Classes & Events
NGBH events include regular work sessions at the garden site and occasional lectures and other special events. Check our listing below for upcoming events and highlights. Join our mailing list for event announcements.
Garden Volunteer Days
NGBH Campus, 49 South St, Blue Hill
bi-weekly on Fridays from 9 am-12 pm
Fridays: May 1, 15, 29; June 12 & 26
Spring Volunteer Work Sessions
9 am-12 pm
Work alongside NGBH staff and community volunteers to help build & maintain NGBH demonstration gardens. Visit our volunteer page for more information.
Online Workshops & Classes
via Zoom
learn from expert instructors; sliding scale fee
Monday, April 27
Gardens for the Senses, 6:30-8:00 pm
Join us for a descriptive & inspiring presentation about gardens that effectively attract gardeners and admirers through intentional sensory-invigorating design and plant selection. In this online presentation, Landscape Designer and Horticultural Therapist Irene Barber will take you on a journey to view a variety of gardens and featured plants—native and some not native—that are beneficial to our health and ecology, and that bring us joy! Attendees will be motivated to implement some of the tips, ideas and plants into their own garden settings.
Tuesday, April 28
Professionalism in Horticulture, 6:00-8:30 pm
Join Ivonne Vazquez and Cathy Rees to learn about starting a business, working with clients and other contractors, keeping records, and how to continue learning and earn various certifications.
Tuesday, May 5
Maine Insect Pollinators: Diversity, Ecology & Conservation 7:00-8:30 pm
Free talk co-hosted by Downeast Audubon; request the Zoom link
Join animal ecologist and professor emeritus Ron Butler for an overview of Maine's insect pollinators including bees, wasps, flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, and other lesser-recognized insect groups. While emphasizing native bees and flies, Ron will also cover pollination networks, the roles of geography, season, and plant species in determining which insect groups are the most significant pollinators, and the impact of climate change on pollinators. The presentation will conclude with simple pollinator conservation recommendations and sources for identification of insect pollinators.
Tuesday, May 12
Integrated Pest Management, 6:00-8:30 pm
Join Manjot Sidhu to learn about the IPM method and how to recognize and manage common disease, insect and weed problems in the garden.
Hands-on Intensive Training Workshops
NGBH Campus, 49 South St, Blue Hill
learn alongside our expert instructors & Training Program students
limited spots available; sliding scale fee $60-$100
Saturday, May 16
Understanding Soil & Compost, 9 am-12 noon
Join Marjorie Peronto and Cathy Rees to learn about soil texture, structure, organic matter, and how gardening practices and natural processes impact soil characteristics. Learn about composting methods and practices for healthy soil building.
Saturday, May 16
Healthy Garden Practices, 1-4 pm
Join Avy Claire and Marjorie Peronto for a session on how to plant, transplant, divide, stake and care for plants in the garden. Learn about weeding, watering, and proper tool selection and usage.