The Arboretum offers perennial, and new, craft and floral workshops
Nature Printmaking, Grapevine Crafts and Orchids for Beginners are among the new programs being offered by the Connecticut College Arboretum this spring, joining popular, perennial programs like growing plants from seed and the pruning workshop. All are open to the public.
For those programs requiring registration and/or payment, go to secure online registration. Please include the program title(s) in the "Item(s) Purchased" line.
Saturday, April 1
The Art and Science of Pruning, from 10 a.m. to noon, with Jim Luce, Supervisor of Grounds.
Meet in New London Hall, Classroom 101. $10 (Free for members). Trees and shrubs thrive with judicious pruning. This workshop will cover what, when, how and why to prune. Topics covered will include training young trees and shrubs to avoid future problems, renovating overgrown shrubs and pruning hedges. After a brief lecture inside, participants will go outside to view pruning demonstrations on campus plantings.
Sunday, April 2
Grapevine Craft Workshop, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with Maggie Redfern, Arboretum Assistant Director, and Leigh Knuttel, Horticulturalist. Please register to learn of the meeting location.
$10 (Free for members). After a brief outdoor harvest of dormant winter grapevines, participants will make a unique wreath or rustic basket to take home. You’ll learn which vines to use (and which not) and leave with an easy spring project you can enjoy for years to come. Bring hand pruners and gloves.
Wednesday, April 5
Growing Plants from Seed, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with Maggie Redfern, Arboretum Assistant Director and Leigh Knuttel, Horticulturalist. Meet in New London Hall, Botany Lab, Room 112.
$25; $15 members. From annuals and perennials to trees and shrubs, success can be achieved if one understands what triggers germination and the growing process. This workshop is for beginners and those who have been frustrated in past attempts to transform seed to seedling. Students will leave class with a selection of potted seeds.
Wednesday, April 12
Orchids for Beginners, from 7 to 9 p.m., with Lydia Pan, Arboretum Volunteer, and Leigh Knuttel, Horticulturalist. Meet in New London Hall, Botany Lab, Room 112. $10; $5 members.
Growing orchids in the home can be easy and rewarding with their long-lasting flowers. Participants will learn about their light and water requirements, tour the Connecticut College Greenhouse orchid collection, and take part in a repotting demo. Registrants are invited to bring in their own plants to learn how to repot or diagnose plant problems.
Wednesday, April 26
Nature Printmaking, from 4 to 6 p.m., with Julie Garvin Riggs, Florence Griswold Museum Art Educator. Use the Williams Street entrance to the Arboretum, and meet at Buck Lodge.
$20 ($15 members).
Using pencils and printmaking foam, sketch a landscape in relief which will then be covered in printing paint and rolled out onto cardstock to create a beautiful mirror image. Prints resemble wood block carving prints. Each student will be able to make multiple prints on many colors of cardstock.
Friday, April 28
Attend the Photo Contest Reception on Arbor Day, from 4 to 5 p.m. in Unity House, when prizes for the Annual Photo Contest will be announced, light refreshments served. Exhibition on view through May 24. Contest details, rules and entry forms are posted online. Deadline for submission of photos is April 7.
Sunday, May 7
Bonsai Workshop, from 2 to 5 p.m., with Todd Hansen, Sanctuary Bonsai, East Hartford, Connecticut. Meet in New London Hall, Botany Lab Room 112.
$45 ($35 members).
This program will demystify the ancient horticultural art form of bonsai. Following a lecture and demonstration, participants will begin working on a small plant to start on its path towards being a bonsai. With a focus on care and maintenance learn all the basics of bonsai design.
Sunday, May 14
Wildflower Identification Workshop, co-sponsored with the Connecticut Botanical Society, from 10 a.m. to noon, with Susan Munger, Arboretum volunteer.
Meet at the Arboretum entrance on Williams Street.
Free, reservations required.
Wildflowers are often identified by flower form and color. Other useful characters are leaf form, growth pattern and habitat. The first hour will be spent at Buck Lodge practicing with keys using field guides such as Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Live specimens will be provided. Bring guidebooks and hand lenses if you have them. Then we will walk to the Arboretum Wildflower Garden to test our skills with what is in bloom. It is asked that participants Do Not Pick Anything while in the Arboretum. Please, no dogs or children.
For a complete list of all spring Arboretum programs, Subscribe to Arboretum events on Facebook to stay up to date on all current programs. Those who join the Arboretum enjoy many programs for free. For further information, call 860-439-5020, email arbor@conncoll.edu or visit the Arboretum website.
March 21, 2017
