Classes

Learn more about the birds at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Join Eastside Audubon for a monthly walk that explores the birds and their habitat in the Garden. This one-mile walk will be on trails with various surfaces and may include gravel, mulch, or pavement. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Parking in the lot is free. From the parking lot enter the garden through the breezeway and turn left. Meet your guide in the covered Gathering...

Taught by Erin Cox. Let’s make pine needle hand brooms! You will be using a plentiful local resource, Pacific Ponderosa pine, while learning the basics of the broom-making tradition. Though not native to Western Washington, they thrive here and their needles are always on Erin's gathering list. Once cleaned and dried, they can be stored for years of future weaving. Erin will discuss harvesting, storage, and uses for the needles in this hands-on workshop. Each student will make 3 brooms. ...

Taught by Erin Cox. Come try your hand at bulrush spiral weaving and make quirky bulbs, cattails, and dragonflies to add whimsy to your home or garden. Spiral weave, sometimes called corn dolly weave, is a simple and versatile weaving pattern that allows for creativity. While the technique can be used with materials ranging from wheat stalks to willow rods, bulrush provides a beginner-friendly material that is gentle on the hands. In this workshop, we'll start with a simple bulb...

Join Sue Goetz for a workshop on the art of using herbs, edible flowers, and seasonal botanicals to craft cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. We’ll explore growing and harvesting and how to capture maximum flavor from the garden. Then learn about flavor profiles and pairing techniques (sweet, bitter, citrus, floral, and savory). Simple syrups, infusions, and muddled herbs methods as well as creative ways to use herbs from the garden in cocktails and mocktails. $42 BBGS Member/$60 Non-Member. Sorry, this class...

Taught by Dr. Katherine Glew. Have you always wondered what lichens are and why they are found on your trees, rhododendrons and azaleas? Lichens are harmless to your plants and add aesthetic value to your garden. Learn about common lichens found in an urban environment and what they tell us about air quality, forest health, and geology. Explore why lichens are indicators of changes in climate and ecosystems. You will leave with a fresh understanding of lichens and a user-friendly...

Nature journaling at the Bellevue Botanical Garden is a wonderful way to connect with the environment through curiosity and observation of the natural world. This free adult program will help guide your practice whether you are just starting out or are an experienced journaler. In this warm and welcoming environment, you will be encouraged to experiment and find your voice. In each session we will gather for introductions and brief guidance, and then head out into Garden to journal and...

Learn more about the birds at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Join Eastside Audubon for a monthly walk that explores the birds and their habitat in the Garden. This one-mile walk will be on trails with various surfaces and may include gravel, mulch, or pavement. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Parking in the lot is free. From the parking lot enter the garden through the breezeway and turn left. Meet your guide in the covered Gathering...

This walk will be led by Daniel Winkler, an enthusiastic mushroom educator, photographer, and guide. The Pacific Northwest offers a great diversity of fungi. Mushroom fruiting peaks in fall when the rains are back. Many fungi digest dead bio mass like fallen leaves, dead perennials, and woody debris and release in the process nutrients to the ecosystem. Other fungi are crucial symbionts to all kinds of plants trading water and nutrients for sugars. These are known as mycorrhizal fungi. Walking...