Horticulture

A Year in the Garden

This informative series is for the home gardener who wants an in–depth understanding of plants and gardening. Courses will cover a broad range of topics including plant growth and plant uses, garden design and seasonal maintenance. This series is suitable for the novice gardener or those with some prior knowledge or experience. A Certificate of Completion will be given to those completing all 13 courses. Unless otherwise indicated, courses take place in the Garden; please dress appropriately.

Fees include all course materials and each course is supplemented with handouts.

Instructor: Mimi Clarke

Fee for the Series: $430 for members; $500 for non–members.

• 2012 Wednesday Series is sold out
• 2012 Saturday Series is cancelled

Botany for Gardeners Part I

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
A strong foundation in botany is an important aspect in becoming a well–rounded gardener. This course includes discussions on plant anatomy, plant life cycles and reproduction and plant physiology. This course takes place indoors.

The Winter Garden

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
This class familiarizes you with the winter garden. There is a lot to be done this time of year that enables your garden to be at its peak for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Topics covered are winter pruning, proper protection of frost sensitive plants, minimizing pests and diseases, bare–root planting and general cleanup. This course takes place outdoors.

Botany for Gardeners Part II

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
This class is a continuation of Botany for Gardeners Part I.

Pruning Demystified

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
In this course you will learn the basic principles and practices of proper pruning techniques. You will become familiar with the terminology and practices of commonly used techniques for pruning a variety of landscape plants. This course takes place outdoors.

Soil Management

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Soil structure is an essential element in creating a successful garden. No garden can thrive if the soil conditions are poor. This course teaches you about soil structure, fertility and water availability in order to give you a better understanding of the whole picture. You will also learn about different ways to improve the soil through amendments and other techniques. This course takes place indoors.

Landscape Tree and Shrub ID

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
This course presents a detailed study of the visual characteristics, nomenclature, cultural requirements and design applications of woody landscape plant material. You will learn to recognize the plants in different landscape settings and become familiar with them, based on the various training and pruning techniques applied. This class teaches you to recognize how the treatment of a plant specimen can achieve different results. This course takes place outdoors.

Garden Design

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
This course covers the design process and is intended to help you learn to evaluate plants to combine them successfully in your garden. An emphasis will be placed on how to work with the space you have, becoming familiar with a variety of materials and selecting the right plant for the right place. This course takes place indoors and outdoors.

Landscape Perennial and Annual ID

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
This class presents a detailed study of the visual characteristics, nomenclature, cultural requirements and design applications of herbaceous landscape plant material. You will learn to recognize the plants in different landscape settings and become familiar with them at their various stages of maturity. This class is intended to broaden your plant palette, so that you can create a more varied planting plan. This course takes place outdoors.

Plant Propagation

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
This class covers the principles and practices of reproducing plants. Topics include propagation by seed and vegetative methods including cuttings, layering, and division. This class takes place outdoors.

Pruning Spring Bloomers

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Now that the blooms are gone, it’s time to ensure continued growth and new buds. Learn how to prune and care for those early bloomers such as camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. This course takes place outdoors.

The Joys of Summer

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
As the garden comes into its summer season you will learn how to maintain that vigorous growth as well as how to prepare for the upcoming seasons. This class covers a broad range of practical information, such as planning summer annual displays, how to prune summer blooming perennials and annuals to achieve lasting blooms, pruning spring flowering shrubs, fruit thinning for those abundant fruit trees, and preparing the garden for the fall. This class takes place outdoors.

Pest Management

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Skilled gardeners must familiarize themselves with the various pests and diseases that plague our gardens. It is essential to be able to identify and control them. This class provides you with the knowledge to identify, prevent and control pest and disease outbreaks. Proper plant selection, site preparations and selection, soil conditions and other methods of control, with an emphasis on non–chemical control, are discussed. This class takes place outdoors.

Autumn Color Maintenance

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
A lot happens in the autumn season of the garden. There are several tasks performed during this time of year to prepare the garden for the upcoming winter months and for the future spring season. You will learn good gardening practices such as garden grooming, selecting and planting bulbs and annuals for spring display, pruning and preparing the soil through mulching and composting techniques. This class takes place outdoors.

Rose Care Series

Instructor: Mimi Clarke

Learn how to care for your roses year round from the former lead horticulturist, who helped maintain Filoli’s 600 plus rose plants.

Fee for the series: $90 for members; $110 for non–members.

• Register for the Wednesday Series
• Register for the Saturday Series

Pruning and Care: Climbers, Ramblers & Scramblers

Date: Wednesday, January 11 or Saturday January 14
Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Climber roses, pillar roses, wall roses and ramblers can be lovely and significant additions to the garden landscape. Learn the differences between these types of climbing roses and how to prune and train them to maximum effect.

Pruning and Care: Hybrid Tea Roses

Date: Wednesday, January 11 or Saturday January 14
Time: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Hybrid tea roses are commonplace in the average rose garden. Participants will learn proper care and pruning techniques for these beautiful garden standards.

Summer Rose Care

Date: Wednesday, July 11 or Saturday, July 14
Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

The class includes a walk through the rose garden, discussion of proper fertilizing, watering and mulching, as well as a demonstration of summer pruning for optimum rose health and bloom.

Fruit Tree Espalier Series

Instructor: Alex Fernandez Filoli Garden Manager
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am

In this three–part workshop, techniques required to develop and maintain an espalier fruit tree throughout the growing season are discussed and demonstrated. Participants receive valuable information on building a support structure, selecting plants, training techniques and maintaining mature trees long term.

Fee for the series: $90 for members; $110 for non–members.

• Register for the Series

PART I: The Espalier in Winter

Date: Saturday, January 14

The dormant season is the best time to start your espalier from bare root plants. Participant will gain the knowledge and vision to develop their own espalier. Participants will also prune and train Filoli’s mature espalier fruit trees.

PART II: Training & Taming Your Espalier

Date: Saturday, May 5

The spring growing season is a crucial period in the development of an espalier. The workshop will focus on pruning and training methods with participants getting an opportunity to work on Filoli’s developing trees.

PART III: Summer Pruning, Training & Fruit Development

Date: Saturday, July 7

By mid–summer, the espalier has slowed its growth and is putting energy into fruit production. Summer pruning to control growth and improve the appearance of the espalier is an important step in the annual cycle. This workshop will also discuss fruit production and how to get the most out of the fruit espalier.

Wisteria Pruning Series

Instructor: Alex Fernandez Filoli Garden Manager

Specific pruning topics are taught through informative demonstrations and hands-on practice. Each workshop begins with a demonstration followed by guided, hands-on practice. These are hands-on workshops; please bring garden gloves and dress for working in the garden. If you have a clean, sharp pair of shears, bring them, too.

Wisteria Pruning I

Date: Saturday, January 14
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Wisterias add beauty and fragrance to the spring garden, but they benefit from winter and summer pruning and training to be at their best. Come learn how our gardeners created and maintain the spectacular Wisteria Collection at Filoli.

Fee: $35 for members; $40 for non–members.

• Register

Wisteria Pruning II

Date: Saturday, July 7
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Spring has come and gone. The first set of fragrant blooms have come and gone, but the show isn’t over. Late summer blooms and beautiful foliage are right around the corner if you properly prune your plants back to encourage new growth. Learn what Filoli does throughout the year to maintain a solid structure and promote an impressive show of flowers every spring.

Fee: $35 for members; $40 for non–members.

• Register