Chanhassen, MN (Jan.11, 2011) - The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a living, green classroom for learning about plants and gardening. Here's a look at upcoming classes. To register, call 952-443-1422 or visit arboretum.umn.edu/learn.
Arboretum Gardening School
Starting Plants Indoors: Building and Using Grow Lights. Saturday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
$30 member/$40 non-member. Learning Center. Get a jump start on growing seedlings without a greenhouse. Learn how to build your own grow light and how to use it to maximize your growing season.
Sexual Reproduction: Working with Seeds. Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Learning Center. Learn the biology of seeds, germination, scarification, stratification and more.
Asexual Reproduction: Cuttings, Layering, and Specialized Structures. Saturday, Feb. 5, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Snyder Building. Learn from a horticulturalist how to propagate plants through various methods.
Asexual Reproduction: Grafting. Saturday, Feb.12, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Snyder Building. Gain the understanding of the different methods of grafting and why some grafts work and some don't. Much of the class will be spent on practicing and making a number of grafts with various plant materials.
Planning a Garden From the Ground Up: Understanding Soils. Saturday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Snyder Building. Learn the essentials from a soils scientist. Examine how to enhance soil with water, compost and mulch. Includes an opportunity to have your soil analyzed.
Basic Garden and Landscape Design. Saturday, March 5, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Snyder Building. Learn the principles and theories of landscape design, including the elements of style, balance, texture and scale.
Perennials through the Seasons. Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Snyder Building. The perennial garden is like an orchestra where different sections play at different times. Knowing when perennials bloom can help you orchestrate the color display in your garden. Learn about perennials from A to Z and be able to apply that knowledge immediately to your own setting.
Gardening in the Shade. Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $30 member/$40 non-member, Learning Center. Selecting plants for shady locations is far more challenging than for sunny locations. Go beyond begonias and impatiens to learn about unusual shade plants. Discover the role of texture, color and shape.
Horticulture Classes
Grow Your Own Food. Saturday, Feb. 19, 10 a.m.-noon. $30 member/$40 non-member, Snyder Auditorium.
Whether you have a postage-stamp sized urban lot or spacious farmyard, you can grow an abundance of your own food. Learn the best choices for your vegetable garden from Tim Kenny, Arboretum director of education.
Orchid Culture 101. Saturday, March 5, 9:30 a.m.-noon. $35 member/$45 non-member, Oswald Visitor Center. Growing orchids in a Minnesota home environment is easier than in a Florida backyard! Jerry Fischer of Orchids Limited will share tips and techniques for successful orchid cultivation. Take home a seedling-sized orchid plant.
