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Adult Programs

Pre-registration is required for all programs. Call 410-634-2847 ext. 0 or email to register.

Back to Basics: Botanical Art Series

Fridays, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 9:30 a.m.–noon

Fee: $60 members, $75 general public

Good drawing skills are essential to successful botanical art. This class will focus on developing the drawing skills necessary to produce accurate botanical studies. Instructor Lee D’Zmura has led workshops at the Arboretum for the past three years. She also exhibits her work throughout the region and teaches advanced watercolor classes at Brookside Gardens. Participants will receive a list of course materials upon registration. Limit 10 participants.

A Garden in Uppsala: The Legacy of Carl Linnaeus

Thursday, October 9, 1–2:30 p.m.

Fee: $15 members, $18 general public

Join amateur taxonomist and Master Gardener Roger Tilden in a virtual tour of Carl Linnaeus’s historic garden. The botanical garden at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, was in a sorry state when Carl Linnaeus was appointed to a faculty position in 1741. Taking over the responsibility, Linnaeus planned a monumental garden equal to the ones he visited on his travels in Europe. The new garden would reflect his unique system of taxonomic classification, in which the plant kingdom is divided into classes according to observable traits. In 2007, restored once again, the garden was the centerpiece of the 300th anniversary celebration of the birth of the Prince of Botanists.

Garden Design and Autumn Color

Thursday, October 23, 1–2:30 p.m.

Fee: $15 members, $18 general public

Autumn color, so beautiful in the woods, can also be brought to your home landscape with thoughtful design. Capture what makes fall color happen—the science of when and how these changes occur—and come away with some new ideas for incorporating the colors and textures of autumn into your own landscape. Mother-and-daughter team Julianna Pax and Chris Pax will lead this course on garden design and autumn color. Chris Pax is a landscape designer specializing in native plants and Julianna Pax is a chemist. Both are trained as Arboretum docents. Come prepared for a walk. Limit 25 participants.

Ferns and Fern Relatives of the Delmarva Peninsula

Tuesday, November 18, 5–7 p.m.

Fee: $15 members, $18 general public

The Delmarva Peninsula supports a diverse collection of flora, including 58 varieties of ferns and fern relatives. Join Bill McAvoy, botanist with the Delaware Natural Heritage Program, to learn about the true ferns and related plants, such as clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts, found in our region. This program includes a walk and an indoor presentation.

Natural Ornament Workshop

Saturday, December 6. Two sessions: 10 a.m.–noon and 1–3 p.m.

Fee: $18 members, $20 general public

Create beautiful natural ornaments for the holidays at these workshops led by Nancy Beatty, Arboretum docent and garden designer. Participants will make items such as decorated cones, cranberry wreaths, and small decorated topiaries using dried flowers, bark, seed pods, and other natural materials. All supplies will be provided. Bring a sturdy box or basket to carry home your creations.

JOURNALING WITH NATURE

AUTUMN/WINTER SERIES

Workshops about discovering nature through art and words

First Wednesdays in autumn and winter – September 3, October 1, November 5, and December 3, 9 a.m.–noon

Fee: $15 per session, $55 for the series for members; $18 per session, $70 for the series for the general public. Pre-registration is required.

This series features four guest presenters who will work with poet and Arboretum Coordinator of Volunteer Programs Erica Weick in exploring paper and art, seeing the world through the lens of photography, searching for meaning in stone, and planting a garden in winter. Each workshop stands alone and will help participants unleash their imagination and let their creativity flow.

STALKING THE WILD MUSE

September 3

As a naturalist, an artist, and an Arboretum journaling group alumna, Maureen Mikolajczak will explore the poetry of nature through journaling, art, and the use of natural materials. Bring a favorite nature poem, use one provided, or write your own! Homemade paper and artist's tools will be available, or you may bring your own. We will also look for inspiration in the woods during a meditative stroll to help you find your inner Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE MIND’S EYE

October 1

Photography can trigger interesting reflections. Join Arboretum photographer Ann Rohlfing in the search for the symbolism of photos. A walk with a shared camera will help to show how each of us sees the same things differently.

IN SEARCH OF GROUND

November 5

Lynn Lang, writer and Arboretum docent, will lead the November session. As fall colors drift away, we will look groundward to rocks and stones and examine their power to inspire, to strengthen, to hold symbolic meaning, and to hold things together. Before you arrive at the session, capture in your mind the image of a stone or rock with the sun shining on it.

PLANTING IN WINTER

December 3

Adkins Arboretum Book Club - For Arboretum members only
Third Wednesday of each month except where noted, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Free - Members only

The book club promotes the Arboretum's mission through monthly book discussions about conservation issues. Readings include nonfiction, fiction, essays, biography, and poetry, and will focus on horticulture, natural history, science, ecology, history, and environmental issues. Members share leading discussions of their readings. Limited to 15 participants, pre-registration is required. Please visit the book club page for more information.