Featured Programs for Adult Learners
Explore our featured classes and tours for adult learners! To view all of our upcoming classes, visit our Garden Course Finder or use our Programs by Date tool.
SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY AT NIGHT:
GARDENFEST!
Sunday, January 5, 2025
4 – 7 p.m.
Night photography has its own set of challenges separate and apart from normal daylight photography. Fortunately, smartphones are well-equipped to handle those challenges – if we know how to take advantage of them. This is a three-hour class beginning at 4 pm while there is still a bit of daylight left, transitioning to complete darkness by the end of class. Illumination is provided by the 2+ million lights for which Gardenfest is famous. Unlike DSLR photography, tripods are not required, though if you have one with a smartphone rig, feel free to bring it. And be sure to dress warmly!
Learn More & RegisterGARDEN SALUTATIONS: GENTLE YOGA
JANUARY
Starting Tuesday, January 7, 2025
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Many styles of yoga utilize a sun salutation, a warm-up that honors the sun. Keeping to this spirit, class begins with a “Garden Salutation” in the Central Garden (weather permitting). Returning to the classroom and the yoga mat, practice continues with core strengthening, mobility and restorative yoga poses. This class is designed for those who wish to feel a sense of ease, strength and balance in their daily movements, foster well-being for healing or rejuvenation and experience inner peace and community in the welcoming setting of the Garden. Instructor Rie Monique Cherie brings a multifaceted therapeutic approach to gentle yoga with her combined knowledge of both ancient and modern Mind-Body practices.
Learn More & RegisterBASIC RESIDENTIAL
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Starting Saturday, January 11, 2025
9 – 11:30 a.m.
This comprehensive course enables you to thoughtfully and responsibly plan a landscape enhancing the architecture of your home and reflecting your personality. Learn the basics of site and structure then proceed with analyzing climate and setting. An emphasis on design theory includes color, texture, line, form and function. Plant selection, soil analysis, material selection and ecological responsiveness (resiliency) are also discussed and incorporated into your landscape design. This course includes four Saturday sessions and two Sunday afternoon studios sessions bring concepts to paper as you apply the processes discussed. You will need photographs of your planned garden area and a plat of your property.
Learn More & RegisterMás Que
MEDIOS CHILES
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
4 – 6 p.m.
Join Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on the road as we explore Mexican Cuisine with at Conejo for Más que Medios Chiles, an expression meaning “more than half chilis” or more than so so; an ironic way to say they are wonderful!
Mesoamerica gave the gift of the chile pepper to world bringing a new level of spice to Europe, East Asia, and India cuisine. This meal will pay homage to this versatile and interesting ingredient. Dishes will not be particularly spicy and will showcase the pepper in all different applications that showcase this ingredient as more than just a condiment.
The evening will start with a talk by Chef Danny. Following the discussion, join Chef Danny for an elevated and delicious four-course dinner with paired cocktails, wine and coffee!
Note: We are able to accommodate vegetarian requests and non-alcoholic beverages. Please be sure to indicate those preferences during registration.
Fee is all-inclusive and covers the talk with Chef Danny Mena, all food and beverage and Richmond City Meals tax and gratuity. Please note that this class will meet off-site at Conejo (5820 Patterson Ave, Richmond, VA 23226).
Learn More & RegisterECOLOGICAL GARDEN
CLEAN UP & SPRING PREP
Saturday, January 18, 2025
1 – 2:30 p.m.
Curious how you can clean up your garden this winter to create a pleasant, presentable space that is sustainable for your local wildlife? Join instructor Kaity Bevenour, native plant specialist & owner of Parallel Nursery, for a review of landscape management techniques for wildlife support! We’ll go beyond “leave the leaves” and discuss exactly how to structure your clean-up to meet your aesthetic & ecological goals. At the conclusion of the lecture portion we will take a walk through the garden to view some of these practices! Students will take home a book of their choosing for identification help or further reading.
Learn More & RegisterABSTRACTED WINTER
LANDSCAPES & STILL LIFES
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Create rich vignettes loaded with winter colors and layered shapes. View a variety of landscape and still life works for compositional ideas, then make multiple sketches before choosing one or two to fully develop. Work in a variety of media including charcoal, colored pencil, watercolor, and drawing pens. Feel free to bring your own images for inspiration and come ready to experiment with color layering, patterns and textures.
Learn More & RegisterLearning for All
We believe that all adults in our community should have access to plant-based, nature-focused learning opportunities. Each season, we offer adult classes with several pricing tiers to enable you to register at the amount you’re able to pay.
A Garden for All
We are committed to offering diverse adult learning opportunities that are inclusive and accessible to all learners. If you would like to request an accommodation to support your participation in an adult learning opportunity at the Garden, please contact [email protected] or call 804-262-9887 x320 and we will make our best effort to help.
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