Registration
Registration is required for all classes!
Most classes have limited space available, be sure to register early!
Please be prompt, classes start on time.
Call 585-473-5130 to register.
Click here for a printable Registration Form
Please Note: Most classes have a maximum of 20 students, so register early!
In case of bad weather, RCGC is generally closed when the city schools are closed. If in doubt, call 585-473-5130 for information.
Easy Gardens for Busy People Series
Who isn't a bit over-extended these days? Would you like to have a nicer yard to enjoy, but don't feel that
you have the time or expertise to do it on your own? Join us for one of these classes or the whole series - learn
about how with a bit of knowledge and planning you can fit the gardens you want into a busy life.
Members $20 each; all four for $60. Non-members $30 each; all four for $90.
ABC's of Vegetable Gardening with Christine Froehlich
Thursday, October 9, 7-9 pm
See full listing below.
Shade Gardening 101 with Megan Meyer
Thursday, October 23, 7-9 pm
See full listing below.
Low-Maintenance Trees and Shrubs to Jazz up Your Landscape with Christine Froehlich
Thursday, November 6, 7-9 pm
See full listing below.
Create a Low-Fuss Flower Garden with Marcy Klein
Thursday, November 20, 7-9 pm
See full listing below.
#LG0913 Digital Photography - Learning to See the Light in the Garden
Saturday, September 13, 12:30-4:30 pm
Photography is all about light! Learn how to make your digital photos of plants and gardens more interesting
and dramatic with your automatic or SLR-type digital camera. Following a slide-show review of basic digital camera
features and controls, with time for questions, we'll practice analyzing the light outdoors in a garden setting.
Instructor Sandra Weber will provide hands-on assistance and demonstrate how to adjust the light with aids such as
reflectors and flash. To get the maximum benefit from this class, take time to read your camera's manual and practice
using the camera's controls beforehand. Bring your camera, manual, fresh batteries and questions to class! Sandra Weber
is a freelance writer and photographer whose features and images have appeared in publications such as the New York Times
and Rochester Magazine. She also wrote and illustrated a pocket guide for point-and-shooters, Great Pictures Are a Snap!
(Amphoto, 1996) and has taught photo seminars and workshops for the U.S. Botanic Garden, Yellowstone Association, The
Chautauqua Institution, and others. Sandra specializes in practical, jargon-free presentations designed to help participants
to take advantage of digital technology and get great pictures every time.
Members $40, non-members $50.
#DE0920 Early Fall Tour of Durand-Eastman Park
Saturday, September 20, 10 am-12:30 pm.
Join us on a walking tour of one of our area's great parks with arborphile and tree expert Jim Atwater as
our guide. September is a great time to explore Durand-Eastman's splendid collection of mature conifers. Some western
species have been planted here in large groups to give a feel of the western forests, including a grove of huge
western arborvitae said to be the finest stand in the northeast. Some other magnificent specimens include two of the
first dawn redwoods planted in the US - only in their 60's, but enormous - a golden larch, Greek fir, Nordman fir,
moss sawara, several different hemlocks, etc. There are many special deciduous trees at their prime now, too,
including a Franklinia (very rare this far north), with camellia-like flowers in bloom, a grove of katsura trees,
and a number of large sourwood in full bloom. Be prepared to hike a moderate distance over somewhat hilly terrain.
Limit 15.
Members $15, non-members $20.
#EN0920 Practice the Fine Art of Pruning
Saturday, September 20, 1:30-3:30 pm.
Join owner Tom Keenan at Edgewood Nursery in Macedon for a short course in the proper pruning of
woody ornamentals. Tom will cover the few basic rules about why and where to make pruning cuts - to shape plants,
correct problems, prune for flower production, etc. Then you will have the unique opportunity to evaluate and actually
practice pruning some trees and shrubs at the nursery with Tom's guidance. Bring pruners.
Limit 9.
Members $20, non-members $30.
#FB0927 Late Summer- and Fall-Blooming Plants for Sun and Shade
Saturday, September 27, 10-11:30 am.
Visit Michael Hannen's small, hidden gem of a nursery at his home in the Upper Monroe Avenue
neighborhood. Michael has been building up his plant material over the course of 20 years, accumulating and
propagating over 800 special varieties that are generally very rare in the trade. His front yard landscape is only
a year old, but a real treat. The nursery material is in pots in the paved back yard - but you would never guess on
first seeing the area, because it looks just like cottage garden. Michael will discuss the plants here that are
great for late summer and fall color; fall is actually the best time to put plants in the ground, because they put
on much of their root growth in the cooler weather.
Members $15, non-members $20.
#VY0927 Planting Your Own Home Vineyard
Saturday, September 27, 1-3 pm with optional field trip afterward.
Whether you want to make your own wine or just grow your own grapes, this class is for you. Michael Warren Thomas
(host of radio programs on WYSL 1040 including Naturally Green, The Grapevine, and
Niagara Wine Country, and website www.YourOwnVineyard.com) is
using his expertise and enthusiasm for upstate New York's wine industry to encourage more backyard micro-vineyards.
Join Michael at RCGC for information on planting your own home vineyard - from varieties to spacing and pruning to trellising.
Afterward, there is an optional field trip to Casa Larga Vineyards in Fairport, where Michael will show you viticulture in action,
including a wine tasting.
Members $18, non-members $25.
#CG1001 Community Gardening is Growing!
Wednesday, October 1, 7-8:30pm.
Community gardeners are growing by the hundreds. The number of community gardens in the City of Rochester has
gone from 60 in 2006 to over 300 this summer. What is the reason for this groundswell? Is the high price of gas
and food causing people to think about growing their own produce? Do city yards lack adequate sunny space?
City Horticultural Technician Stacey Estrich will discuss this exciting movement and how we can all get
involved. Enjoy the ride from start to finish as neighbors work together to create beautiful gardens.
Free as part of Rochester's Flower City Looking Good series.
#VG1009 ABC's of Vegetable Gardening
Thursday, October 9, 7-9 pm.
Do you want to grow a vegetable garden but just aren't sure where to begin? Timing is everything, so get
a jump on next spring by making your plan this fall. Learn some simple methods of preparing beds; how, when
and why to use seed or transplants; some easy-to-grow vegetables to begin with; cool and hot season crops; troubleshooting
and many other tips from horticultural expert Christine Froehlich. This slide-lecture will provide plenty
of information to get you started.
Members $20, non-members $30.
Part of the Easy Gardens for Busy People series - see above. Take all four series classes for $60.
#GC1016 Good-Looking and Easy-Care Groundcovers for Weed Control
Thursday, October 16, 7-8:30 pm.
Brian Eshenaur (Ornamental IPM specialist with the NY State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell) took
part in a study in which 85 different perennials were evaluated for weed suppression and appearance. After several
years of testing, 14 of these have risen to the top as able to win out over weeds while keeping their good looks
under a range of growing conditions. Brian will talk about these winning varieties and about using them in your yard
to help keep down weeds.
Free with new or renewed membership.
#OP1021 An Organic Approach to Perennial Gardening
Tuesday, October 21, 7-9 pm.
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can be expensive and toxic, and you can grow beautiful perennial gardens
without them. Garden designer Lisa Nadeau-Legge, owner of LoftyMoss ~ garden design & fine plants,
will share her common-sense approach to gardening organically, based on years of practical experience in her
own and clients' gardens. This slide-lecture will cover the basics of disease prevention; scouting for common
pests and diseases; if, when and how to treat such infestations; and reliable sources for organic resources and products.
Members $20, non-members $30.
#CS1022 Collecting and Growing Seed of Woody and Herbaceous Native Plants
Wednesday, October 22, 6-9 pm.
Growing from seed is the most economical and efficient way to restore native plants on a large or small scale.
Jim Engel will cover propagation of woody and herbaceous plants from seed, with special attention to native
plants and plant communities and their use in restoring natural areas. Topics discussed will include how and when
to collect seed; seed treatment, storage and stratification; planting methods; and strategies to improve germination
and survival under natural conditions. Seeds of several different species will be available for hands-on demonstration.
Jim is owner of White Oak Nursery, a native tree and shrub nursery in Canandaigua, and an avid promoter of native
plants and their use in both natural and human landscapes.
Members $25, non-members $35.
#SG1023 Shade Gardening 101
Thursday, October 23, 7-9 pm.
Shade is sometimes seen as a 'problem' for gardeners, but it can actually be an opportunity - who wouldn't seek
out a shady spot to garden or relax on a hot, sunny day? Think harmonious forest. And when properly planned, shade
gardens can require less watering and maintenance than sunny gardens, not to mention that there are lots of exciting plants
that flourish in low light. Landscape designer and coach Megan Meyer (Gardens Through the Seasons)
will cover some basics of creating a shade garden, including discussions of soil preparation, determining the degree
of shade, and some of the best easy-care plants and how to combine them to create a welcoming and fairly self-sufficient
shade garden.
Members $20, non-members $30.
Part of the Easy Gardens for Busy People series - see above. Take all four series classes for $60.
#FC1025 Favorite Conifers in the Kral Garden
Saturday, October 25, 10 am-12 noon.
Conifers add all-season structure, texture and color to the landscape. Conifer expert Jerry Kral has an
amazing collection that he uses to advantage in his east-side garden; in this tour he will highlight some of his favorites
and illustrate the wide range of distinctive characteristics this plant group provides.
Members $20, non-members $30.
#HS1030 What Was Hot This Summer?
Thursday, October 30, 6:30-8pm.
Discovering new plants is an exciting part of gardening! Learn about the latest introductions with author, garden
designer and RCGC Director Christine Froehlich - find out what sizzled or flopped and get some new ideas for next
year. As an active member of the Garden Writers Association, Christine receives potential new ornamental introductions
every year to trial in her home garden. These come from some of the country's foremost suppliers, such as Monrovia, Proven
Winners, Alan Armitage's Athens Select, etc. In this slide show she will discuss plants that have been in her garden for a
year or two (which are just hitting the market), as well as plants received this spring (the best of which should be available
in a season or two).
Free with new or renewed membership.
#GB1101 Putting the Garden to Bed
Saturday, November 1, 10 am-12 noon.
Good gardens don't just happen in the spring - it helps to plan ahead, and the end of the season is an important
time to think about next year's garden. How you put your garden to bed - in the fall has everything to do with its future
success, as well as how easy it will be for you to work on it in the spring. What should you divide in fall, and how to do it?
What should you leave alone? How do you protect tender plants from winter injury? And recordkeeping, why and how to cut things
back, what to leave up for winter interest and wildlife, fall fertilization, cleaning and putting away tools and equipment. In
this outdoor demo class, landscape designer and coach Megan Meyer (Gardens Through the Seasons) will cover
everything you need to know about putting the garden to bed for winter.
Members $20, non-members $30.
#WD1104 Woody Ornamentals Not on the Deer's Favorite List
Tuesday, November 4, 7-9 pm.
Andrew Fowler started Holmes Hollow Nursery (a small retail operation specializing in the more unusual
trees and shrubs) in 1991. Given the nursery¿s bucolic location, that adds up to 17 years of experience with heavy deer
pressure on an unusually wide assortment of woody ornamentals. In this class Andrew will highlight the plant material
which has so far experienced very little browsing, and also discuss tips for protecting your landscape from deer based
on his experience at the nursery.
Members $15, non-members $20.
#EW1106 Low-Maintenance Trees and Shrubs to Jazz up Your Landscape
Thursday, November 6, 7-9 pm.
If you don't have time for labor-intensive flower gardens you can jazz up your plantings by increasing your
use of woody ornamentals. Add an array of texture and color to your plantings without creating extra work. There are so
many new shrub introductions these days it's hard to keep up with what is available. Come see what you can do with some
tried and true favorites, along with a bevy of new beauties you'll just have to try out. Designer and RCGC director
Christine Froehlich will give you lots of ideas to go shopping with in this slide-lecture.
Members $20, non-members $30.
Part of the Easy Gardens for Busy People series - see above. Take all four series classes for $60.
#FG1120 Create a Low-Fuss Flower Garden
Thursday, November 20, 7-9 pm.
Learn to create an easy-care garden that you'll have plenty of time to enjoy in this class with author
and garden designer Marcella Klein. She'll introduce an array of plants that practically thrive on neglect,
even under difficult conditions, and suggest ways that you can simplify your gardening to save time and eliminate
those chores you dread the most. You'll see slides of recommended plants and combinations and take home lots of useful handouts.
Members $20, non-members $30.
Part of the Easy Gardens for Busy People series - see above. Take all four series classes for $60.
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