(16-Adult) Stop feeling guilty about leftover food scraps - learn how to transform your scraps, yard debris and other organic materials into nutrient-rich soil amendments for your garden. GSG staff will provide all the information you need to manage an active compost system. We’ll discuss the basic principles behind the science of composting, why compost benefits the soil and the different compost bins and tools needed for successful composting. Class will begin indoors before moving out to Green Spring’s Compost Station to illustrate examples of composting practices.

(Adults) Experience Green Spring Gardens with all of your senses. Join Ana Ka’ahanui, co-founder of local nonprofit Capital Nature for a slow, meditative walk around the gardens. Contemplative, but more active than meditation, this forest bathing walk will help reduce blood pressure, boost immunity, and enhance mood and creativity. Decompress and feel a deeper connection with the natural world. Bring something to sit on the ground, which may be damp, and a water bottle. Dress for the weather.

(6-Adult) Hummingbirds are a beautiful treat to see in the gardens. Enjoy making a hummingbird craft. Go on a walk to spot hummingbirds and learn which flowers to plant at home to attract them. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(13-Adult) Learn how to grow fresh herbs and vegetables year-round. Perfect for beginners and apartment dwellers, this hands-on course covers everything from choosing the right containers and soil to lighting, watering and plant care. Discover easy-to-grow edible plants that thrive indoors and gain the confidence to start your own windowsill or balcony garden. Supply fee payable at first class.

(Adults) This Juneteenth join BLK FLWR MRKT, a local black woman owned business, in making a floral smudge stick – sometimes known as a smoke wand. Smudge sticks, a bundle of botanicals burned for aroma, have been used by many cultures throughout the world to cleanse and purify both physical spaces and mental energies. Learn about the specially selected herbs and flowers you will use and the historical and cultural importance they hold for Black Americans. Engage your inner-self through writing affirmations, inner-child games and blindfolded sensory activities.

(All Ages) Celebrate Pride Month with a community picnic at the gardens. Bring your own food and seating and enjoy the chance to gather and connect with your family, friends and allies. Visit with site staff in the library to learn about the secret history of flowers and how they were used to communicate among the LGBTQ+ community. All attendees, including children, must be registered and accompanied by an adult.

(16-Adult) Beat the heat with an early morning tour of the vibrant demonstration gardens, led by a Master Gardener Docent who will dazzle you with stunning plant combinations and tales of Green Spring past and present. Hear about our 18th century origins and our mission today. Find inspiration in our horticulturists’ plant choices and garden bed designs and take their ideas home to try in your own landscape. Garden tours run rain or shine.

(Adults) Join Green Spring horticulturist Brenda Skarphol for a stroll in our summer gardens to look at some of our top perennial plants. Both native and sustainable non-native perennials will be featured, including some newer cultivars. We will see perennials thriving in a range of growing conditions, from sun to shade and in environments that are dry, moist or periodically wet. Plant combinations and eco-friendly gardening styles will be highlighted.