New York Botanical Garden Classes, New York

Perfume can be traced back thousands of years to an Ancient Egyptian tradition, beloved by Cleopatra. Discover the history of perfume and the therapeutic benefits of essential oils in this hands-on workshop. Learn scent-blending techniques and how to identify and keep perfume notes.  Formulate three unique signature scents using wax, carrier...

Freshen your home while experiencing the soothing benefits of essential oils. Create custom-scented aromatherapy soy candles using essential oils to invigorate, calm, or heal. Learn the differences between petroleum-based paraffin candles and synthetic essential oil candles commonly sold in stores. Create and take home two 4-oz. container candles...

Fifteen minutes is all it takes for a stylish arrangement that will transform your table! Working with a variety of seasonal flowers, you'll learn how to execute simple yet impactful designs that are versatile, sophisticated, and eco-friendly.  Take home one finished arrangement—and plenty of easy design ideas.  Please bring: Pruners...

Create your own professional-looking arrangements with economical, store-bought bouquets. Using simple design principles and fresh flowers from European-style displays in your grocery store, learn how to design and create your own elegant arrangements. Please bring: Pruners and a bag/box to take your arrangement home. 

Colors—like flowers themselves—evoke feeling and sentiment, and set the mood. Explore the role of color in floral design using a spectrum of flowers. This course gives you a solid grounding in color theory, while highlighting the latest hues and color combinations.  Please bring:  Florist knife wire cutter scissors pruners ...

Gain an introduction to the terminology, concepts, and basic principles of landscape design through lectures and simple two-dimensional exercises.  This course is recommended for students with little or no background in design who want to design for their own home or who are considering a Certificate.

Mushrooms have been utilized for thousands of years for medicinal and edible purposes. John Michelotti, owner of Catskill Fungi, will show you how to cultivate gourmet mushrooms at home using safe and simple techniques.  Using cardboard and coffee grounds, create your own oyster mushroom starter (Pleurotus ostreatus) to take home, while learning...

Bring the bouquet of a summer garden indoors with handmade, naturally moisturizing glycerin soaps. You'll learn the traditional melt-and-pour process and combine fragrances of various dried herbs and essential oils—lavender, rosemary, mint, and more—to make four bars to take home.  Note: All the needed materials are included and provided...

Spring cleaning in the garden can be fun. Get shrub and herbaceous borders spruced up and looking good! Review a checklist of tasks to be performed during spring maintenance, ranging from raking off winter mulch to looking for signs of winter injury and noting where gaps in the garden can be filled. All this gives your garden a head start on a great...

Rich, nutritious soil makes for large, healthy plants and reduces the need for regular fertilization. Learn the difference between soil structure and texture;how these differences affect plant growth; and how you can modify your soil to improve its qualities. Give your garden a solid foundation, and you'll reap the benefits for years to come.

Did you know there are over 200 tree species growing on the streets of Manhattan? Learn to distinguish among the five most common general and pinpoint particular species in this quick intro to tree identification. If you have mystery trees in your neighborhood, bring photos and we'll identify them together. We'll spend some time outdoors too, so dress...

By February your skin needs a boost! Learn how to combine herbal properties with aromatherapy to create personalized, botanically based products. We will make herb-infused oils, water infusions and decoctions, extracts, and aromatherapy blends to be used for skincare. You'll also see a demo on how to make an essential oil, a hydrosol, and a flower...

For centuries herbs and spices have been prized not just for their flavors, but as state-of-the-art medicine. Learn about a variety of plants historically used for first aid, to revitalize the immune system, and to treat and prevent asthma, insomnia, sinusitis, bronchitis, colds and flu, and much more.  Join us—you'll be a much smarter shopper...

Whether in a shady corner or a sunny border, selecting the right plant combinations makes the difference between a ho-hum garden and one that gets rave reviews. Concentrating on perennials, learn to use color, texture, height, and bloom when combining plants to create a harmonious look for your garden come spring. Please bring lunch.

There are many types of flowers available for floral designers, from exotic imports to locally grown. Learn to identify new varieties of old favorites, seasonal flowers, and various foliages. Topics include the special handling needs of many flower types. Take home an assortment of flowers from each class.  Please bring:  Florist knife...