Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Upcoming Classes in NYC

Photographing the Garden in Winter: Inside and Out

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Winter in the Garden is a great time to explore the architectural beauty of the trees both inside and outside. Bring your winter gear as we venture outside to see trees in a new light.  If we’re lucky, we will have the challenge of taking photos of the trees with a coating of snow. Inside, we will explore the Desert Pavilion, Bonsai Museum, and Aquatic House for a very different view of winter. Please note that this class meets in person...

Painting the Garden in Fall: Watercolor Paint

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Draw and paint outdoors (weather permitting) surrounded by the exuberant late-season landscape of Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Each class starts with a one-hour lesson with demonstrations of watercolor techniques, materials, color, and value. Experienced students can choose to skip the lesson.  Students receive individual attention while painting, and each class is followed up with a discussion about the painting experience.  This class is...

Drawing Songbirds

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

This class borrows principles of natural science illustration to make detailed and lively drawings of songbirds. Our focus on basic bird anatomy will lend greater accuracy to your drawings. Use graphite alone or with watercolor to render these intriguing subjects.  Are materials provided and included in cost of the class? No. Here's the material list: Paper:  One 22”x30”sheet of Extra White or Traditional White 140lb Fabriano ...

Spring Floral Arrangements

Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Learn easy techniques to make beautiful bouquets and arrangements, working with colorful spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and ranunculus, plus fresh green foliage. Create two designs to keep or gift, with festive wrapping and enclosure cards included. Bring your clippers and a sense of fun, as well as lunch or a snack. Notes: Please bring your registration confirmation and a photo ID to the security desk at the 1000 Washington Avenue...

Herbal Spirits Tour: Absinthe

Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY

On a walk through the Herb Garden, discover the colorful history of this maligned spirit—from sordid tales of the past to its myth-busting recent revival. See, smell, and touch the plants that flavor this herbal concoction, and afterward, sample a local distillers absinthe served in the classic fashion.

Scarf Design Using Fabric Dyes

Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Join this class to get inspired by the patterns in nature and learn the techniques of working with fiber-reactive fabric dyes to create your own scarf designs.  Class will focus on demonstration, discussion of composition, and a comprehensive look at what makes a good textile design. Students will work on one scarf per session.

Succulent Gardens, Hair Combs, Crowns: Flower Art

Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Create a festive atmosphere for summer fun with your very own succulent garden, floral hair combs, and lush flower crowns.  The experts at Stems Brooklyn will help you choose flowers that work best for hair pieces and guide you in the art of drying flowers. This high-energy class will be sure to put a spring in your step all summer long.

Container Gardening on Rooftops, Terraces and Balconies

Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Want to start a rooftop garden or care for an existing one? This workshop will give you the tools to get going! Learn about technical aspects like irrigation and container materials as well as soil, suitable plants, design, and proper care. Important: This workshop covers gardens but not green roof systems. Notes: Please note that this class meets in person at BBG. Instructions on how to enter the Garden will be emailed to participants...

Living Lesson in Gardening: Creating Late Summer Look

Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ 1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY

This four-part series focuses on planning and gardening-by example. Learn from a professional about garden design principles and discuss plant choices and maintenance, including pruning techniques.

Branching Out: A Collage Workshop

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Whether you choose to create a forest, a copse, or a single tree, you will make a collage in this workshop to take it home. Found natural materials like bark, twigs, pressed leaves, and specialty papers and photos will allow for individual expression.  The starting point for your collage could be abstract or realistic: a tree of life, a favorite tree you climbed as a child, or a collection of trees here at the Garden. Are materials provided...

Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Simple Fall Shawls: Knitting Workshop

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn to make a trendy neckerchief or a comfy throw for the fall in this knitting class. Gain knitting skills such as casting on, yarn over increases, and a stretchy cast off. Focus on knitting the triangle from the bottom point up, making lacy increases on the edges as you go. Knitting will be taught in the Steinhardt Conservatory gallery featuring the exhibition Knit, Purl, Sow. Are materials provided and included in cost of the class? No. Here's...

Moss Terrarium Workshops

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Join the experts from Twig to get hands-on guidance in mini-scaping your own little green world, along with tips for keeping it healthy.  Are materials provided and included in cost of the class? Yes, all the components are provided, including forest-fresh mosses, an adorable little person to live inside, and a care sheet for you to take home with your nifty new terrarium.  With minimal care, your terrarium should thrive for years.

Gardening with Native Herbs

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Looking for a nutritious substitute for traditional iced tea? How about a cold glass of delicious anise hyssop tea? Learn more about our power-packed native perennial herbs used historically as remedies or food and how to grow them in your own garden.

Creating Herb and Flower Bath Teas

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Bring the healing, aromatic beauty of your garden to the tub. Let your creativity change your bathing experience by learning how to make luxurious and soothing bath teas from herbs and flowers. Every student will take their own creation home.

Nature Photography: Understanding Your Camera (Online)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

As spring returns, get a refresher on how to use your digital camera to capture the natural world. This class will explore all the functions of your camera, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and beyond. Photographic examples will also be shown and discussed. Geared toward people using SLR digital cameras, this class also welcomes owners of point-and-shoot cameras with advanced features. Notes: You will be emailed the Zoom link for this class...

Midsummer Landscape Workshop with Pastels - ON-SITE

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Enjoy summer in the Water Garden in this one-day plein air workshop at BBG. This Garden offers students both wide and close-up views, and the workshop is taught studio-style, with one-to-one instruction. The last half hour will be a group critique; students will share and view one another’s work. Emphases will be on composition and color mixing. Some drawing experience is advised, though this is open to newcomers to the medium of soft pastels....

Herbal Salves and Creams for Cold Weather Skincare

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Winter weather and its cooling, dry seasonal air can leave skin feeling dehydrated. In this class, you will learn which herbs can give you a winter glow and leave you feeling replenished and ready for the elements. We’ll discuss how to make herbal oils with hydrating and skin-nourishing herbs, as well as how to use these herbs in balms, creams, baths, and more.

Make a Bouquet for Valentine’s Day

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Nothing says “I love you” more than a homemade offering—especially with flowers! Learn how to create a stunning bouquet for your loved ones. Open to all levels, this indoor workshop will cover the basics of preparation, design, and maintenance of floral materials.  Please bring your own shears, and we will provide fresh, seasonal flowers. Notes: Please note that this class meets in person at BBG. Instructions on how to enter the...

Knitting with No Needles Necessary

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Kids and grownups will learn to use a variety of yarn thicknesses, textures, and colors to create botanically-inspired works of art. Bring home a one of a kind work of art and the skills needed for a lifetime of finger knitting. Knitting will be taught in the Steinhardt Conservatory gallery featuring the exhibition Knit, Purl, Sow. For ages 7+. Notes: All materials are provided.