(Adults) The fig is a peculiar and underestimated fruit. For millions of years, fig trees have shaped our world, influenced our evolution, nourished our bodies, and fed our imaginations. Join Dr. Jafar Vossoughi as he presents a comprehensive coverage of this small, unusual fruit, including its history, botany, biology and the cultivars suitable for our region. Then, take some time to explore the fig trees in our fruit garden. Dress for the weather.

(Adults) Mother Nature can help you compost plant material into luscious amendment for your lawn and garden. Visit Green Spring's composting station to learn different composting methods, materials to use and not use, proportions, aeration, screening, critter control and compost use.

(2-Adult) Book a walk with one of our Children’s Education teachers and choose from a variety of topics for the themed tour of the park. Each tour will include a hands on element and can be customized to include the science topics your students are learning in school. Choose one of the following topics: Pond Fauna & Flora, Native VA Plants & Trees, Watersheds & Geology of Green Spring, VA Ecosystems Walk, History of Green Spring as a Farm or General Garden Tour. You can sign up for our scheduled walks or schedule an on-demand tour.

(16-Adult) Take an evening stroll through the gardens at Green Spring with curatorial horticulturist Brenda Skarphol to see eco-friendly and sustainable garden ideas. Learn how to incorporate native plants that will attract more pollinators and wildlife to your garden, and ways to improve your soil for better water retention and to manage runoff. Dress for the weather.

(5-Adult) Calling all food justice fighters! Come and spread your picnic blanket under the shade of trees and learn about urban gardening, food deserts and more. Bring your own picnic or snack on the treats provided, and prepare to get messy. Please let us know of any food allergies. All attendees, including parents must be registered for the program.

(5-Adult) Embark on a journey to identify and exploring the animal ecosystem in the garden. Learn how zoologists classify animals and study their behavior, from the salamanders in the stream to the moles in the soil. Use magnifying glasses, binoculars and more tools provided during the program. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(7-Adult) Recharge in the sun-drenched gardens, meditate in the cool shade, and feel the beneficial effects of greenbathing. Learn how nature can give us a mental reset, and destress among our flowers and butterflies. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(7-Adult) Learn from beekeeper, Tatiana Lisle. Explore the buzzing world of bees and how beekeepers safely steward and interact with them, and the tools they use. Visit the beehives at Green Spring Gardens. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(4-Adult) Explore our Edible Garden and learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin. Plant your own seed to come back and harvest in the fall! All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(7-Adult) Visit the gardens for a morning of learning about honey bees and native bees. Learn about where they live and their important job as pollinators. Program will include an activity and a walk around the garden. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(5-Adult) Join our Extension Master Gardener docents and explore the native trees in the garden. Discover the role they play in the ecosystem and why birds and bees love them! All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(7-Adult) Learn how to formulate your own natural tie-dye with berries, leaves and spices. Learn how to create unique patterns and dye your own fabric masterpiece. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(5-Adult) Green Spring Gardens has long been a hub for nature photography. Learn how to take spectacular photos of flora and fauna through angles, lighting and stake-outs. Bring your own camera or use one we will provide for the program. All attendees, including parents must be registered for the program.

(7-Adult) Make your own stamps and carve designs inspired by the nature in the garden. Use natural dyes to try out your personal stamp in our Green Spring letterbox. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(3-5 yrs.) Your preschooler enjoys nature-themed toys and puzzles while you meet other playgroup parents one Monday a month. Through games, songs, activities and a garden walk we explore different topics.

(Adults) Make your garden beautiful and tasty with edible plants! Let Extension Master Gardener docents show you many wonderful possibilities for incorporating edibles, including veggies, berries and roots into the ornamental landscape.

(Adults) Extension Master Gardener docents lead a special “Grand Tour” of Green Spring! View some upper demonstration gardens, then take the garden path less travelled to explore the naturalistic lower garden areas: the Virginia Native Plant Garden, woodland stream valley and ponds. Tour involves a steep slope with loose gravel.

(Adults) There are many reasons to prune a hydrangea: for size, to remove deadwood and spent blooms, and to improve the overall vigor of your plant. But different types of hydrangeas—oakleaf, bigleaf, smooth, Pee Gee—require different pruning times and techniques. Join horticulturist Susan Eggerton for a walk through Green Spring Gardens and a hands-on pruning session. Learn how to identify different hydrangeas and get familiar with why their differences impact how you prune. You will come away with more pruning confidence and a future of beautiful hydrangeas. Dress for the weather.

(4-Adult) Join us for a Juneteenth celebration in the garden to honor the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Celebrate and gather as a family to reflect on the past and look to the future. Guest speakers Teri Speight and Abra Lee will discuss the past, present, and future of black garden clubs in Virginia, and environmental educator Maya Alexander will highlight the benefits of nature spaces for the black community. Enjoy a mini Farmer's Market and activity tables for children. After lunch join a garden walk or seed planting session. Pack a picnic or preorder your meal from local restaurant Granddaddy's Skillet. All attendees, including children, must be registered and accompanied by an adult. Adults (16 yrs.+) pay $10, children get in free.

(Adults) Help Green Spring Gardens celebrate National Pollinator Week! Join Laura Beaty, horticulture chair of the Virginia Native Plant Society, as she discusses the vast variety of local pollinators that evolved with the native flowering plants of Northern Virginia. Plus, explore the many native plants growing at Green Spring Gardens to see our local pollinators at work and learn why we need to protect them. Do your part to help pollinators by starting your own pollinator garden - we will help you with a plant list. Dress for the weather.

(4-Adult) Join us on the first Saturday of each month to learn about different aspects of nature and go on the hunt for themed objects around the park. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(2-Adult) Join us every other week at Green Spring Gardens for a story in the garden. Families can bring a picnic blanket or just sit in the grass and listen to our storytellers read a story. Afterwards, take some time to explore our gardens, ponds and Historic House. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.

(2-Adult) Do you love books, gardens and nature walks? Combine all three and join our storytellers as they move through the pages of a story and the beautiful gardens of Green Spring, connecting literature to the physical world. All attendees, including parents, must be registered for the program.