Brookside Gardens Programs

Herb and Spice Holiday Gift Workshops

Heighten your senses and cheer at this holiday workshop making fragrant gifts and ornaments to take away. Learn about spices and herbs while crafting seasonal and natural ornaments. Families or groups of four, including adult, must register. Since this is a limited attendance event, we suggest limited adult supervision (i.e. one parent instead of two accompanying child or group of children). We are sorry, walk-ins will not be accepted so everyone can keep a safe social distance. Ages: 6 & up • Fee: $48 / table of four Course #87327 • Wednesday, Dec. 9 • 4-5:30pm Course #87328 • Wednesday, Dec. 9 • 4-5:30pm Course #87330 • Friday, Dec. 11 • 4-5:30pm Course #87331 • Wednesday, Dec. 16 • 4-5:30pm Course #87332 • Friday, Dec. 18 • 4-5:30pm

Speaker Series

These lectures will be offered as a live online webinar with audience Q&A throughout the presentation. After registering, a link will be emailed to you 24 hours prior to the live webinar. Please ensure your Active Montgomery account is updated with your correct email address.

Racial Equity Through Urban Greening & Agriculture Duron Chavis, Urban Farmer, Educator and Changemaker

Our food system works for some in our nation but fails too many people of color, a problem that has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. In this lecture, Duron offers a vision of a healthy and just food system. Sharing the importance of applying an equity lens to our current system, he will diagnose the problems and challenges, identify areas ready for change, and determine ways that we can work together to build a better and more fair system for everyone. Duron will share from his personal experience working in urban agriculture and local food systems as he helps define what it means to build a racially equitable food system—from field to farm to fork—and lay out the necessary steps toward achieving that goal.

About Duron Chavis

Duron Chavis started his career in community advocacy working with the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of VA. While there he founded the highly acclaimed Happily Natural Day festival, a weekend long experience that focuses on cultural awareness, health, wellness and social change. In 2009 Duron launched the Richmond Noir Market, a Saturday pop-up farmer’s market targeting low-income communities located in what the USDA has designated as food deserts in Richmond, VA. In 2012 he developed McDonough Community Garden and began transforming green spaces throughout the Richmond Region into urban gardens, farms, orchards, and vineyards. He served as one of 40 community facilitators for dialogues on concentrated poverty throughout the Richmond Region on behalf of Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, which paved the way for the development of the city of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building. He served on both the Food Policy Task Force as well as AntiPoverty Taskforce for the City of Richmond and participated as a member of the inaugural Citizen’s Advisory Board for the Office of Community Wealth Building. Presently Chavis is engaged in coordinating innovative and dynamic initiatives around the topics of urban agriculture and local food systems in a culturally relevant way. Ages: 18 & up • Free Course #87627 • Thursday, Sep. 17 • 7-8:30pm

A Beautiful Obsession Jimi Blake, owner and creator of Hunting Brook Gardens and author of “A Beautiful Obsession.”

Jimi Blake spent the last 25 years collecting the choicest plants he could get his hands on for his garden, Hunting Brook in Wicklow, Ireland. Known for his amazing plant combinations, Jimi weaves them together in a unique fusion of tropical, prairie and woodland styles to make a flamboyant, surprising and experimental garden that is overflowing with ideas for enthusiastic gardeners. Enjoy a visual adventure of Jimi’s lush garden while he offers practical lessons from his book, A Beautiful Obsession that inspires new garden projects, rewrites the rule book about combining plants and changes the way you think about plants and gardens.

About Jimi Blake

Jimi trained in the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin as a horticulturist and was subsequently appointed Head Gardener at Airfield House in Dundrum, Dublin. Jimi is a Gardening Consultant, Planting Designer, and International Lecturer giving talks and presentations all over the world. Ages: 18 & up • Free Course #87628 • Saturday, Oct. 31 • 10-11:30am

Horticultural Classes

These lectures will be offered online. After registering, a link will be emailed to you 24 hours prior to the live webinar. Please ensure your Active Montgomery account is updated with your correct email address.

Conquering Cool Season Edibles Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener Magazine

There are many edible plants that grow best in cooler weather. Try your hand at growing them and enjoy the “fruits”—or veggies—of your labor during the winter months. We’ll cover techniques for lengthening the growing season and what edible plants do best in our Mid-Atlantic climate. Ages: 18 & up • $10 • FOBG: $8 Course #87641 • Saturday, Sep. 26 • 10-11:30am

Plants and Planting Design for RainScapes Gardens Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection

Learn about how to properly size a garden and estimate plant quantities in this new class from RainScapes! Rain Gardens and Conservation Landscapes will be the focus of this course which will emphasize basic garden design for designing for stormwater management solutions that are beautiful and sufficiently planted with native plants for success! This class will cover more advanced topics than our introductory course. Ages: 18 & up • $10 • FOBG: $8 Course #87640 • Saturday, Oct. 10 • 10-11:30am

Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener Magazine

Beginner and intermediate gardeners are often overwhelmed by the long spring to-do list of garden tasks. Learn what chores are essential and which you can safely skip as you prepare your garden for winter while making a big difference to the success of next year’s garden. Discover cost-saving tips and tricks and how to “batten down the hatches” in case we have a bad winter. Ages: 18 & up • $10 • FOBG: $8 Course #87642 • Saturday, Nov. 7 • 10-11:30am

Wild at Home with Hilton Carter Hilton Carter, Plant Stylist, Designer, Author

Looking for ways to bring the benefits of nature into your home and liven up your decor? Enjoy an interactive conversation with plant-stylist, designer, author and social influencer Hilton Carter. He’ll discuss the basic 101 of house plant care, share his wild journey in greenery— discussing how he got started, finding his way via social media and eventually writing his book Wild at Home: How to Style and Care for Beautiful Plants. Learn how to style your at-home jungle while enjoying a virtual tour of Hilton’s personal collection of gorgeous greenery. Ages: 21 & up • $10 • FOBG: $8 Course #87622 • Saturday, Nov. 14 • 10-11:30am FOBG = Friends ofBrookside Gardens

Horticulture Workshops

All in-person workshops will be limited to 8 participants to ensure safe social distancing.

Hands-On Orchid Repotting Instructor: Jason Gedeik / Brookside Staff & Former Hillwood Museum & Gardens Orchid Curator

A healthy orchid needs to be repotted every one to two years. This hands-on repotting workshop offers an “expert checkup” to assess your orchid’s health and treat issues ranging from root rot to pests and diseases. You’ll learn why each type of orchid requires a different potting material and technique. Participants can bring up to two plants for repotting and their own preferred containers. Fee includes plastic pots and potting material. Ages: 18 & up • $35 • FOBG: $31 Course #87644 • Saturday, Oct. 3 • 10am-12pm Course #87645 • Saturday, Oct. 3 • 1:30-3:30pm

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Brookside Gardens Staff

Add a special touch to your Thanksgiving celebration! Join us to create your own centerpiece from beautiful flowers, foliage, branches, fruits, veggies and herbs in harvest colors. Bring your own container (12-inch diameter or smaller) or use the one provided for you during the workshop. Ages: 18 & up • $60 • FOBG: $54 Course #87646 • Tuesday, Nov. 24 • 10am-12pm Course #87647 • Tuesday, Nov. 24 • 2-4pm

Health and Wellness

Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens Guest Instructor: Charles Votaw

Tai Chi is an ancient, Chinese form of exercise perfect for adults seeking stress reduction while strengthening muscles, improving balance, and increasing flexibility. The repetitive patterns (Forms) emphasize slow, flowing motions and controlled movements. This series of introductory classes will help beginners learn the forms while allowing regular practitioners to practice them under the cover of Brookside Gardens’ lakeside Japanese tea house. Ages: 18 & up • $12 • FOBG: $10 • FOBG: $54 Course #87658 • Wednesday, Sep. 9 • 9-10:15am Course #87659 • Wednesday, Sep. 16 • 9-10:15am Course #87660 • Wednesday, Sep. 23 • 9-10:15am Course #87661 • Wednesday, Sep. 30 • 9-10:15am Course #87662 • Wednesday, Oct. 7 • 9-10:15am Course #87663 • Wednesday, Oct. 14 • 9-10:15am

Course #87664 • Wednesday, Oct. 21 • 9-10:15am

Herbal Remedies to Boost the Immune System

This class will be held online. After registering, a link will be emailed to you 24 hours prior to the live webinar. Please ensure your Active Montgomery account is updated with your correct email address. The information provided in this lecture represents the views ofthe instructor and are for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

Colleen O’Bryant, herbalist and owner of Wild Roots Apothecary

Learn how to incorporate herbal remedies into your weekly health regime as you look for ways to help boost the immune system heading into fall and winter. This lecture will include an informative presentation focused on herbs for colds, respiratory health, and emotional support for this transitional time of year. Colleen will review where to find or grow each plant, its history for medicinal and common uses, and simple preparations to have on hand for daily use like teas, tinctures and tonics. Ages: 18 & up • $10 • FOBG: $8 Course #87656 • Saturday, Oct. 17 • 10-11:30am

Virtual Yoga at Brookside Gardens

After registering, you will be sent a password protected link to view the online recorded yoga session.

Instructor: Tanory Ateek

Enjoy the convenience of yoga anywhere and at any time that you choose with these four pre-recorded yoga sessions available online. Each session is taped in a different setting throughout Brookside Gardens including the Japanese Tea House set on a serene pond. Designed to increase flexibility and physical strength and to cultivate mental focus, these classes are a beautiful and relaxing way to exercise. Ages: 18 & up • $25 • FOBG: $22 Course #87657 • Monday, Nov. 30 • 10am-2pm

Garden Walks & Tours

Brookside Gardens Greenhouse Tour

Each tour is limited to 10 people to allow for safe social distancing.

Nate Roerich, Greenhouse Manager, Brookside Gardens

This tour provides the public with a behind-the-scenes look of Brookside Gardens new greenhouse facility. Opened in 2018, the greenhouse consists of five unique bays and several growing areas totaling 10,000 square feet under glass. Participants will enjoy learning about the state-ofthe-art technology and how it enables the greenhouse staff to grow a variety of beautiful plants year-round. You’ll enjoy exploring the thousands of colorful and fragrant summer annuals being grown for the garden displays.

*Meetatgreenhouse. Addressandlogisticsprovidedafterregistration. Ages: 18 & up • $8 • FOBG: $7 Course #87629 • Saturday, Sep. 19 • 10-11:15am Course #87630 • Saturday, Sep. 19 • 1-2:15 pm Course #87631 • Wednesday, Sep. 23 • 10-11:15am Course #87632 • Wednesday, Sep. 23 • 1-2:15pm

Brookside Gardens Full Moon Walk Brookside Gardens Staff

Explore Brookside Gardens in a whole new way—by moon light! We’ll walk as a group along moonlit gardens, streams, and woods. You’ll discover seasonal garden highlights and friendly nighttime wildlife. Make sure to prepare accordingly with good shoes and comfortable clothes as the hour and a half walk will cover some hilly and uneven terrain, not your normal garden tour!

*Meet at Visitors Center Entrance Ages: 18 & up • $22 • FOBG: $20 Course #87655 • Thursday, Oct. 1 • 7:30-9pm

Brookside Gardens Chrysanthemum Tour Kathy Stevens, Brookside Gardens Conservatory Manager

Enjoy this new tour of Brookside Gardens’ fall display of blooming chrysanthemums in the North Conservatory. Explore the dozens of different varieties of chrysanthemums from spoon and spider to football and anemone in an arrange of vibrant fall colors.

*Meet at the Conservatory entrance. Ages: 18 & up • $8 • FOBG: $6 Course #87633 • Thursday, Oct. 29 • 10-11:15am Course #87634 • Thursday, Oct. 29 • 1-2:15pm

Brookside Gardens Glory of Fall Tour

Join us for a walking tour where you’ll discover a whole new garden brought on by the changing Autumn season. Explore the spectacular fall colors offered by the diversity of trees and plants throughout Brookside Gardens’ 50 acres. You’ll enjoy fall blooming perennials like asters, coneflowers, sedums, and grasses just to name a few.

*Meet at the Visitor Center entrance Ages: 18 & up • $8 • FOBG: $6 Course #87635 • Tuesday, Nov. 3 • 10-11:30am Course #87636 • Tuesday, Nov. 3 • 1-2:30pm

Brookside Gardens School of Botanical Art & Illustration

Mastering The Art of Light & Shadow with Watercolor

This course willbe taughtonline using Zoom, a free online application. Students willneedaccess to a computerthathas a built-in camera ora smartphone. The instructorwilluse a combination oflive demonstrations andshortpre-recorded videosduringthisonlineworkshop to demonstratetechniques andreviewconcepts. Students willbe able to workon their assignmentduring the weekbetween each session. During each three-hoursession, students willhave the opportunity to askquestions andsubmittheirartworkvia emailorshare itlive during the class forreviewbythe instructor.

Instructor: Heeyoung Kim

Transforming a humble flower into a dramatic artwork starts from the choice of an angle that creates dramatic contrast, intricate perspective, and the flowing light that captures a viewer’s eye. In this workshop, Heeyoung will share her methods of observing and analyzing the specimen in order to maximize the interplay of light and shadow. She will share composition techniques that help develop quick drawing skills that eliminate unnecessary repetition while maximizing detail and accuracy. Dark colors are often challenging to achieve as they become muddy looking or uneven when too many layers are applied. Students will delight in how quickly they’ll be able to achieve these rich dark colors and velvety textures with a few simple preparations. Level: Intermediate to advanced Prerequisite: Intermediate courses in botanical art & illustration Ages: 18 & up • $195 • FOBG: $176 Course #87624 • Sundays, Oct. 18-Nov. 1 • 1-4pm

MONTGOMERY PARKS Homeschool

Homeschool Naturally Virtual Series Take to the air, make a pit trap, and build a water filtration device as we explore water science, insect behavior, and animal flight. Participants will receive a science kit filled with experiments, activities, and supplies. Each gathering will include a virtual session with a park naturalist where we will explore the science topic using experiments from the science kit and share your results with the group. A
er the virtual session, there will be other suggested activities for participants to do on their own or as a family. This online program is being hosted by sta from Maydale Nature Classroom. You will pick up your activity kit from 1638 Maydale Drive, Colesville, MD 20905 prior to the first virtual program. Ages: 8–11 • $40 | Thursdays, 10–11 am | #88257 Thursday, September 17: Clean Water Science Thursday, October 5: Insect Behavior Thursday, November 19: Science of Flight

Homeschool Hikes Come join us for a woodland family adventure. We will have prompts and learning materials along a trail to encourage you to stop and explore the natural world together. Each month we will try a new trail. Please be sure you register no later than 24 hours before the hike so we can send you the meeting-up location. You may show up anytime during the program hours. A
er meeting with a naturalist, families will be sent down the trail at staggered times. Please register only one person per family. Black Hill Visitor Center Ages: 5–15 yrs, children must be accompanied by an adult | $6/Family per hike Thursday, September 24 | 1–4pm | #88286 Thursday, October 29 | 1–4pm | #88287 Thursday, November 19 | 1–4pm | #88288

Homeschool Virtual Junior Naturalist Club Join us for a 3-session Virtual Nature Club. We will have three Microso
Teams virtual sessions with a park naturalist and a box of take-home supplies for you to pick up so that you can learn and challenge yourself to adventures. Black Hill Visitor Center Ages: 6–12 | $40 for 3 sessions Wednesday, September 30–Wednesday, Oct. 28 | 1–2pm | #88289