Home improvement

Keeping honeybees is a fascinating and fun pastime that can be enjoyed by anyone.  Brandon & Susan Pollard of the Texas Honeybee Guild actively protect and support honeybee populations throughout North Texas, and they want to show you how you can invite these much needed garden guests into your landscape.  They will show you what to plant to keep them happy throughout the year and more. Whether you want to keep bees for the honey they produce or for their services as pollinators, this class will give you the buzz on bees!  $25 or $22.50 for Members

Are you sick of having your home inundated with tender plant material in the winter? If so, building a greenhouse might be the answer for you. Join Gail Donaldson, Water Conservation Manager for the City of Allen, as she tells you what you need to know to start gardening in your own greenhouse this winter.  She will cover the types of greenhouses, how they work, preparing plants for the greenhouse, maintenance and purchasing sources.  Come find out how to keep your thumb green year-round! $25 or $22.50 for Members

Compost is an invaluable ingredient in a successful garden. By duplicating nature’s recycling process you can turn leaves, grass clippings, yard trimmings and kitchen scraps into dark nutrient-rich humus that is great for your garden. Join John Hunt, local garden writer and Dallas County Master Gardener, as he shares the importance of using compost to build your soil, how to use compost in the garden, which materials can be used, techniques to ensure great results and much more! Come find out how to create a gold rush in your backyard! $25 or $22.50 for Members

Double, Double, Toil & Trouble! Once marking the change of seasons, Halloween is thought of as one of our spookiest holidays. Long ago, many of our most common herbs were called upon to aid in the transition from one season to another. Join Mary Nell Jackson, Past President of the North Texas Unit of the Herb Society of America, as she shares the love, the lore and the history of some of the herbs of Halloween. She will show you which herbs ward off spells and which increase knowledge, as well as which ones are used to make love potions. You will leave with spell bag full of enchanting trinkets to make your Hallow’s eve a bit more magical! $35 or $31.50 for Members

From your apartment balcony to your back yard, anyone can enjoy lovely containers filled with edible, healthy fresh salad greens, herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Join Cathi Gartin, Vice President of The Cultivated Gardener, as she shows you how to choose, plant, grow, and maintain edible garden containers which can be right outside your door. Cathi will help you plant your own edible container that will be ready to harvest before you know it! $40 or $36 for Members

Are you tired of looking at your boring foundation plantings? Do you want to learn how you can add some pizzazz to your landscape? Well join landscape architect and author of Perennial Gardening in Texas, Alan Franz, as he shows you how to reinvigorate your garden and create a unique treasured space. The first part of the class will look at garden design history – both formal and informal – and be followed by the basic design principles used to lay out your garden. The second part will give you hands-on practice designing your own garden. Bring photos, property surveys, site plans, house plans and measurements of your yard to help jump start the design process. Bring your lunch or pick something up at the dining terrace.  $70 or $63 for Members

Fall is a time of transition in the landscape and it is a great time to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the garden. Join Bram Franklin, with Techscape Landscape, as he shows you how to bring bold color and texture to your fall and winter landscape. Find out which plants are great choices for these seasons and where they will work best in your landscape. You will be introduced to a variety of plant material that will give your garden the seasonal color that it has been missing.  $25 or $22.50 for Members

Growing roses in Texas is easier than you think, and who wouldn’t want more roses in their garden? Al Olson, Arboretum greenhouse volunteer and avid rose gardener, will show you how to easily add roses to your garden as well as the varieties that stand up to our Texas growing conditions. Learn how to prepare your soil, maintenance and pruning techniques, good watering practices, and which roses grow easily from cuttings. Al will take you on a brief tour of the trial garden to view varieties that are being tested at the Arboretum. This hardy garden shrub is a truly special plant, and after this class it is sure to be one of your garden favorites. $25 or $22.50 for Members

Trees are the largest and often the most valuable plants in our landscapes. Tyson Woods, Director of Moore Tree Care, will share his passion for trees and tell you what you need to know about the trees in your landscape. Learn how to care for the trees that you have, which trees do best in our area, proper placement and planting techniques, basic maintenance, and more. Class will include a tour of the garden to identify trees that grow well in North Texas. $25 or $22.50 for Members

Keeping your landscape alive in the Texas heat can take a toll on your wallet as well as your irrigation system. Fall is a great time to assess your system and consider making some changes that will help you conserve water now and next summer. Amanda Griffin, licensed irrigator and owner of Smart Outdoor Services, will dicuss sprinkler components before diving into scheduling strategies to decrease your water use in the cooler months while keeping your landscape healthy and strong. A little work on your system now will mean that when the sun starts to bake your landscape, both your garden and your wallet will be a little greener! $25 or $22.50 for Members