Lectures & Workshops

Special Lectures

Hedges, Espalier and Topiary
Topiary in the New England Landscape
Saturday, October 8
10 a.m.-- 1 p.m.
Lecture/field trip
Members $22; Non-members $25
All levels

Join topiary expert Matt Larkin for an exploration of the art and history of topiary with a look to the practical adaptations for the home garden. This lecture/field trip will trace the origins of topiary from Pliny the younger, across Europe and England, and finally to America. Topiary's decorative and architectural applications in the garden will be discussed, along with practical knowledge on hedges, espaliers and topiaries including preferred plant material, and "tools of the trade". Visit a Black Barn Topiary located in Richmond and view a variety of hedges and topiaries in various stages of maturity. Step by step instruction will be provided, encouraging listeners to overcome their fear of taking secateur to shrub, and creating whimsy and drama in the landscape!

Matthew Larkin established Black Barn Topiary in 2001 in an effort to provide large scale living sculpture to the garden obsessed. His work is currently growing at the Hartford Children's Hospital, and various gardens in Connecticut and New York, his farm in Richmond, was recently photographed for House and Garden Magazine and will be open as part of the National Garden Conservancy's Open Day Program.

Landscapes Tell Stories
Saturday, November 5
1--3 p.m.
Slide-illustrated lecture/book signing
Members $16; Non-members $21
All levels

This lecture explores the value of landscape narratives and how to use these narratives during the design process to create landscapes that have character and originality. Listening to the stories of places is key to the design process. Compare some local examples of designs that disregarded the valuable stories of the place versus designs that engaged clients in their stories and connections to place. Learn by evaluating case studies of the instructors landscape projects.

Jamie Purinton is a teacher, private practitioner, and writer in the field of landscape architecture. Her co-authorship of Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories transformed her approach to both the interpretation and design of landscapes. She edited Voices of the Land a collection of essays by farmers, artists, ecologists, chefs and others who write about the ecological value of our region and inspire us to think more deeply about our landscapes.

Fall/Winter Lectures

Late Summer Perennials
Saturday, September 10
10:30 - 12:30 a.m.
Lecture/ field study
Members $16; Non-members $21
Beginners

Late summer can present a true challenge for even the most seasoned gardener. The perennial border is often spent by the time September rolls around. Consider some new plant introductions and some old favorites to create a rewarding and colorful time in the late summer perennial border. View some easy-to-care-for perennials that go the distance to the first frost and beyond. Tour the de Gersdorff herbaceous border to consider the variety of herbaceous plants available for Zone 5.

Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens.

Garden Wrap-Up
Saturday, September 17
12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Lecture/demonstration
Members $16
Non-members $21
Beginners

Fall is a great time to assess the year's gardening successes and failures, to review the gardening events of the spring and summer and to begin planning for next season. Consider winter interest in the garden and understand when to and when not to prune perennials. Learn how to prepare gardens for the coming winter season including soil amending, mulching, cutting back, and fall division of perennials. This demonstration will take place in the classroom and the garden.

Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens.

Chainsaw Safety and Operation
Saturday, September 24
10 a.m. - noon
Lecture/demonstration
Members $16; Non-members $21
All levels
(10% discount for students attending both this class and Pruning Shrubs and Small Trees)

Chainsaws are powerful tools that can be intimidating to use. The importance of safe operation of this dangerous machine cannot be stressed enough. Learn the correct way to safely operate, maintain, and store a chainsaw. Observe a demonstration on chain saw use and discuss when to call in a professional. Basic chainsaw maintenance will be covered.

Ken Gooch, Massachusetts Certified Arborist, is the Department of Environmental Management's Forest Health Specialist for Berkshire County and is the Town Tree Warden for Worthington, Mass. He is an educator and lectures widely on a variety of topics including forest health, pruning, arboriculture and chainsaw safety and maintenance.

Designing Outdoor Spaces for Children
Saturday, October 22
10 a.m. - noon.
Slide-illustrated lecture
Members $16; Non-members $21
All levels

Explore creative ideas for play spaces that naturally lend themselves to change, versatility, and exploration. Learn how to plan and install a space that provides a creative environment for children, places for adult activities, a planting scheme that invites wildlife and still preserve the flow and functionality of a property. Participants will draw from their own favorite childhood play spaces and will formulate elements compatible with their current property. Imagine mounding soil to create a mountaintop view or a safe out-of-view cove, the possibilities are unlimited.

Angela Kearney, Principal, Minglewood Designs, Concord, MA is a landscape design and planning firm dedicated to creating harmonious garden environments. She combines Zen garden design principles with the ecological and environmental character of the region and site.

Shrubs for Fall Foliage
Saturday, October 22
10:30 - 12:30 a.m.
Lecture/ field study
Members $16; Non-members $21
Beginners

Consider the use of woody shrubs and small trees in the landscape. This slide-illustrated lecture will focus on those plants that have wonderful foliage and are especially beautiful during the autumn months. View slides showing the four-season beauty of many of these plants and learn site selection and cultural requirements. Tour the garden and observe many of these mature specimens in full fall glory.

Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens.

Gardening for the Birds
Saturday, October 29
1--3 p.m.
Slide-illustrated lecture
Members $16; Non-members $21
All levels

This class is for the gardener/naturalist and bird lover. Understand the unique relationships of our avian friends with plants, and how to provide birds with all they need to make the garden a welcoming home. Learn about the variety of songbirds, their requirements for survival and discuss the plants that attract them to the landscape. Learn the importance of the structural elements in the garden that are necessary to attract these welcomed guests. This lecture's ecological perspective on gardening will help gardeners better understand essential plant animal relationships.

Drew Monthie is a horticulturalist, garden designer and ecologist working in upper New York State. He is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens.

Japanese Garden Design
Saturday, November 5
10 a.m.--noon
Slide-illustrated lecture
Members $16, Non-members $21
All levels

Learn how to create an appropriate and contemporary version of a Japanese garden. Look at classical and recent examples of Japanese garden design with an eye for creating a modern adaptation suitable for the home landscape. Participants are encouraged to bring a photograph of their site for evaluation and discussion. This class will explain the basic design concepts behind Japanese gardens and will appeal to a broad spectrum of gardeners, homeowners and designer.

Mary Parker studied landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden, the Conway School of Landscape Design and holds a MLA from the University of Massachusetts. In addition to a professional practice designing landscapes for private and public clients she lectures on garden making and garden history.

Adventurous Annuals
Plants for Dramatic Effect
Saturday, November 12, 10 a.m.--noon
Slide-illustrated lecture/book signing
Members $16; Non-members $21
All levels

Join Fine Gardening's contributing editor, Steve Silk for an exploration of annuals and tender perennials. He will discuss dramatic, fast growing annuals that offer extended summer interest in addition to architectural splendor. Learn gardening techniques including, self-sowing, over wintering of tropical plants and ideas for using these plants for maximum effect in gardens, beds or containers.

This class is scheduled to give gardeners time to consider these wonderful additions for next seasons garden. Sources for seeds and plants will be shared and a book signing of Gardens to Go will follow the lecture.

Steve Silk is an award-winning photographer and contributing editor for Fine Gardening magazine. He has collaborated on several books with author Sydney Eddison including Gardens To Go, and The Gardener's Palette: He tends his ever expanding Farmington, CT garden and is president of the Connecticut Hardy Plant Society.

Photograph Your Garden
The Nature of Photography
Saturday, Sept. 10, 3 - 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17 9:30--11:30 a.m.
Hands-on workshop
Members $65; Non-members $75
Materials supplied by participants
Beginner/novice

A beautiful garden is the results of many hours of labor and the results although spectacular can be fleeting. Many of us are disappointed when we capture this beauty in photographs. This course will focus on framing, composition, light, and other issues that will help you make better photos of your garden to share with friends and family or use as part of a portfolio to show prospective clients. Please bring a camera (film or digital) you know how to operate for hands-on practice in the gardens

Brian Mikesell is an artist, photographer, and bookbinder with degrees in photography from Indiana University and New York University. He has taught photography at the International Center of Photography and St. John's University. He is also an avid gardener and a graduate of the Horticulture Certificate Program.

Your Favorite Plant:
A One-Day Writing Workshop
Friday, September 23, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Hands-on workshop
Members $75, Non-members $85
All levels, Bring bag lunch

Join garden writer and teacher Paula Panich for a day of fun and expression as you write a short piece about a plant or garden you love. Spend an hour or so discussing how different garden writers write about their favorite plants and then write about your favorite plant and share the results with the group. Bring notes, books, whatever you wish, to remind you of the details of your favorite plant or family of plants. Open to writers of any level -- you already have what it takes: passion for your subject. Please bring pen and paper (or your laptop).

Paula Panich, M.F.A., is a garden writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, and the Washington Post and she has published Cultivating Words: The Guide to Writing about the Plants and Gardens You Love. She teaches writing at The New York Botanical Garden, Boston University, Arnold Arboretum and Garden in the Woods.

Knitter's Circle
Knit a Funky, Fun Scarf
Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.--noon
Hands-on workshop
Members $35, Non-members $45
All materials included in the cost of class
Beginner/novice

Learn how to knit like grandma with a chic updated twist. Join knitting "nuts" Elisabeth Cary and Nikki Hayes for a fun and productive morning of knitting knowledge, hands-on knitting and some good chat! The time-honored tradition of knitting is having a resurgence of interest as people turn to this beloved tradition of the past. From start to finish master the basics for the beginner/novice knitter and garner tricks and tips from an expert. The morning will be a working session with the goal of finishing a fast simple scarf to wear home.

Elisabeth Cary and Nikki Hayes both work at the Botanical Garden and are avid knitters with combined experience totally over 35 years of knitting.

Wreaths from the Wild
Wednesday, November 30, 1 - 3 p.m.
Hands-on workshop
Members $30; Non-members $35
All materials included in cost of workshop.
Bring pruners and gloves.
Beginners

Create a beautiful evergreen wreath for the holidays using the bounty of the fields and forests of the Berkshires. Learn how to construct a simple evergreen wreath from the wide array of wild plant material in your own backyard. Take home a beautiful wreath and the knowledge to create wreaths for holidays to come.

Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been collecting plant materials from the wild and creating wreaths for over fifteen years.

The Garden of Beadin'
Designing Beaded Glass Jewelry
Saturday, December 10; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Hands-on workshop
Members $85; Non-members $95
All materials included in the cost of class
Bring bag lunch, Beginner/novice

This class is back by popular demand and just in time for the holidays. Design and fabricate beaded jewelry with a focus on color, shape, texture and structure. This hands-on workshop will instruct participants in the simple techniques needed to create earrings, necklaces and bracelets using hand blown glass beads and sterling silver findings. Designing will focus on color, texture and shapes and how these elements work together to create wearable jewelry inspired from nature. Take home earrings, a bracelet and necklace of your own design.

Elisabeth Cary is Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. She has for seventeen years designed and fabricated glass-beaded jewelry for Penrose Design, a small independent glass studio located on Sheffield, MA.

Pruning Shrubs and Small Trees
Saturday, September 24, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Outdoor demonstration
$25 Members; Non-members $35
Beginner/intermediate
Wear waterproof footwear and outer coat
(10% discount for students attending both this class and Chainsaw Safety)

Autumn is a great time to assess your woody plants for shape and structure. This hands-on workshop will focus on pruning including when, why and how to shape, renovate, train or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about pruning tools, timing, and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Whether rejuvenating your old lilacs or shaping your small flowering trees this demonstration will cover the basics of pruning craft. (note: specific pruning techniques for fruit trees will be offered Spring 06)

Ken Gooch is the Department of Environmental Management's Forest Health Specialist for Berkshire County and has worked in the field of forestry for over 25 years. He has taught workshops throughout the state and for the Berkshire Botanical Garden.

Rustic Trellis Building
Saturday, October 29
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Hands-on workshop
Members $60; Non-members $70
All levels
(Participants should bring: hand saw, pruning shears, Philips head screw- driver, tape measure, safety glasses, portable drill with 1/8" bit or plug-in model with extension cord)

Reign in errant vines with a natural trellis of your own creation! Learn every phase of trellis making from choosing and harvesting the raw materials through design, construction and installation. Craft your own small trellis with maple saplings and bittersweet vines. Take away the necessary skills to create a broad range of sculptural delights for the garden and home.

Janice Shields creates sculptural house and garden trellises, planters and arbors through her Lenox-based business, Cut It Out. Her work appears in regional shows and she teaches at Berkshire Botanical Garden.

Stone Walls for the Garden
Saturday, October 15
9 a.m. -- 1 p.m.
Demonstration/hands-on workshop
Rain date; October 16
Members $45; Non-members $50
(10% discount for students taking both stone classes) All levels

This hands-on program will cover the basics of wall building, including planning and layout, learning to look at stone and demonstrations on cutting and fitting.

Various applications for the garden will be considered, with special attention to building a freestanding wall. All questions will be answered. Participants should bring: work gloves and safety glasses; dress for outdoor work.

Mark Mendel is the master mason of Monterey Masonry. He apprenticed with Maine stonemasons in the 1960's and taught at the Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine. He has built scores of walls, arches, terraces and walks in addition to many fireplaces in both brick and stone. Locally, his work includes the kitchen at Hancock Shaker Village, and a stone wall at Guido's Marketplace. Great Barrington, MA.

Stone Steps, Pathways and Copings
Saturday, October 15
2 -- 5 p.m., Demonstration/hands-on workshop
Rain date: October 16
Members $45; Non-members $50
(10% discount for students taking both stone classes)
All levels

Flatwork will be the focus of this workshop: paving with stone and brick for terraces, walkways, paths and garden edging. Watch a demonstration and participate in construction of a brick pathway using an unusual historic Italian design. Learn how to evaluate a project and choose the best material. All questions will be answered in this popular workshop. Participants should bring: work gloves and safety glasses; dress for outdoor work.

	Classes, September - December, 2005



Special Lectures Hedges, Espalier and Topiary Topiary in the New England Landscape Saturday, October 8 10 a.m.-- 1 p.m. Lecture/field trip Members $22; Non-members $25 All levels Join topiary expert Matt Larkin for an exploration of the art and history of topiary with a look to the practical adaptations for the home garden. This lecture/field trip will trace the origins of topiary from Pliny the younger, across Europe and England, and finally to America. Topiary's decorative and architectural applications in the garden will be discussed, along with practical knowledge on hedges, espaliers and topiaries including preferred plant material, and "tools of the trade". Visit a Black Barn Topiary located in Richmond and view a variety of hedges and topiaries in various stages of maturity. Step by step instruction will be provided, encouraging listeners to overcome their fear of taking secateur to shrub, and creating whimsy and drama in the landscape! Matthew Larkin established Black Barn Topiary in 2001 in an effort to provide large scale living sculpture to the garden obsessed. His work is currently growing at the Hartford Children's Hospital, and various gardens in Connecticut and New York, his farm in Richmond, was recently photographed for House and Garden Magazine and will be open as part of the National Garden Conservancy's Open Day Program. Landscapes Tell Stories Saturday, November 5 1--3 p.m. Slide-illustrated lecture/book signing Members $16; Non-members $21 All levels This lecture explores the value of landscape narratives and how to use these narratives during the design process to create landscapes that have character and originality. Listening to the stories of places is key to the design process. Compare some local examples of designs that disregarded the valuable stories of the place versus designs that engaged clients in their stories and connections to place. Learn by evaluating case studies of the instructors landscape projects. Jamie Purinton is a teacher, private practitioner, and writer in the field of landscape architecture. Her co-authorship of Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories transformed her approach to both the interpretation and design of landscapes. She edited Voices of the Land a collection of essays by farmers, artists, ecologists, chefs and others who write about the ecological value of our region and inspire us to think more deeply about our landscapes. Fall/Winter Lectures Late Summer Perennials Saturday, September 10 10:30 - 12:30 a.m. Lecture/ field study Members $16; Non-members $21 Beginners Late summer can present a true challenge for even the most seasoned gardener. The perennial border is often spent by the time September rolls around. Consider some new plant introductions and some old favorites to create a rewarding and colorful time in the late summer perennial border. View some easy-to-care-for perennials that go the distance to the first frost and beyond. Tour the de Gersdorff herbaceous border to consider the variety of herbaceous plants available for Zone 5. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens. Garden Wrap-Up Saturday, September 17 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Lecture/demonstration Members $16 Non-members $21 Beginners Fall is a great time to assess the year's gardening successes and failures, to review the gardening events of the spring and summer and to begin planning for next season. Consider winter interest in the garden and understand when to and when not to prune perennials. Learn how to prepare gardens for the coming winter season including soil amending, mulching, cutting back, and fall division of perennials. This demonstration will take place in the classroom and the garden. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens. Chainsaw Safety and Operation Saturday, September 24 10 a.m. - noon Lecture/demonstration Members $16; Non-members $21 All levels (10% discount for students attending both this class and Pruning Shrubs and Small Trees) Chainsaws are powerful tools that can be intimidating to use. The importance of safe operation of this dangerous machine cannot be stressed enough. Learn the correct way to safely operate, maintain, and store a chainsaw. Observe a demonstration on chain saw use and discuss when to call in a professional. Basic chainsaw maintenance will be covered. Ken Gooch, Massachusetts Certified Arborist, is the Department of Environmental Management's Forest Health Specialist for Berkshire County and is the Town Tree Warden for Worthington, Mass. He is an educator and lectures widely on a variety of topics including forest health, pruning, arboriculture and chainsaw safety and maintenance. Designing Outdoor Spaces for Children Saturday, October 22 10 a.m. - noon. Slide-illustrated lecture Members $16; Non-members $21 All levels Explore creative ideas for play spaces that naturally lend themselves to change, versatility, and exploration. Learn how to plan and install a space that provides a creative environment for children, places for adult activities, a planting scheme that invites wildlife and still preserve the flow and functionality of a property. Participants will draw from their own favorite childhood play spaces and will formulate elements compatible with their current property. Imagine mounding soil to create a mountaintop view or a safe out-of-view cove, the possibilities are unlimited. Angela Kearney, Principal, Minglewood Designs, Concord, MA is a landscape design and planning firm dedicated to creating harmonious garden environments. She combines Zen garden design principles with the ecological and environmental character of the region and site. Shrubs for Fall Foliage Saturday, October 22 10:30 - 12:30 a.m. Lecture/ field study Members $16; Non-members $21 Beginners Consider the use of woody shrubs and small trees in the landscape. This slide-illustrated lecture will focus on those plants that have wonderful foliage and are especially beautiful during the autumn months. View slides showing the four-season beauty of many of these plants and learn site selection and cultural requirements. Tour the garden and observe many of these mature specimens in full fall glory. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens. Gardening for the Birds Saturday, October 29 1--3 p.m. Slide-illustrated lecture Members $16; Non-members $21 All levels This class is for the gardener/naturalist and bird lover. Understand the unique relationships of our avian friends with plants, and how to provide birds with all they need to make the garden a welcoming home. Learn about the variety of songbirds, their requirements for survival and discuss the plants that attract them to the landscape. Learn the importance of the structural elements in the garden that are necessary to attract these welcomed guests. This lecture's ecological perspective on gardening will help gardeners better understand essential plant animal relationships. Drew Monthie is a horticulturalist, garden designer and ecologist working in upper New York State. He is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens. Japanese Garden Design Saturday, November 5 10 a.m.--noon Slide-illustrated lecture Members $16, Non-members $21 All levels Learn how to create an appropriate and contemporary version of a Japanese garden. Look at classical and recent examples of Japanese garden design with an eye for creating a modern adaptation suitable for the home landscape. Participants are encouraged to bring a photograph of their site for evaluation and discussion. This class will explain the basic design concepts behind Japanese gardens and will appeal to a broad spectrum of gardeners, homeowners and designer. Mary Parker studied landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden, the Conway School of Landscape Design and holds a MLA from the University of Massachusetts. In addition to a professional practice designing landscapes for private and public clients she lectures on garden making and garden history. Adventurous Annuals Plants for Dramatic Effect Saturday, November 12, 10 a.m.--noon Slide-illustrated lecture/book signing Members $16; Non-members $21 All levels Join Fine Gardening's contributing editor, Steve Silk for an exploration of annuals and tender perennials. He will discuss dramatic, fast growing annuals that offer extended summer interest in addition to architectural splendor. Learn gardening techniques including, self-sowing, over wintering of tropical plants and ideas for using these plants for maximum effect in gardens, beds or containers. This class is scheduled to give gardeners time to consider these wonderful additions for next seasons garden. Sources for seeds and plants will be shared and a book signing of Gardens to Go will follow the lecture. Steve Silk is an award-winning photographer and contributing editor for Fine Gardening magazine. He has collaborated on several books with author Sydney Eddison including Gardens To Go, and The Gardener's Palette: He tends his ever expanding Farmington, CT garden and is president of the Connecticut Hardy Plant Society. Photograph Your Garden The Nature of Photography Saturday, Sept. 10, 3 - 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 9:30--11:30 a.m. Hands-on workshop Members $65; Non-members $75 Materials supplied by participants Beginner/novice A beautiful garden is the results of many hours of labor and the results although spectacular can be fleeting. Many of us are disappointed when we capture this beauty in photographs. This course will focus on framing, composition, light, and other issues that will help you make better photos of your garden to share with friends and family or use as part of a portfolio to show prospective clients. Please bring a camera (film or digital) you know how to operate for hands-on practice in the gardens Brian Mikesell is an artist, photographer, and bookbinder with degrees in photography from Indiana University and New York University. He has taught photography at the International Center of Photography and St. John's University. He is also an avid gardener and a graduate of the Horticulture Certificate Program. Your Favorite Plant: A One-Day Writing Workshop Friday, September 23, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Hands-on workshop Members $75, Non-members $85 All levels, Bring bag lunch Join garden writer and teacher Paula Panich for a day of fun and expression as you write a short piece about a plant or garden you love. Spend an hour or so discussing how different garden writers write about their favorite plants and then write about your favorite plant and share the results with the group. Bring notes, books, whatever you wish, to remind you of the details of your favorite plant or family of plants. Open to writers of any level -- you already have what it takes: passion for your subject. Please bring pen and paper (or your laptop). Paula Panich, M.F.A., is a garden writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, and the Washington Post and she has published Cultivating Words: The Guide to Writing about the Plants and Gardens You Love. She teaches writing at The New York Botanical Garden, Boston University, Arnold Arboretum and Garden in the Woods. Knitter's Circle Knit a Funky, Fun Scarf Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.--noon Hands-on workshop Members $35, Non-members $45 All materials included in the cost of class Beginner/novice Learn how to knit like grandma with a chic updated twist. Join knitting "nuts" Elisabeth Cary and Nikki Hayes for a fun and productive morning of knitting knowledge, hands-on knitting and some good chat! The time-honored tradition of knitting is having a resurgence of interest as people turn to this beloved tradition of the past. From start to finish master the basics for the beginner/novice knitter and garner tricks and tips from an expert. The morning will be a working session with the goal of finishing a fast simple scarf to wear home. Elisabeth Cary and Nikki Hayes both work at the Botanical Garden and are avid knitters with combined experience totally over 35 years of knitting. Wreaths from the Wild Wednesday, November 30, 1 - 3 p.m. Hands-on workshop Members $30; Non-members $35 All materials included in cost of workshop. Bring pruners and gloves. Beginners Create a beautiful evergreen wreath for the holidays using the bounty of the fields and forests of the Berkshires. Learn how to construct a simple evergreen wreath from the wide array of wild plant material in your own backyard. Take home a beautiful wreath and the knowledge to create wreaths for holidays to come. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been collecting plant materials from the wild and creating wreaths for over fifteen years. The Garden of Beadin' Designing Beaded Glass Jewelry Saturday, December 10; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hands-on workshop Members $85; Non-members $95 All materials included in the cost of class Bring bag lunch, Beginner/novice This class is back by popular demand and just in time for the holidays. Design and fabricate beaded jewelry with a focus on color, shape, texture and structure. This hands-on workshop will instruct participants in the simple techniques needed to create earrings, necklaces and bracelets using hand blown glass beads and sterling silver findings. Designing will focus on color, texture and shapes and how these elements work together to create wearable jewelry inspired from nature. Take home earrings, a bracelet and necklace of your own design. Elisabeth Cary is Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. She has for seventeen years designed and fabricated glass-beaded jewelry for Penrose Design, a small independent glass studio located on Sheffield, MA. Pruning Shrubs and Small Trees Saturday, September 24, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Outdoor demonstration $25 Members; Non-members $35 Beginner/intermediate Wear waterproof footwear and outer coat (10% discount for students attending both this class and Chainsaw Safety) Autumn is a great time to assess your woody plants for shape and structure. This hands-on workshop will focus on pruning including when, why and how to shape, renovate, train or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about pruning tools, timing, and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Whether rejuvenating your old lilacs or shaping your small flowering trees this demonstration will cover the basics of pruning craft. (note: specific pruning techniques for fruit trees will be offered Spring 06) Ken Gooch is the Department of Environmental Management's Forest Health Specialist for Berkshire County and has worked in the field of forestry for over 25 years. He has taught workshops throughout the state and for the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Rustic Trellis Building Saturday, October 29 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Hands-on workshop Members $60; Non-members $70 All levels (Participants should bring: hand saw, pruning shears, Philips head screw- driver, tape measure, safety glasses, portable drill with 1/8" bit or plug-in model with extension cord) Reign in errant vines with a natural trellis of your own creation! Learn every phase of trellis making from choosing and harvesting the raw materials through design, construction and installation. Craft your own small trellis with maple saplings and bittersweet vines. Take away the necessary skills to create a broad range of sculptural delights for the garden and home. Janice Shields creates sculptural house and garden trellises, planters and arbors through her Lenox-based business, Cut It Out. Her work appears in regional shows and she teaches at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Stone Walls for the Garden Saturday, October 15 9 a.m. -- 1 p.m. Demonstration/hands-on workshop Rain date; October 16 Members $45; Non-members $50 (10% discount for students taking both stone classes) All levels This hands-on program will cover the basics of wall building, including planning and layout, learning to look at stone and demonstrations on cutting and fitting. Various applications for the garden will be considered, with special attention to building a freestanding wall. All questions will be answered. Participants should bring: work gloves and safety glasses; dress for outdoor work. Mark Mendel is the master mason of Monterey Masonry. He apprenticed with Maine stonemasons in the 1960's and taught at the Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine. He has built scores of walls, arches, terraces and walks in addition to many fireplaces in both brick and stone. Locally, his work includes the kitchen at Hancock Shaker Village, and a stone wall at Guido's Marketplace. Great Barrington, MA. Stone Steps, Pathways and Copings Saturday, October 15 2 -- 5 p.m., Demonstration/hands-on workshop Rain date: October 16 Members $45; Non-members $50 (10% discount for students taking both stone classes) All levels Flatwork will be the focus of this workshop: paving with stone and brick for terraces, walkways, paths and garden edging. Watch a demonstration and participate in construction of a brick pathway using an unusual historic Italian design. Learn how to evaluate a project and choose the best material. All questions will be answered in this popular workshop. Participants should bring: work gloves and safety glasses; dress for outdoor work. Mark Mendel is the master mason of Monterey Masonry. He apprenticed with Maine stonemasons in the 1960's and taught at the Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine. He has built scores of walls, arches, terraces and walks in addition to many fireplaces in both brick and stone. Locally, his work includes the kitchen at Hancock Shaker Village, and a stone wall at Guido's Marketplace. Great Barrington, MA.

Classes, September - December, 2005