Essentials of Landscape Design (Online)

Tuesday, February 1 - Tuesday, February 22

Whether you’re designing a small green entrance to your home or an expansive backyard oasis, this online class will equip you with the essential principles of landscape design. Join Janis Matson, horticulturist and owner of Shoreline Landscape Design, for this 4-part workshop series.

Learn foundational design concepts, such as soil, slope, sun exposure, and irrigation. Expand your learning with the principles and elements of design like focal points, scale, colour, balance, and more. Bring photos or drawings of your garden and work on your own property’s design with feedback and insight from the instructor. Leave inspired and ready to design your garden.

Deciduous Tree Identification (Online)

Wednesday, February 9 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Botanist Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed joins the VBGA to teach you about deciduous tree identification. Participants will learn about native and commonly cultivated species found in VanDusen Botanical Garden and around the Lower Mainland. Learn key characteristics of the most common deciduous tree families and recognize them in urban and wild environments.

Illustrating Birds Series (Online)

Tuesday, February 15 - Tuesday, February 22

This illustration course taught by Katharine Dickinson will bring the fun of drawing to the world of birds.

Strengthen your observation skills for studying birds, while developing your illustration skills. In the first class of this 2-part series, capture the plain form and essential bird features with simple sketches. In the second class, explore adding touches of watercolour to your drawing. After this course, you’ll have the confidence to bring your sketchpad out to the park, or to VanDusen Garden, or Bloedel Conservatory (admission sold separately), and connect to birdwatching through art.

DIY: Incense and Flower Essence (Online)

Wednesday, February 23 7.00pm - 8.30pm

Educator and herbalist Lori Snyder will guide you to make medicines from the plant world to bring balance, harmony and healing to your life.

Discover native and fragrant plants in British Columbia that can be harvested or grown in your gardens to make incense cones. Flower essences are homeopathic tinctures that carry the highest vibration of the plant, which can be very helpful for your emotional health. These simple, easy DIY projects can provide benefits for your spiritual practices, purification of your home, and building an appreciation for the healing aromatic chemical components of some of your favourite plants.

Growing Vegetables in Container Gardens (Online)

Saturday, February 26 1.00pm - 3.00pm

Interested in growing your own food but don’t have access to an in-ground garden? Welcome to the world of possibilities for edible container gardening!

This class is perfect for urban gardeners who want to get started with growing veggies and food crops on their balconies, patios, and container gardens, with tips on how to get started. Learn which vegetable varieties are best for patios or balconies, what the best soils and companion plants are, and which container pots to choose. After receiving Jennifer’s assistance and demonstration, you will feel confident to design the layout of a container garden to plant at home.

Garden Pests: Invasive Insects and Other Non-Native Wildlife (Online)

Wednesday, March 9 6.30pm - 8.00pm

What garden pests are bugging you? Do you have invasive insects or other critters that are competing with your ability to grow food or maintain a healthy garden? In this class meet some of the region’s most devastating garden and lawn invaders, including European chafer beetle, fire ants and European grey squirrel. Also, learn about some species that are not yet here that you should be on the watch for.