Gardening Courses Connecticut

Conneticut garden

Connecticut is one of the riches regions in the world we’ve found for gardening courses.  All manner of gardening and horticulture classes are available across the state.  We’ve picked some of our favourites which range from generalist gardening tours and workshops in Conneticut, to Connecticut’s best horticulture training.  If you are unable to commute to real life gardening classes – we’d highly recommend taking gardening courses at MyGardenSchool where you can learn from some of the world’s greatest horticulture writers and lecturers.  Many of our lecturers are British as the UK is a centre of excellence for horticulture,  but gardening and horticulture students literally come from all corners of the globe.  You will receive a certificate at the end of your gardening course (and a badge for you blog or website).  Click below for more on online gardening courses.

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University of Connecticut

The Master Gardener Program is an Educational Outreach Program that is part of the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System.  The program started in 1978 and consists of horticulture training and an outreach component that focus on the community at large.  Master Gardeners are enthusiastic, willing to learn and share their knowledge and training with others.  What sets them apart from other home gardeners is their special horticultural training.  In exchange for this training, Master Gardeners commit time as volunteers working through their local Cooperative Extension Center and the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford to provide horticultural-related information to the community

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 Connecticut Gardening Courses, Gardening Classes, Horticulture Lectures & Workshops

http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/index.html

Ballek's Garden Center, 90 Maple Ave., East Haddam, CT 06423 Summer hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday, 9 am to 4 pm. For more information, visit www.balleksgardencenter.com or call 860.873.8878 For groups of 10 or more, Ballek's will provide free tours, lectures and workshops. Each attendee is given a $5 gift coupon toward a purchase of $25 during their next visit. Slide lectures are given in their stone house meeting room. Check website for a list of available topics.

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, 151 Brookdale Road, Stamford, CT 06903 For more information, call (203) 322-6791, e-mail info@bartlettarboretum.org or visit www.bartlettarboretum.org The 91-acre nature preserve is a living museum of trees, rare plant collections, gardens and varied natural habitats and landscapes traversed by hiking and walking trails. The grounds are open to the public every day of the year. Self-guided tours of the Bartlett's gardens and trails can be done any day of the week. Individual garden and trail maps are available in the Visitor Center or at the parking lot gazebo. Call to arrange a private group tour. Bartlett also offers a Plant Certificate Course and Professional Tree Classes.

Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, 437 North St., Greenwich, CT 06830

Broken Arrow Nursery, 13 Broken Arrow Road, Hamden, CT 06518 * Pre-registration is required. Call 203.288.1026, email info@brokenarrownursery.com or abrand@brokenarrownursery.com, or visit www.brokenarrownursery.com

The Center for Sustainable Living, 90 Cabbage Lane, Bethlehem, CT 06751 Call (203) 982-1884, email cynthia@hgconnsoil.com or visit www.connsoil.com

Comstock, Ferre & Co.,263 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 06109 Classes are free unless stated otherwise. Register in advance by calling at 860.571.6590 or emailing sales@comstockferre.com and providing your name and contact information.http://comstockferre.com

Connecticut Botanical Society www.ct-botanical-society.org Field trips are a long-standing tradition of the society. They provide an opportunity to learn about Connecticut's plants and habitats from some of the area's most knowledgeable botanists -- and an opportunity to share your knowledge with others. Wear sturdy footwear and bring lunch. Sunscreen and insect repellent are recommended. For plant ID, you may want to bring field guide(s), a hand lens, and a small notebook. Familiarity with plant taxonomy is helpful, but not required. Non-members are welcome to join our field trips. No registration is required, unless otherwise stated in the trip description. Visit the society's website for details.

Connecticut College Arboretum, 270 Mohegan Ave., New London, CT 06320 Call 860.439.5020 or visit www.conncoll.edu/the-arboretum Tours run from the first Sunday in May to the last Sunday in October, starting at 2 pm. (Except for the third Sunday in May - Commencement day). Tours are free and open to the public. Meet in front of the Olin Science Center on the main campus of Connecticut College. First Sunday -- Campus International Tree Collection. Second Sunday -- Caroline Black Garden. Remaining Sundays -- Native Plant Collection. For more information, or to register, call (860) 439-5060.

Connecticut Horticultural Society, 2433 Main St., Rocky Hill, CT 06067 Regular program meetings are held on Thursdays at Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford. Non-members $10. Doors open at 6:45, speakers start about 7:45 pm. For more information call (860) 529-8713, email connhort@gmail.com or go to www.cthort.org

Connecticut Rose Society Meetings are GENERALLY held at 2:30 pm on the first Sunday of the month, September through June, at the Pond House in Elizabeth Park, West Hartford. Meetings are free and open to the public. www.ctrose.org

Elizabeth Park, Prospect Avenue and Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117 Call 860.231.9443 or visit http://elizabethparkct.org Elizabeth Park is America's oldest municipal Rose Garden and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located in Hartford, on the West Hartford border. They have many gardens in addition to the 15,000 rose bush garden: a bulb garden, annual garden, perennial sun garden and perennial shade garden. The Herb Society, Dahlia Society, Hosta Society and Iris Society have display gardens as well. Events are free unless noted.

The Garden Conservancy Open Days Program Self-guided tours of hundreds of private gardens from coast to coast. Many are rarely, if ever, open to the public. For a schedule with information on gardens that agreed to have their information posted online, visit http://gardenconservancy.org/opendays/open-days-schedule. You can sort the schedule by state. Admission to each participating private garden is $5 per person; children 12 and under are admitted free. Open Days are rain or shine events and no reservations are required. Open Days in Connecticut run from May 11 until Sept. 22 but keep in mind that there are Open Days at gardens in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island that are close by. To sign up for email updates about gardens in your area, or to purchase the directory, visit http://gardenconservancy.org/opendays/

Garden Education Center of Greenwich, 130 Bible St., Cos Cob, CT 06807 Call 203.869.9242 or visit www.gecgreenwich.org Classes coded with * are co-sponsored by The New York Botanical Garden, call 800.322.6924

Gilbertie's Herb Gardens, 7 Sylvan Lane, Westport, CT 06880 Visit www.gilbertiesherbs.com or call (203) 227-4175 to register. Gilbertie's First Annual Veggie Fair. Bring in your ugliest tomato, your heaviest tomato, your heaviest zucchini or your most uncommon vegetable. Let us be the judge. Canning and cooking demos. Prizes, fun and games.

Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center, 23 Potter Road, Hampton, CT 06247 Unless otherwise noted, pre-registration is requested but not required. www.friendsofgoodwinforest.com For more information, or to register, call (860) 455-9534

Hardy Plant Society, Conn. Chapter, Solomon Welles House, 220 Hartford Ave., Wethersfield. For more information, contact Leslie Shields at (860) 747-8175 or Selchie1@comcast.net or visit www.cthardyplantsociety.org Meetings start at 7 pm. Programs start at 7:30 pm. The public is welcome. Admission is free for members. The suggested donation for non-members is $5.

Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road, Washington, CT 06793 Visit www.hollisterhousegarden.org, email office@hollisterhousegarden.org or call 860.868.2200. The non-profit garden in Washington is open to the public every Saturday from May 4 through Sept. 28. Visitors step through time into a romantic English garden situated on a sloping hillside behind a rambling 18th Century farmhouse. High walls and hedges divide into three formal garden rooms opening onto 25 acres of Litchfield County vistas. Hours vary with season, check the website. There is a requested $5 donation per person. Group visits are welcome by appointment.

Awards & Accreditations

  • CPD Accredited (provider 50276)
  • Good Web Guide
  • Red Herring Winner
  • Education Investor Awards 2021 - Finalist
  • Royal Horticultural Society
  • Digital Education Awards 2023 Winner for Digital Health and Wellbeing Learning Product of the Year
  • Digital Education Awards 2023 Winner for Adult Home Learning Product of the Year