating hand-made paper from a variety of fiber and inclusions from different vegetation. Examples of inclusions include flowers, leaves, and bark. Join us to learn the ancient art of making paper and produce several sheets of unique paper you can later turn into writing paper, note cards and books. Each participant will receive written instructions and hands on experience producing a variety of paper to keep. A mould and a deckle for making paper at home will be available for purchase. Class limited to 10 participants.

A Passion for Penstemons
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, May 29, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR:Ann DeBolt, IBG Natural Communities Specialist
FEE: IBG Member: $10, Non-Member: $15
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Cottage

Do the many types of Penstemons enamor, yet puzzle you? Have you always wanted to learn more about growing these beautiful plants? If so, come join us for an evening of Penstemon exploration. We currently have at least 25 species or cultivars growing in the Garden. We’ll spend a little time indoors to be introduced to this group of plants before going outside to see them in spectacular bloom.

Garden Stepping Stones II - Class is full
DATE/TIME: Thursday, May 30, 6:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Dickey, IBG Education Director
FEE: IBG Member: $25, Non-Member: $30
fee includes materials, soil & plants
LOCATION: Meet at the Idaho Botanical Garden Greenhouse

Dress in clothing suitable for working with cement.

Homemade stepping-stones are wonderful, functional garden ornaments that personalize your yard. During this workshop you’ll learn step-by-step directions on how to make the stones, receive ideas on how to decorate your stone with leaf prints, mosaic tiles, and broken pottery pieces; and then make two 16” diameter round stones. The Garden will provide a variety of materials you may use to embellish your work. You are welcome to bring your own decorations if you already have a particular design or material in mind. You’ll need to leave the stones at the Garden to cure, and then pick them up over the weekend. The molds are yours to keep!

Become an Education Host
And participate in Continuing Education Clases for free!
Participate in a myriad of garden related classes, lectures and workshops for free, by becoming an Education Host. Hosts come to the Garden an hour before the class begins, check in class participants, help the instructors setup and put away materials, and lend a hand during the presentations. A host attends the class for no charge and pays just the materials fee if he/she wishes to participate in class activities such as craft workshops. Interested persons should contact Elizabeth Dickey, elizabeth@idahobotanicalgarden.org, or 343-8649 to discuss the Education Host position.