Shrinking Your Lawn, Planting with Natives - Instructor - Greg Wirtz

Style : Lecture

Learn how to reduce your lawn, and bring more life into your landscape, through the use ecologically-focused landscape design and gardening techniques. You will learn:

-  why ecology-based landscaping is becoming increasingly popular

- how to identify your landscape plants using phone apps

- about “keystone” native plants in our eco-region

- how to determine the plants that are native in your county

- practical ideas to replace lawn with native plants

- how to find native plants, shrubs, vines, trees & seeds for sale or trade

- tips to maintain your native plant gardens

A Vase Full of Flowers - Instructor - Cynthia Damico

Style : Hands on 

This workshop will cover how to create a cohesive floral design in any vase and feature spring blooming flowers from our cutting garden.  The main elements of good floral design will be discussed including the main types of flowers and how to choose them. We’ll supply a glass vase and all flowers and foliages, please bring a box to bring home your design. 

What will be in bloom?  Sweet William, larkspur, orlaya, ranunculus, bupleurum, cerinthe, cress, snapdragons, sweet peas, cornflower and fingers crossed, peonies

All flowers and foliages will be grown on site at the Carver Center in the Extension Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden.  

Fruit Gardening Production - Instructor : Ed Stuart

Style : Lecture

Consider yourself as a beginning gardener or a well experienced gardener when it comes to growing fruit?  

Regardless of where you are on this gardening scale, the goal of this class is to provide the practical knowledge to successfully produce your own fruit, year after year. 

The class format will feature open conversations, questions and answers, and real-world examples, so everyone feels comfortable to exchange ideas and information. 

The range of topics will include: planning; research; selection; purchase; planting; maintenance; and harvesting your fruits.

For those in attendance at the class, a bonus...a field trip to the instructors home in June  to see what's growing and taste what's in season!

Kids in the Garden: Stories & Seeds- Instructor - Leanne Matullo

Style : Hands On Activity for the Child aged  3 - 10 

Note : Parent or Guardian must stay with child for activity

This is a playful, hands-on introduction to gardening for young children and their caregivers. We’ll explore the demonstration garden with a simple scavenger hunt, enjoy one or two garden-inspired stories, and plant seeds in small pots for children to take home and tend. We’ll end with time to wander, wonder, and ask questions - inviting curiosity, care for the natural world, and the joy of growing something together. 

Advanced Class - Color Theory - Instructor - Cynthia Damico

Style : Hands on 

Why do certain designs make us feel happy, romantic or excited?  Come explore color in floral design and learn how to choose perfect blooms to reflect the mood you want to convey.  We will be using every bloom available from our cutting garden and creating a lush garden design.  All tools and containers will be supplied, please bring a box to bring home your design.  This class is geared toward those already comfortable with basic floral design but is open to anyone.

What will be in bloom? snapdragons, sweet peas, cornflowers, baptisia, two types of sunflowers, feverfew, monarda, and other blooming perennials and native perennials like coreopsis, mountain mints and iris

All flowers and foliages will be grown on site at the Carver Center in the Extension Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden.  

Making Earth Inspired Seed Paper - Instructor - Tina Evans-Zook

Style : Hands On Activity for the Child aged  3 - 10 

Note : Parent or Guardian must stay with child for activity

Kids will get their hands a little messy (the fun way) while learning how to turn recycled paper into plantable seed paper inspired by our beautiful Earth. We’ll mix, press, and shape paper embedded with wildflower seeds—then take it home to plant and watch it grow!

This creative, hands-on class blends art, nature, and a simple lesson in caring for the planet. Perfect for curious kids who like to make things and dig in the dirt.

Zinnia Fun - Ikebana Principles- Instructor - Cynthia Damico

Style : Hands on 

Working with a kenzan and shallow bowl we’ll explore the connections between heaven, human and earth through floral design.  Although appearing to be a very simple design with less than 10 ingredients, it’s tricky to find the harmony.  You will take home the kenzan (pin frog) and bowl so please bring a box to tote it.  Another great class to take with a child.

What will be in bloom?  ageratum, lemon and cinnamon basil, plume celosia, oregano, three types of zinnias, gomphrena, and fingers crossed, dahlias

All flowers and foliages will be grown on site at the Carver Center in the Extension Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden.  

Outdoor Plant Propagation - Instructors - Robert Legge and Jeanne Maloney

Style : Hands on 

Learn simple, reliable techniques to multiply your favorite outdoor plants and shrubs at home. We’ll cover cuttings, air-layering, seed-starting, root division, and caring for young plants, with hands-on demonstrations. Perfect for beginners who want more plants for themselves or to share with friends. Participants will have the opportunity to prepare and pot cuttings to take home.  Please bring garden clippers if you have them.

Advanced Class - Hand Tied Bouquets and Modern Centerpieces- Instructor - Cynthia Damico

Style : Hands on 

How to create modern designs will be offered in this workshop - learn to create the perfect bouquet in your hand and a coordinating trendy compote centerpiece.  We’ll be wrapping our bouquets presentation style with a water source and the modern centerpieces will be designed in compotes with poultry netting.  This class will have a good pacing so we can complete both projects in our 2 hour timeframe, thus the ‘advanced class’ notice.  Please bring a box for your completed projects’ ride home.

What will be in bloom?  dahlias, sunflowers, scabiosa, caryopteris, asters, zinnias, celosia, eucalyptus, hyacinth bean, basil, salvias

All flowers and foliages will be grown on site at the Carver Center in the Extension Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden.  

Invasive Plant Workshop - Instructor's - AnneMarie Pfaff and Greg Wirtz

Style : Lecture

Non-native invasive plants negatively impact property values and degrade natural habitats on both residential lots and agricultural lands. This workshop will begin with an overview of common invasive plant species, focusing on proper identification and how to distinguish them from similar-looking native plants.

The second portion of the workshop will cover effective control methods. The goal of this program is to equip participants with the knowledge and confidence needed to responsibly manage and restore the land around them.

Each participant will receive a Virginia native plant to take home and plant in their garden.

Houseplant Propagation Made Simple  - Instructor - Cindy Curtis

Style : Hands-On

Learn how to multiply your favorite houseplants without spending a dime! In this hands-on class, we’ll cover the easiest and most reliable propagation methods—stem cuttings, division, leaf cuttings, and more. You’ll learn when to take cuttings, how to root them successfully, and how to care for young plants as they grow. Each participant will take home their own cutting to nurture.

Holiday Wreath Making - Instructor- Cynthia Damico

Style : Hands-On

This hands-on workshop will introduce you to making a wreath from scratch using a wire form with hay/straw, then adorning it with bundles of evergreens and berries for a finished product that is both beautiful and uniquely yours.  We will also be working with some dried materials from our very own Demonstration Garden!  All supplies for making will be provided, please bring garden gloves and garden shears if you have them and dress for a little roll with some hay and sappy fresh evergreens.