15 minute read
Adult & Teen Classes
Registration required at MeijerGardens.org/calendar.
Adult classes are open to all learners ages 16 and up. Teen classes are marked with the age range. All materials provided and no experience necessary unless otherwise noted.
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Nonmember class fee includes admission for the class participant on the day of the class.
Scholarship assistance is available. Please email questions to: classes@meijergardens.org
*Applies toward Michigan State University Extension Master Gardener education credit.
Pruning Trees and Shrubs* (Adults) Tuesday, September 6, 5:30–7:30 pm $25 members | $35 nonmembers Becky Pobst, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks
Bring out the natural beauty of your trees, shrubs, evergreens and hedges by learning to prune with confidence! Join Becky Pobst, Community Forestry Project Manager at Friends of Grand Rapids Parks and International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist, to discover when to prune, the proper techniques and best tools, the physiology of pruning, and risk assessment. Following the indoor presentation, take a guided walk around Meijer Gardens, weather permitting, for a unique look at stylized pruning.
Seed Saving: Vegetables and Herbs* (Adults) Thursday, September 8, 5:30–7 pm $30 members | $40 nonmembers Greg Dunn, Blackbird Farms
Discover age-old wisdom while learning how to save seeds from a variety of vegetables and herbs, in this insightful class. Save money next spring by learning how to collect, dry, store, and trial select vegetables and herbs. Gain an understanding of which vegetables and herbs can be successfully propagated, the role cross-pollination serves, and why seed saving is important. Go home with seeds from the instructor’s Certified Naturally Grown farm to begin your seed collection! Attend the second class in this seed saving series, Michigan Native Plants, Thursday, October 13, 5:30–7 pm, to learn how to save Michigan native plant seeds responsibly and successfully.
FREE! Community Cleanup (Adults and Teens 14+) Saturday, September 10, 10 am–12 pm Location: Plaster Creek Trail Araceli Eikenberry, Plaster Creek Stewards
We are excited to partner with our friends at Plaster Creek Stewards to host another river cleanup! Join Meijer Gardens staff members in this volunteer event cleaning up local waterways and learning from Plaster Creek Stewards about our watersheds. Select collected items will be sanitized and used in the Reclaimed Glass Mosaic class on Thursday, October 20, from 1–4 pm. Cleanup participation is free. Registration is required. Details on specific meeting location will be sent to all registered guests.
Cyanotype for Teens (Ages 14–18) Tuesday, September 13, 5:30–7:30pm $35 members | $45 nonmembers Taylor Bultema
Learn about the history and process of cyanotype—a 170-year-old photographic printing technique that produces prints in a distinctive shade of blue. Then create your own cyanotype prints using found objects, cut-paper collage, botanicals, or your own hand-drawn creation. The options are endless! Optional: Bring any 2D objects you may want to incorporate into your design.
Tea in the Victorian Garden (Adults) Sunday, September 18, 8:30–10 am $25 members | $35 nonmembers Amber Oudsema, Bo Stuck
Join us for a cup of tea in the tranquility of our Earl & Donnalee Holton Victorian Garden Parlor. Amber Oudsema, Curator of Arts Education, will cover the history of Victorian art and fashion while you snack on pastries and sip tea. Afterward head to the Sculpture Galleries, where Bo Stuck, Conservation Technician, will relate what you’ve learned to our current sculpture exhibition—Yinka Shonibare CBE: Planets in My Head—and give a behind-the-scenes look at the work that went into curating the exhibition. Watercolor for Beginners (Adults) Consecutive Tuesdays, September 20 and 27, 6–8 pm $70 members | $80 nonmembers Nancy Hart
Discover the delightful art of watercolor in this two-session class. In the first session learn about materials and methods, including brush techniques, choosing paper, additives, wet and dry techniques, and more. Then practice by painting your own color wheel to use as a reference. In the second session, use what you learned to create a strong composition of a still-life scene or object of choice. Participants will receive a travel-size watercolor set to keep and use in between sessions. Bring a colored photo to use as a reference. All other materials provided. NOTE: This is a two-part class. Students will attend both the September 20 and September 27 sessions.
Coffee with the Curator (Adults) Tuesday, September 20, 8–9:30 am $15 members | $25 nonmembers Eve Choi
Join Meijer Gardens Curator of Horticultural and Environmental Education Eve Choi for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Chrysanthemums & More! Unexpected Color horticulture exhibition. Learn what it takes to put this exhibition together, how we care for the plants in our collection and rotate them seasonally, and how the design and theme are determined. Enjoy a guided tour of chrysanthemum displays as Eve highlights elements of the exhibition. What Unexpected Color will you find? Have your questions answered over coffee and muffins with a staff expert.
Fall Foraging (Adults) Thursday, September 22, 11 am–3 pm $60 members | $70 nonmembers Location: Outdoor Discovery Center, Holland, Michigan Maggie Conklin, LadyHawk Nutrition
In this off-site class at the Outdoor Discovery Center in Holland, Michigan, you’ll learn about the abundance of “wild foods” in Southwest Michigan and discover how sustainable foraging can deepen your connection with the natural environment. Maggie Conklin ND BCDTN BCMH, Maven of Heirloom Academy and owner of LadyHawk Nutrition, will blend instruction in an outdoor classroom and guided walks, to highlight the seasonal identification and ethnobotany of these plants and challenge notions of what many might view as weeds. Expect a fair amount of walking and standing. Bring a notebook and dress for the weather. Fee includes a snack, water bottle, boxed lunch, information and resources to guide future foraging endeavors, and all gratuities.
Floral Chinese Ink Drawing
with Chrysanthemums (Adults) Saturday, September 24, 10 am–1 pm $45 members | $55 nonmembers Lotus Liu
Learn ink drawing techniques using traditional Chinese methods and brushes, with teaching artist Lotus Liu. Spend time exploring the Chrysanthemums & More! exhibition to get inspired and create practice sketches, then return to the classroom for a guided painting activity of floral designs on rice paper. Dress for the weather.
Labyrinth Zentangle (Adults) Thursday, September 29, 1–4 pm $35 members | $45 nonmembers Marjorie Goosen
Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing simple, repetitive patterns. Zentangle art is nonrepresentational and unplanned. Focus on each stroke and don’t worry about the outcome—the result is a delightful surprise! Start the class by getting inspiration from the brick labyrinth located in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden. Afterward, enjoy a guided experience of drawing and creating your own Zentangle labyrinth. Dress for the weather.
This beginner class is great for those interested in getting started in bonsai! Learn the background of bonsai before touring the Fall Bonsai Show to gain inspiration. Steve will then lead the group through the steps of training and trimming your tropical bonsai tree. Take time to ask questions as Steve shares insight and care tips. Learn how to repot your tree during class and take home care instructions and your newly trained tree. All tools and materials provided. Includes admission to the Fall Bonsai Show, Saturday, October 1.
Juniper Bonsai Workshop (Adults) Sunday, October 2, 12–3 pm $85 members | $95 nonmembers Scott Zomerlei Beginner | 10 participants
Learn the basics of bonsai, by starting from scratch working with an untrained juniper in a nursery pot. Learn how to select a tree with potential, the appropriate pot, and the best potting mix. Each tree will be analyzed as a group for different design possibilities, and using various bonsai techniques you will shape and trim your tree to start you on the path toward your desired design. Trees will not be repotted during class but instructions on repotting and future care will be provided. All tools and materials provided. Includes admission to the Fall Bonsai Show, Sunday, October 2.
Join local expert Steve Jetzer, from West Michigan Bonsai Society, as he guides bonsai enthusiasts in training a natal plum, also called a dwarf plum. This flowering evergreen native to South Africa makes wonderful bonsai. Steve will focus on how to establish a trunk line, branch pruning, and setting the tree’s shape using wire. The result will be the beginning of an attractive Shohin bonsai. Trees will be repotted during class and instructions for future care will be provided. All tools and materials provided. Includes admission to the Fall Bonsai Show, Sunday, October 2.
Eco-Friendly Papermaking (Adults) Tuesday, October 4, 5–7:30 pm $60 members | $70 nonmembers Taylor Scamehorn
Join us for homemade wildflower seed papermaking with 100% post-consumer paper. Create something new and beautiful from recycled paper, natural dyes, dried flowers, plant fibers, or wildflower seeds collected from the Meijer Gardens grounds. Your homemade paper can become a work of art, turned into notecards or invitations, or a unique gift that keeps giving for years to come. If you no longer need it, simply plant the paper in soil and add water to sprout new wildflowers! Paper will need to be dried overnight and can be mailed or picked up at a later date.
The Best Spring-Flowering Bulbs
for Every Garden* (Adults) Tuesday, October 11, 1–2:30 pm $30 members | $40 nonmembers Bill Bird
Be inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Keukenhof, a flower garden in the Netherlands that features 7 million spring bulbs displayed in stunning patterns, colors and combinations. Learn how to adapt these ideas to create beautiful combinations on a smaller scale at home. Discover how to naturalize bulbs for a less formal look and how to identify bulbs that will come back year after year. Master tips on how to plant bulbs, protect them from critters and care for them after they bloom. Take home a few unusual spring bulbs to get started!
Relief Printing (Adults) Tuesday, October 11, 6–9 pm $70 members | $80 nonmembers Alynn Guerra
Explore basic printmaking with Alynn Guerra, Red Hydrant Press Studio owner and Meijer Gardens’ pumpkin-carver extraordinaire. Learn about creating a strong composition that demonstrates the important balance of positive and negative space. Draw sketchbook thumbnails and choose your favorite to transfer onto an easy-to-carve rubber block, then ink your final print onto a tea towel to take home.
Seed Saving: Michigan Native Plants* (Adults) Thursday, October 13, 5:30–7 pm $30 members | $40 nonmembers Esther Durnwald, Michigan Wildflower Farm
Learn about the role native plants play in our ecosystem and how you can save seeds responsibly and effectively. Learn what it takes to harvest, store and plant these seeds for future success. After a short how-to lecture of common Michigan native wildflowers and grasses, make seed bombs using clay and native grasses and wildflowers to plant this fall, then enjoy the beauty and benefits next spring! End the class by taking a guided walk outside, weather permitting, to see some of Meijer Gardens’ native plants and learn about the part they play in the ecosystem this time of year. Attend the previous class in this seed saving series, Vegetables and Herbs, Thursday, September 8, 5:30-7 pm, to learn how to save seeds from a variety of vegetables and herbs.
Tree ID: Maple and Oak* (Adults) Saturday, October 15, 10 am–12:30 pm $35 members | $45 nonmembers Kim Davidson
Enjoy the beauty of fall colors at Meijer Gardens and learn the basics of tree identification. In this introductory level class, discover or further refine identification techniques specific to maple and oak species. Put your acquired skills to the test by venturing outdoors, weather permitting, for a guided tour of maple and oak trees on Meijer Gardens grounds. This class is great for those interested in learning more about maple and oak species!
Cancellation Policy: Full refunds for cancellations are given if we are notified by phone or email 30 days in advance of the class. A 50% refund is given if we are notified 7–29 days in advance of the class. No refunds will be given for notice less than 7 days before the class. Call 616-975-3184 or 616-9753147, or email classes@meijergardens.org for cancellations.
Character Illustration for Teens (Ages 14–18) Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, 1–3 pm $50 members | $60 nonmembers Gairen Tembreull
Learn the beginning steps of how to tell a visual story in this two-session introductory course, focusing on figure drawing and character development. In the first session, learn how to capture poses and movement from a live figure model. In the second session, use these new skills to develop your own character. All materials provided. No experience necessary. NOTE: This is a two-part class. Students will attend both the October 15 and October 16 sessions.
Reclaimed Glass Mosaic (Adults) Thursday, October 20, 1–4 pm $45 members | $55 nonmembers Amber Oudsema
Add extra beauty to your home with a glass mosaic, created with sanitized glass from reclaimed bottles collected during recent Meijer Gardens Community Cleanups. Learn the process of inlaying pieces into plaster-filled trays, creating a composition of your choice. Bring your own trinkets to add to the piece, such as keys, broken pottery, and seashells, and choose from the large selection provided. Pieces will be kept at Meijer Gardens until the plaster has set and can be picked up at a later date.
Black and White Photography (Adults) Tuesday, October 25, 6–8 pm $35 members | $45 nonmembers Dusty Brown
Get excited for the spookiest time of year by investigating the haunting yet beautiful qualities of black and white photography. Listen to an informative lecture before exploring Meijer Gardens to capture your own shots. Focus on light and shape and experiment with shadows. Proper exposure, composition, and tips for achieving the best black and white images will be covered. Tripod recommended but not required.
Floral Bouquet for the Holidays (Adults and Teens 15+) Saturday, November 5, 10–11:30 am $45 members | $55 nonmembers Kara Wilkinson, Fosters Floral
Make a colorful, festive floral bouquet to use as a centerpiece for the upcoming holiday season! Watch a demonstration on using the basic elements of design to create a simple, lovely bouquet. Learn the mechanics of arranging various materials, tools required and tricks of the trade. Bring a 5”-mouth vase of your own, offering it new life, or hand tie your bouquet to bring home and display. Fee includes admission to the Holiday Gift Show, Saturday, November 5. NOTE: This class is held at the same time as the children’s Fall Butterfly Shadowbox Display (Adults) Saturday, November 5, 11 am–1 pm $60 members | $70 nonmembers Amber Oudsema, Eve Choi
Join Amber Oudsema and Eve Choi, Curators of Education, to learn about the art and science of pinning butterflies. Take time to design an artful composition for your shadow box, then carefully mount your specimen so it can be enjoyed for years to come. Fee includes admission to the Holiday Gift Show, Saturday, November 5.
Ceramic Jewelry (Adults) Saturday, November 5, 1:30–4:30 pm $55 members | $65 nonmembers Harmony Nguyen
Explore the world of ceramic jewelrymaking and learn how to create, assemble, and embellish your own ceramic pieces. The instructor will demonstrate how to form earrings, pendants or beads from high-fire clay. Then learn how to decorate with underglazes and sgraffito techniques. Projects will be kiln fired off-site and returned to Meijer Gardens for pickup.
Join Wormies Vermicompost staff as they share everything you need to know to begin composting at home. After setting the stage with the basics of composting and why composting is important, they’ll highlight what is considered acceptable scraps for compost, how to maintain your compost, when and how to harvest your compost and how to best use it. Get your hands dirty learning how to set up your own compost bin to take home complete with starter material from Wormies! Attend the second class with Luis and Chandler, Advanced Composting, November 17, 5-7 pm, to learn more about in-depth, advanced applications for compost. Oil Painting (Adults) Consecutive Tuesdays, November 15 and 22, 6–8 pm $95 members | $105 nonmembers Nick Antonakis
Learn the basics of using water-soluble oils with landscape as the subject matter in this two-session class. Explore the stages of building a painting from start to finish. Discover how to develop a strong composition, then progress from sketch to a fully painted landscape artwork on canvas that exhibits atmosphere and three-dimensional forms. NOTE: This is a two-part class. Students will attend both the November 15 and November 22 sessions.
This advanced composting class is for those interested in learning about other applications for compost and a more indepth approach to the soil science behind composting. Learn about bokashi—an anaerobic method of fermenting your food scraps to create soil embedment—amongst other complex vermicomposting and fermentation methods used to feed the soil and aid your plants. Take home a bokashi setup to get started! Attend the first class with Luis and Chandler, Composting for Beginners, November 10, 5–7 pm, for more basic information on composting and to create your own compost bin to take home.
Fused Glass Wreath (Adults) Thursday, November 17, 6–8 pm $80 members | $90 nonmembers Gloria Badiner
Create a fun, seasonal-inspired glass wreath to liven up your home! Participants will construct a 9-inch wreath of their own design, exploring the process of cutting and shaping glass. Accessory products, including stringers, frit and dichroic glass, will be available to add unique detail to your work. Projects will be kiln fired off-site and returned to Meijer Gardens for pickup.
Pop-Up Holiday Cards (Adults) Tuesday, December 6, 5:30–7:30 pm $25 members | $35 nonmembers Jean Barber
Learn the basics of pop-up card making using templates to create standard pop-up, twisted pop-up and box-style cards as well as envelopes for each type of card created. Leave with cards that are ready to use and templates to use again and again for future card making. This class requires dexterity for cutting with scissors and lots of folding.
