The Bellevue Botanical Garden Society is pleased to offer the following educational opportunities. Pre-registration is required for all our classes. Many of our classes sell out so we strongly encourage you to register early. Please be advised that if you elect to come to a class without pre-registering, you will be turned away if the class is full. If you do attend a class as a walk-in, you must pay with exact cash or a check.
BBGS members receive special pricing on all classes and lectures. Want to enjoy our classes and lectures at reduced prices? Become a member now.
Want to teach a class at the Bellevue Botanical Garden? Please read our guidelines.
Creating Sanctuary (WEBINAR)
We all need a sanctuary, especially during difficult times. Our gardens are the perfect place to create that nurturing space to grow food, medicines, beauty, and a harmonious ecosystem. Our gardens can nurture our bodies, minds, and souls, starting with having clear design intentions. In Creating Sanctuary, ecological designer and best-selling author Jessi Bloom taps into multiple sources of traditional plant wisdom to help you find a deeper connection to the outdoor space you already have—no matter the size. You will...
Find out more »Let’s Get Messy and Paint Flowers! (ONLINE CLASS)
Learn to make easy, beautiful flower bouquet paintings in acrylic paint using a negative painting technique. Start by making a colorful “mess” on canvas, then “finding” the bouquet of flowers hidden within. Start by painting a variety of colors in random shapes and adding drips and splatters of color over the top. Then, using a negative painting technique, create a beautiful bouquet in a vase. You will paint two different variations of bouquets during this class. You will provide your...
Find out more »Designing the Compelling Photograph
Join instructor Ray Pfortner for this 3-part photography class focusing on exploring the principles of composition and a range of creative settings and camera handling. The Garden will be our studio, our canvas, our focus. The class is aimed at all skill levels using any digital camera from phone to point-and-shoot to dSLR to mirrorless. Teens and tweens (12 and over) are welcome! Please note that this is a three-part class and once you register for the first one, you...
Find out more »Bellevue, WA 98005 United States
Pruning Shrubs III
With Anna Moore of Plant Amnesty. This class will teach you how to prune Rhododendron, Hydrangea, Callicarpa (Beautyberry), Viburnum bodnantense, and Abelia. Included in this class are basic pruning techniques, common pruning mistakes, and corrective pruning. You will earn credit toward your Master Pruner Certificate and/or WSNLA CEUs. $25 BBGS members/$35 nonmembers.
Find out more »Bellevue, WA 98005 United States
Kokedama
You’ll learn to create and care for a striking and unique Japanese moss ball under the guidance of Poppy & Finch founder, Weina Dinata, a native plant advocate and botanical designer, seasoned in the art of making kokedama. The workshop includes all the materials for assembling your moss ball, a step-by-step breakdown of the process, and helpful care tips for keeping your creation happy and healthy. You will be asked to choose between an indoor tropical plant or an outdoor...
Find out more »Bellevue, WA 98005 United States
Mini-Habitat Living Centerpiece
Taught by with Weina Dinata from Poppy & Finch, a native plant advocate and botanical designer. With your family, learn how to create a one-of-a-kind mini-habitat centerpiece using PNW native plants in a repurposed lamp globe. We’ll cover basic planting and design composition techniques and then have fun decorating our centerpieces with rocks, moss, branches, and insect or bird decorations. You will walk away with either a woodland or a rock garden centerpiece and information about native plants! Best for...
Find out more »Bellevue, WA 98005 United States
Mindfulness in the Garden: Awakening to Autumn
While we stroll slowly through the colorful almost-autumn Garden, we will focus on opening our senses and allowing ourselves to fully engage and awaken to the combined healing power of nature and present awareness. Utilizing elements of Mindfulness Meditation and Shinrin-Yoku (Japanese Forest Bathing), we will cleanse our mind, body, and spirit, creating a feeling of inner spaciousness, and stillness. Psychotherapist Deborah Wilk LMFT and Naturopathic Physician Jessica Hancock ND are from Mindful in the Wild. $25 BBGS members/$35 non-members.
Find out more »Bellevue, WA 98005 United States
Botanical Drawing: Leaves, Cones, and Seed Pods
Learn how to draw small fall treasures: cones, seed pods and leaves using colored pencils. This workshop will focus on drawing from observation utilizing loose and experiential sketches as a start. Participants will learn colored pencil techniques of layering, blending and embossing. We will use a walnut ink-stained paper reminiscent of old manuscripts as a surface and create a small botanical drawing. All levels welcome. Supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own sketchbook and/or set of...
Find out more »Bellevue, WA 98005 United States
