Drawing plants isn’t always easy, especially when you’re faced with foreshortened petals, tricky tonal values, or overlapping shapes. In this four-session class, Carol Ann Morley will explore numerous ways to approach these visual problems and how to solve them with confidence. Learn how to build spatial depth and show space using techniques like atmospheric perspective. With step-by-step guidance, you’ll gain skills to simplify what you see and conquer the curves of a curled leaf, the surface pattern of a gourd, or the layered shapes of a flower..
Length: 4 days
Dates: January 5, 7, 9, & 12, 2026
Time: 10 am - 4 pm ET
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Learn when and how to collect seeds from native perennials, identify reputable seed sources, and understand the best methods for sowing seeds at the right time. Kim will also cover nurturing seedlings to ensure healthy growth and techniques for properly storing seeds for future planting. Just in time to start your plans for the coming spring!
Length: 1 day
Dates: January 12, 2026
Time: 6 pm - 8 pm ET
In this class with Tara Connaughton, we’ll take the artistic opportunity to study the beautiful and unique succulents and/or cacti available in our local greenhouses. Students will be guided through creating a botanical illustration of their chosen plant, with lessons focused on observation, drawing, painting process, and capturing unique characteristics these plants have - such as powdery bloom and silvery greens. We’ll learn methods for accurate color mixing, how to layer watercolor to build value, and detail in our illustrations.
Length: 3 days
Dates: Wednesdays, January 14, 21, & 28, 2026
Time: 9:30 am - 1:30 pm ET
Join us on site at The Kampong, a National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) in Florida, for five immersive days of botanical art. Home to an extraordinary garden, where the warm, coastal climate supports an astonishing range of tropical species. Working from an open-air classroom, you’ll explore foundational drawing techniques using live plant material. Starting with simple field sketches in graphite you'll study form, structure, and growth stages. Many specimens may be flowering or fruiting—and some may display multiple stages of development at once. Using watercolor you'll bring your studies to life!
All art abilities are welcome
Length: 5 days
Dates: January 26-30, 2026
This class is our introduction series for botanical art beginners.
In this six-week class, Sarah Roche introduces you to the traditional art and science of botanical drawing and painting. Focus includes observational skills, drawing, composition, design, and watercolor techniques. Sarah provides plenty of demonstrations, individual attention, and detailed feedback to make this a perfect beginner class.
Winter Topic: Nuts. Use the forms and textures of nuts in their shells to explore the potential of a limited palette and dry brush detail.
Length: 6 Days
Dates: Varied, starting on February 2, 2026
Time: 10 am - 1 pm ET
In this six-week class, refine your drawing and watercolor techniques with Sarah Roche as you focus on achieving the accurate representation of botanical subjects.
Winter topic: Winter twigs with lichen and mosses..
Prerequisite: Artists enrolling in this class should have successfully completed at least two Foundations courses and have the permission of the instructor.
Length: 6 Days
Dates: Tuesdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24 & March 3, 10, 2026
Time: 10 am - 1 pm ET
This lecture explores the concept of cues to care—the design strategies that signal purpose, stewardship, and thoughtfulness in naturalistic gardens. The idea was popularized in the 1990s by landscape architect Joan Nassauer, who studied how people perceive ecological landscapes. We will examine how small interventions, such as defined edges, plant layering, and well-placed focal points, can transform a native garden from appearing “wild” to being read as intentional and artful.
Length: 1 day
Dates: February 25, 2026
Time: 6 pm - 8 pm ET
In this three-session class with Sarah Roche, learn the dry brush techniques used to paint on the archival surface of calfskin vellum. Plenty of demonstrations and tutorial time will make this class an ideal introduction to this archival art form. Aromatic spices – cinnamon, cloves and star anise – share a subtle palette as well as an evocative aroma and are perfect to capture in a watercolor study on vellum.
Length: 3 days
Dates: March 6, 11, & 13, 2026
Time: 9:30 am - 1:30 pm ET
Get color confidence. Susan T. Fisher teaches you a system for combining colors consistently so you won't have to settle for the ones you end up with through trial and error. Lots of exercises, discussions, individual attention, and demonstrations will show you how to achieve the broadest possible spectrum. You'll get answers to many of your questions as we discuss the various properties of paint. Familiarize yourself with the codes to quality paint and choose pigments that will endure.
Length: 5 days
Dates: Daily, March 16 –20, 2026
Time: 10 am - 1 pm ET
Meadowscapes mimic natural grassland systems and provide a dynamic, low-maintenance alternative that supports biodiversity and ecosystem health. Explore the ecological functions of meadows, including their role in improving soil health, supporting pollinators and beneficial insects, and providing food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. You’ll gain an understanding of plant community dynamics, seasonal succession, and how different species interact to create a resilient, self-sustaining system.
Length: 1 day
Dates: April 13, 2026
Time: 6 pm - 8 pm ET
