UPCOMING SPECIAL PROGRAMS for 2022 |
MAY:
Tuesday, 5/10
Member day tours
- 11am, with Jill Nooney
- 3pm, with John forti
Tuesday, 5/10, 11:30am-1pm: Sustainable Container Gardening, with Roanne Robbins
Bring your containers to gorgeous year-round life by utilizing a palette of trees and perennials designed to be as appealing in January as they are in July. Infuse the beauty of seasonality and natural change into your compositions. Roanne Robbins will be on hand to help you shop Bedrock’s plant selections and assist you as you design your creation.
Roanne Robbins is Bedrock Gardens' Education Coordinator and co-author of Continuous Container Gardens.
Members only day. Free.
Pre-registration for lecture. Registration limited to 25 participants. Sign up here.
Design work space-ongoing
Thursday, 5/12, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins
The Bedrock Gardens' Young Botanist Club invites you to interact with the gardens through a series of curated horticultural activities and botanical lenses. There will be a different theme to explore each week, with activity instructions and materials provided. Participants are invited to explore different locations in the Garden guided by the activities and materials provided by the Bedrock education staff. Education staff will be on hand to answer any questions and guide you along. Pack a picnic and spend a wonderful afternoon in the gardens.
Time:Thursdays mornings, May 12th–June 16th and September 8th–October 6th, 10:30am to 12pm
Ages: Program materials are designed for pre-K and Kindergarten children, accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Fee: $20, members, $30, non-members, (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 child participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 5/18, 10am-11:30: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins
Explore the life cycles and seasons in our garden to learn more about the pollinators, winged and furry friends that reside in our special spaces. During our morning walks, we will discuss how diverse plant life, micro-habitats, and seasonality attracts wildlife and how we, as gardeners, can use our skills to attract various species. We invite you to bring binoculars and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Time: Wednesdays, May 18th–June 15th, September 7th–October 5th, 10 am-11:30
Bedrock Gardens Members only, adult programing
Registration limited to 15 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 5/19, 10:30am-12:00pm: Garden and Landscape Design, Lessons from Bedrock Gardens, with Jill Nooney
This is an opportunity to learn some of the underlying design elements that knit Bedrock Gardens together as a whole from the garden's creator herself. She will be discussing design principles in the abstract, as well as their practical applications. You will never look at the garden in the same way again. Come along.
Jill made her first garden when she was nine with the help of her mother and their station wagon. Beauty and the natural world, particularity plants have sustained her for her whole life. Over the past 30 years she and her partner have created Bedrock Gardens. They now hope it will sustain others like it has her.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 5/19, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Sunday, 5/22, 10:30am-11:30am: Coppice/ Pollarding: Tree and Shrub Management for Production, with Andy Balon of Bartlett Tree Experts
Coppicing and pollarding are pruning techniques that date back to the Neolithic era. We will explore how regenerative properties in trees and shrubs can be utilized to produce a sustainable harvest of pliable, colorful, and bountiful woody stems.
Andy Balon is an ISA Certified Arborist and horticulturist from Lincoln, RI. He is an avid gardener and backyard farmer (2 goats, 2 chickens, and 2 dogs). He currently works for the Bartlett Tree Experts in Waltham, Ma.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
*Enroll in both offerings Wattle (below) and Coppicing and receive a discount. $100 members, $120, non-member, includes admission. A boxed lunch available for those participants who enroll in both programs. Sign up here.
Sunday, 5/22, 1pm-2:30pm: Wattle Garden Structures Construction with Justin Kane
Seasonal pruning was rarely wasted in a pre-industrial woodlot or orchard. This demonstration should give you a number of ideas for your coppiced or chance grown withies. Participants will work on a community wattle garden bed installation at Bedrock to learn this age-old skill together. Wattling, in addition to being a satisfying word to say, is the weaving of flexible lengths of branch or twig into practical structures. From stout fences to more whimsical applications, this hands-on workshop/lecture introduces you to a remarkably ancient art.
Justin Kane grew up around the first falls of the Exeter River, and now lives just above the third falls of the same river. He trained as a horticulturalist under John Forti at Strawbery Banke Museum, and has picked up a bunch of other weird skills all on his own. He has been experimenting with wattle as well as other stick and rock-oriented crafts for a few decades.
Fee: $70, members, $85, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
*Enroll in both offerings Wattle and Coppicing (above) and receive a discount. $100 members, $120, non-member, includes admission here. A boxed lunch available for those participants who enroll in both programs. Sign up here.
Sunday, 5/22, Garden Community Installation- Plant Dyed Tapestries with Roanne Robbins
Many plants contain beautiful dyes that create stunning colors. Learn about plant’s hidden pigments and artistic uses while designing and dyeing a wax relief flag to add to our garden banner.
Drop-in program during garden hours with admission. No registration needed.Demonstration and garden studio open from 10am-4pm, included with admission.
Kits and supplies available in Garden Store
Wednesday, 5/25, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 5/26, 10:30am-12:00pm Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
JUNE
Wednesday, 6/1, 10 am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/2, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/2, 1pm-3:30pm: Introduction to Ferns with Roanne Robbins
We will start our adventure in our outdoor classroom with a lecture and discussion of fern terminology. During this time, we will observe and discuss defining characteristics and habitats, practice species identification by utilizing fern sets and fern keys, and learn some interesting historical facts. After a small break and snack, we will explore the gardens and practice our identification in the field. Class fee includes fern key, field guide, and loupe.
Ages: Adult and teen
Fee: $100, members, $125, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Friday 6/ 3 - 6/ 5: Caterpillar Lab (3-day garden education residency)
The Caterpillar Lab is returning to Bedrock Gardens.
Come view the lab’s LIVE caterpillars displayed on their native New England food plants for open observation. There will be hands-on exploration for all ages and opportunities to observe real-time footage of intriguing caterpillar behaviors (such as molting). Inspiring, educated staff to engage and guide a wide audience.
Family friendly, free with admission
Wednesday, 6/8, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/9, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday 6/9 1pm-2:30pm: From the Ground Up - Composting and Organics in the Garden with Roanne Robbins
Join Bedrock Educator, Roanne Robbins as we tour the garden and discuss the methods Bedrock Gardens has utilized to improve soil and grow a healthy, environmentally conscious garden. During our time together we will also touch on historical composting projects by indigenous peoples, the importance of fungi in composting systems, and community composting programs.
Fee: $30, members, $40, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 6/15, 10am-11:30: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/16, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/ 16, 1pm-2:30pm: Cultivating a Garden for Bees, Pollinators and Beekeeper, with BG’s beekeeper Mary Ellen McKeen & Jodi Turner
Learn the importance of all pollinators and what you can do to support them while planting a garden for yourself. Pollinator plants will be discussed and available at our garden shop.
Jodi Turner is the owner of Imagine that Honey in Swanzey, NH and has been beekeeping for over 20 years. She is the 2016 Nh Beekeeper of the Year.
Mary Ellen McKeen is the beekeeper at Bedrock Gardens, Beeline Skin Care in Henniker, NH, and Rocky Hill Apiaries in Somersworth, NH. She is the Vice President of the NH Beekeepers Association and a Master Beekeeper Candidate at Cornell University.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 6/ 19, 11am-12:30pm: Bee’s Eye View - Seeing the Garden through the Lens of a Bee, with Jenn Shea and Roanne Robbins
Learn about the art and science behind beeswax, honey, pollination, ultraviolet bee vision, and so much more. Participants will learn about basic beekeeping and discover the connections between bees and their gardens or local parks. We will finish the class with a walk through the gardens, where we will experience the landscape through the lens of a bee. Field lens included with class fee.
Jenn Shea is an avid, beekeeper, gardener and horsewoman. Her home, Propinquity Farm, is home to pollinators, horses, chickens, goats, 2 sweet coon hounds , and one spicy guinea hen. She is the keeper of 3 hives, 2 tradition and 1 teaching hive. Jenn loves to share her knowledge and curiosity with all.
Family friendly
Fee: $30 family fee, members, $40 family fee, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
July
Sunday, 7/3, 10:30 am-12:00pm: Garden Community Installation- Insect Hotels, with Roanne Robbins
Help Bedrock Educator, Roanne Robbins create a safe winter home for the garden’s thriving insect communities. As we build our bug B&B participants will learn about insects habitats, their importance, design elements and how to create and build a hotel of their own. After the class, visit the Bedrock Garden shop to pick up kits and the supplies you need to create your own.
Family Friendly
Free with admission, just drop in, no registration required
Demonstration and garden studio open from 10:30am-12pm, included with admission.
Kits available in shop
Tuesday, 7/12, 10:30 am-12:30pm: Wild Edible Foraging, with Russ Cohen
The Seacoast NH Region is home to over 100 species of edible wild plants, many of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. Join Russ Cohen, wild edibles enthusiast and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, for a two-hour program at Bedrock Gardens (a PowerPoint presentation, followed by a walk) to learn about over a dozen species of edible wild plants. Pending favorable weather conditions, several species of edible mushrooms may be encountered as well. Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with info on edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe and environmentally-responsible foraging. Last but not least, Russ will share several helpful handouts, as well as samples of tasty treats made with wild edibles for folks to sip and nibble on.
Until his retirement in June of 2015, Russ Cohen’s “day job” was serving as the Rivers Advocate for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, where one of his areas of expertise was in riparian vegetation. Now Russ has more time to pursue his passionate avocation, which is connecting to nature via his taste buds, and assisting others in doing the same. Russ is now playing the role of “Johnny Appleseed” for edible native species. He has set up a small nursery (in Weston, MA) where he grows/keeps over 1,000 plants that he propagates from seed, some of which he collected himself, as well as obtains from other sources, such as the Native Plant Trust. He is then partnering with land trusts, cities and towns, schools and colleges, state and federal agencies, organic farms, tribal groups and others to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties. Russ has initiated over two dozen such projects in the past six years.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 7/14, 10:30am-3:30pm: Making Birch Bark Containers with Traditional Hand Tools, with Peter Lamb
Deepen your partnership with Nature by making objects using simple hand tools and from materials found in nature. The traditional Scandinavian birch bark salt box will be the focus of this workshop
Peter Lamb is a hand-craftsman exploring traditional designs and local materials to make functional objects. He likes the Swedish term “Slojdare” to describe his handiness with an ever-growing range of hand-craft materials. He is a member of the Maine Crafts Association and a past juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen. He lives in Kittery Point.
Fee: $175, members, $200, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 10 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 7/14, 11am-12:30pm: Garden Sensory Exploration-Trees, with Roanne Robbins
Build new connections to the garden and the natural world with a sensory exploration of the garden with Bedrock Gardens' educator. Experience a variety of natural textures, objects and fragrances, all which come from trees. Bedrock Gardens is a beautiful setting to inspire children to use their imagination and serve as a safe place to explore and create their play while infusing botanical appreciation and horticultural exposure into their experience. This is a great program for very young families who wish to expose their children to the language of the natural world and the spirit of the garden.
Program will end with a song and story.
Ages: Program materials are designed for toddlers to Kindergarten children, accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Fee: $20, members, $30, non-members (this includes admission for 1 adult)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 7/17: Lee Day
Residents of Lee, NH, and one guest, are admitted without charge.
Friday, 7/29, 10:30am-12:30pm: Growing an Herbal Tea Garden, with John Forti
Join Bedrock Garden's Director and Ethnobotanist John Forti on an exploration of Bedrock Gardens. Together, we will search out and sample tea herbs and botanicals found in the landscape. We will blend and sip a tisane from the plants we gather, while exploring ideas for designing your own tea garden of herbal allies in order to make infusions and decorations from dried botanicals all year round.
John Forti www.jforti.com is a garden historian and ethnobotanist who has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawbery Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and Bedrock Gardens. He is a Slow Food USA Governor and biodiversity specialist. His new book The Heirloom Gardener was inspired by his posts at The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti on Facebook.
You can also sign up for the following luncheon below.
Fee: $60, members, $75, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Friday, 7/29, 1pm-2:30pm: Tea Luncheon
Participants of the Growing an Herbal Tea Garden program are invited to extend their experience and add on our tea luncheon. Join Bedrock’s Director, John Forti and Bedrock educator, Roanne Robbins for a picnic luncheon in the gardens. Enjoy iced teas, herbal spreads, tea sandwiches, and floral inspired pastries and confections in the beauty of the gardens.
Fee: $60, members, $75, non-members, includes admission.
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
AUGUST
Sunday, 8/7, 10:30am-12:00pm: Making Solar Prints from BG Garden Plants, with Roanne Robbins
Learn to make your own unique, handprinted, botanical artworks, utilizing the sun to capture natural shapes and forms of the plant world. Our class fee includes a solar print kit and gives you the ability to print ten sheets while exploring the garden with Bedrock educator Roanne Robbins. While in class, we will also create a community poster showcasing some beautiful selections from Bedrock’s cutting garden.
Ages: Family friendly
Fee: $30, members, $45, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 8/21, 10:30am-2:30pm: Dyeing with Garden Botanicals, with Sofia Selden
Using flowers and leaves collected from your garden, we will learn the basics of botanical printing by placing leaves and flowers on silk, learning about mordants, and using natural dyes to create a floral/leaf composition.
Sofia Selden has been experimenting and learning about fiber and dyeing for the past ten years. Initially using chemical dyes and shibori techniques, she has ventured into indigo and natural dyes, and currently concentrates on botanical dyeing. Her work is featured on her website, https://joyoussilks.com
Fee: $175, members, $200, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 8 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday 8/21, 10:30-2pm, Plant Patterns-Leaves, with Roanne Robbins
Examine the exquisite details of plants through study and craft. We will learn about a leaf’s vascular system, margins and veins by pressing flowers and foliage into clay and studying the relief. What do these patterns reveal? As we create and explore, Bedrock educators will be on hand to help you infuse some botanical knowledge and lore into your craft.
Drop-in program.
Demonstration and garden studio open from 10:30am-2pm, included with admission.
Kits and supplies available in Garden Store
No registration needed. Free with admission.
Thursday, 8/25, 10:30am-12pm: Terrariums, with Roanne Robbins
Learn to create a healthy moss terrarium and introduce your child to the process of photosynthesis and the hydrological cycle. Children will learn the process of terrarium making and how to take care of their living indoor glass garden with plants and natural decorative pieces.
Ages: Family friendly
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 8/25, 10am-12pm: Flower Arranging from the Garden, with Ann Tarlton
Enjoy a hands-on flower arranging techniques and aesthetics from BG Board member and floral arranger Ann Tarlton. Come have fun creating flower arrangements from wild materials found on any walk in the woods.
Ann received her BA in Art History from Barnard College, after which she married, and had two children. Needing to escape the noise of her household. Ann found peace and stillness in her gardens, a passion which she acquired from her time living in Cuba. It was there that, as a child, she discovered the magic of tropical colors and shapes. This passion has followed Ann throughout her life, leading her to become involved in several garden clubs, ownership of two flower stores, time spent on two Tree Commissions, volunteering for Strawbery Banke and creating and presenting numerous programs and workshops on flower arranging, basket making, and wreath designs.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 8/31, 11am-2pm: Lichen 101, with Roanne Robbins
We will start our day in our outdoor classroom with a lichen terminology lecture and discussion exploring the ambiguous question, "What is a lichen?". Lichen morphology and identification skills will be investigated throughout our field walk in the gardens. At the end of the course, you will have the tools to identify the five lichens' forms and determine which group any lichen belongs to. Class fee includes lichen key, field guide, and loupe.
Ages: Adult and teen
Fee: $100, members, $125, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
SEPTEMBER
Sunday, 9/4, 10:30am-4pm: Hands on Skills to Repair and Steward the Old Farm Walls in our Gardens and Landscapes, with Brian Fairfield
Do you have old farm walls to preserve or garden beds to build at home? This hands-on day of learning will teach learners of all levels how to build and repair dry stone walls while working on one of the original farm walls at Bedrock Gardens.
Brian Fairfield is an Advanced Craftsman and Instructor with the Dry-Stone Walling Association of Great Britain and @thatstoneguy on Instagram.
Fee: $300, members, $350, non-members (includes admission and a boxed lunch)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 9/4: 10am-4pm: Botanical Mysteries, with Roanne Robbins
Families are invited to use their super sleuth skills to solve botanical mysteries at the Garden while learning about plant families, native fauna, and pollinators.
Family Friendly
Drop-in program.
Demonstration and garden studio open from 10am-4pm, included with admission.
Kits and supplies available in Garden Store
No registration needed. Free with admission
Wednesday, 9/7, 10 am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday 9/8, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Wednesday, 9/14, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 9/15, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Sunday, 9/18, 10:30am-12pm: Miniature Mandala Wreaths, with Roanne Robbins
Using local and found botanical materials, we will craft miniature mandala wreaths which add festive horticultural cheer to your home and can be refreshed seasonally by using the skills learned in this class.
Ages: Family friendly
Fee: $30, members, $40, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 9/18, 1pm-3pm: Gardening with the seasons - Containers that transition from Autumn to Winter, with Roanne Robbins
Play with the element of seasonal change by creating a winter ready container planting for home. Learn stunning plant combinations that transition beautifully and over-winter in your ornamental containers. Enjoy your composition next season by swapping your design out of the container and into garden come spring. Class fee includes an ornamental trough, a collection of plants, soils and top dressings.
Fee: $175, members, $200 non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 9/21, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 9/22, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 9/22, 10:00 am-12pm: Wreath Making from the Gardens, with Ann Tarlton
Join Bedrock Gardens Board Member and former florist in a hands on wreath making workshop. Participants will learn skills and techniques for home, and leave the workshop with their own handmade wreath accented with botanicals from our gardens.
See Ann's bio on her 8/25 event..
Fee: $60, members, $75, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 9/28, 10am-11:30: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday 9/29 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
OCTOBER
Sunday, 10/2, 1pm-3pm: Making Botanical Cordials from the Garden, with John Forti
Tour Bedrock Gardens with Director John Forti to gather botanicals that can be turned into herbal and fruit, cordials. In the course of the program, participants will learn more about the history of liqueurs, aperitifs, and digestifs and how these concoctions help to preserve the best of our garden harvest for winter enjoyment and well-being.
See John's bio on the July 29 event
Fee: $100, members, $125 non-members (this includes admission and materials included for take home samples)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 10/5, 1-3pm: Garden Sensory Exploration-Flowers, with Roanne Robbins
Build new connections to the garden and the natural world with a sensory exploration of the garden with Bedrock educators. Experience a variety of natural textures, objects and fragrances, all which come from flowers. Bedrock Gardens is a beautiful setting to inspire children to use their imagination and serve as a safe place to explore and create their play while infusing botanical appreciation and horticultural exposure into their experience. This is a great program for very young families who wish to expose their children to the language of the natural world and the spirit of the garden. Program will end with a song and story.
Ages: Program materials are designed for toddlers to Kindergarten children, accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Fee: $20, members, $30, non-members ( this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 10/5, 10am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 10/6, 10 am-12:30pm: Foraging from Garden and Landscape (The Shagbark Hickory), with Russ Cohen
Shagbark hickory is Russ Cohen’s favorite wild edible – out of native, non-native, and invasive species. “The nuts of shagbark hickory taste like walnuts that have been lightly sprayed with maple syrup. There’s pretty much consensus among people that know that the shagbark hickory nut is our tastiest wild nut, and perhaps even our tastiest nut, period. It’s a native species and grows in all six New England states.” Join Russ in Bedrock Garden’s hickory grove, including the second oldest tree in the state of New Hampshire, as he showcases this delectable edible. Propagation, gathering, and preparing the nuts for cooking will all be demonstrated in this hands-on workshop. .
See Russ's bio on his July 12 event.
Fee: $85, members, $100, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 10/6, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Tuesday, 5/10
Member day tours
- 11am, with Jill Nooney
- 3pm, with John forti
Tuesday, 5/10, 11:30am-1pm: Sustainable Container Gardening, with Roanne Robbins
Bring your containers to gorgeous year-round life by utilizing a palette of trees and perennials designed to be as appealing in January as they are in July. Infuse the beauty of seasonality and natural change into your compositions. Roanne Robbins will be on hand to help you shop Bedrock’s plant selections and assist you as you design your creation.
Roanne Robbins is Bedrock Gardens' Education Coordinator and co-author of Continuous Container Gardens.
Members only day. Free.
Pre-registration for lecture. Registration limited to 25 participants. Sign up here.
Design work space-ongoing
Thursday, 5/12, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins
The Bedrock Gardens' Young Botanist Club invites you to interact with the gardens through a series of curated horticultural activities and botanical lenses. There will be a different theme to explore each week, with activity instructions and materials provided. Participants are invited to explore different locations in the Garden guided by the activities and materials provided by the Bedrock education staff. Education staff will be on hand to answer any questions and guide you along. Pack a picnic and spend a wonderful afternoon in the gardens.
Time:Thursdays mornings, May 12th–June 16th and September 8th–October 6th, 10:30am to 12pm
Ages: Program materials are designed for pre-K and Kindergarten children, accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Fee: $20, members, $30, non-members, (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 child participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 5/18, 10am-11:30: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins
Explore the life cycles and seasons in our garden to learn more about the pollinators, winged and furry friends that reside in our special spaces. During our morning walks, we will discuss how diverse plant life, micro-habitats, and seasonality attracts wildlife and how we, as gardeners, can use our skills to attract various species. We invite you to bring binoculars and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Time: Wednesdays, May 18th–June 15th, September 7th–October 5th, 10 am-11:30
Bedrock Gardens Members only, adult programing
Registration limited to 15 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 5/19, 10:30am-12:00pm: Garden and Landscape Design, Lessons from Bedrock Gardens, with Jill Nooney
This is an opportunity to learn some of the underlying design elements that knit Bedrock Gardens together as a whole from the garden's creator herself. She will be discussing design principles in the abstract, as well as their practical applications. You will never look at the garden in the same way again. Come along.
Jill made her first garden when she was nine with the help of her mother and their station wagon. Beauty and the natural world, particularity plants have sustained her for her whole life. Over the past 30 years she and her partner have created Bedrock Gardens. They now hope it will sustain others like it has her.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 5/19, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Sunday, 5/22, 10:30am-11:30am: Coppice/ Pollarding: Tree and Shrub Management for Production, with Andy Balon of Bartlett Tree Experts
Coppicing and pollarding are pruning techniques that date back to the Neolithic era. We will explore how regenerative properties in trees and shrubs can be utilized to produce a sustainable harvest of pliable, colorful, and bountiful woody stems.
Andy Balon is an ISA Certified Arborist and horticulturist from Lincoln, RI. He is an avid gardener and backyard farmer (2 goats, 2 chickens, and 2 dogs). He currently works for the Bartlett Tree Experts in Waltham, Ma.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
*Enroll in both offerings Wattle (below) and Coppicing and receive a discount. $100 members, $120, non-member, includes admission. A boxed lunch available for those participants who enroll in both programs. Sign up here.
Sunday, 5/22, 1pm-2:30pm: Wattle Garden Structures Construction with Justin Kane
Seasonal pruning was rarely wasted in a pre-industrial woodlot or orchard. This demonstration should give you a number of ideas for your coppiced or chance grown withies. Participants will work on a community wattle garden bed installation at Bedrock to learn this age-old skill together. Wattling, in addition to being a satisfying word to say, is the weaving of flexible lengths of branch or twig into practical structures. From stout fences to more whimsical applications, this hands-on workshop/lecture introduces you to a remarkably ancient art.
Justin Kane grew up around the first falls of the Exeter River, and now lives just above the third falls of the same river. He trained as a horticulturalist under John Forti at Strawbery Banke Museum, and has picked up a bunch of other weird skills all on his own. He has been experimenting with wattle as well as other stick and rock-oriented crafts for a few decades.
Fee: $70, members, $85, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
*Enroll in both offerings Wattle and Coppicing (above) and receive a discount. $100 members, $120, non-member, includes admission here. A boxed lunch available for those participants who enroll in both programs. Sign up here.
Sunday, 5/22, Garden Community Installation- Plant Dyed Tapestries with Roanne Robbins
Many plants contain beautiful dyes that create stunning colors. Learn about plant’s hidden pigments and artistic uses while designing and dyeing a wax relief flag to add to our garden banner.
Drop-in program during garden hours with admission. No registration needed.Demonstration and garden studio open from 10am-4pm, included with admission.
Kits and supplies available in Garden Store
Wednesday, 5/25, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 5/26, 10:30am-12:00pm Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
JUNE
Wednesday, 6/1, 10 am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/2, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/2, 1pm-3:30pm: Introduction to Ferns with Roanne Robbins
We will start our adventure in our outdoor classroom with a lecture and discussion of fern terminology. During this time, we will observe and discuss defining characteristics and habitats, practice species identification by utilizing fern sets and fern keys, and learn some interesting historical facts. After a small break and snack, we will explore the gardens and practice our identification in the field. Class fee includes fern key, field guide, and loupe.
Ages: Adult and teen
Fee: $100, members, $125, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Friday 6/ 3 - 6/ 5: Caterpillar Lab (3-day garden education residency)
The Caterpillar Lab is returning to Bedrock Gardens.
Come view the lab’s LIVE caterpillars displayed on their native New England food plants for open observation. There will be hands-on exploration for all ages and opportunities to observe real-time footage of intriguing caterpillar behaviors (such as molting). Inspiring, educated staff to engage and guide a wide audience.
Family friendly, free with admission
Wednesday, 6/8, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/9, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday 6/9 1pm-2:30pm: From the Ground Up - Composting and Organics in the Garden with Roanne Robbins
Join Bedrock Educator, Roanne Robbins as we tour the garden and discuss the methods Bedrock Gardens has utilized to improve soil and grow a healthy, environmentally conscious garden. During our time together we will also touch on historical composting projects by indigenous peoples, the importance of fungi in composting systems, and community composting programs.
Fee: $30, members, $40, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 6/15, 10am-11:30: Garden and Habitat Morning Series with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/16, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 6/ 16, 1pm-2:30pm: Cultivating a Garden for Bees, Pollinators and Beekeeper, with BG’s beekeeper Mary Ellen McKeen & Jodi Turner
Learn the importance of all pollinators and what you can do to support them while planting a garden for yourself. Pollinator plants will be discussed and available at our garden shop.
Jodi Turner is the owner of Imagine that Honey in Swanzey, NH and has been beekeeping for over 20 years. She is the 2016 Nh Beekeeper of the Year.
Mary Ellen McKeen is the beekeeper at Bedrock Gardens, Beeline Skin Care in Henniker, NH, and Rocky Hill Apiaries in Somersworth, NH. She is the Vice President of the NH Beekeepers Association and a Master Beekeeper Candidate at Cornell University.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 6/ 19, 11am-12:30pm: Bee’s Eye View - Seeing the Garden through the Lens of a Bee, with Jenn Shea and Roanne Robbins
Learn about the art and science behind beeswax, honey, pollination, ultraviolet bee vision, and so much more. Participants will learn about basic beekeeping and discover the connections between bees and their gardens or local parks. We will finish the class with a walk through the gardens, where we will experience the landscape through the lens of a bee. Field lens included with class fee.
Jenn Shea is an avid, beekeeper, gardener and horsewoman. Her home, Propinquity Farm, is home to pollinators, horses, chickens, goats, 2 sweet coon hounds , and one spicy guinea hen. She is the keeper of 3 hives, 2 tradition and 1 teaching hive. Jenn loves to share her knowledge and curiosity with all.
Family friendly
Fee: $30 family fee, members, $40 family fee, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
July
Sunday, 7/3, 10:30 am-12:00pm: Garden Community Installation- Insect Hotels, with Roanne Robbins
Help Bedrock Educator, Roanne Robbins create a safe winter home for the garden’s thriving insect communities. As we build our bug B&B participants will learn about insects habitats, their importance, design elements and how to create and build a hotel of their own. After the class, visit the Bedrock Garden shop to pick up kits and the supplies you need to create your own.
Family Friendly
Free with admission, just drop in, no registration required
Demonstration and garden studio open from 10:30am-12pm, included with admission.
Kits available in shop
Tuesday, 7/12, 10:30 am-12:30pm: Wild Edible Foraging, with Russ Cohen
The Seacoast NH Region is home to over 100 species of edible wild plants, many of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. Join Russ Cohen, wild edibles enthusiast and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, for a two-hour program at Bedrock Gardens (a PowerPoint presentation, followed by a walk) to learn about over a dozen species of edible wild plants. Pending favorable weather conditions, several species of edible mushrooms may be encountered as well. Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with info on edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe and environmentally-responsible foraging. Last but not least, Russ will share several helpful handouts, as well as samples of tasty treats made with wild edibles for folks to sip and nibble on.
Until his retirement in June of 2015, Russ Cohen’s “day job” was serving as the Rivers Advocate for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, where one of his areas of expertise was in riparian vegetation. Now Russ has more time to pursue his passionate avocation, which is connecting to nature via his taste buds, and assisting others in doing the same. Russ is now playing the role of “Johnny Appleseed” for edible native species. He has set up a small nursery (in Weston, MA) where he grows/keeps over 1,000 plants that he propagates from seed, some of which he collected himself, as well as obtains from other sources, such as the Native Plant Trust. He is then partnering with land trusts, cities and towns, schools and colleges, state and federal agencies, organic farms, tribal groups and others to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties. Russ has initiated over two dozen such projects in the past six years.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 7/14, 10:30am-3:30pm: Making Birch Bark Containers with Traditional Hand Tools, with Peter Lamb
Deepen your partnership with Nature by making objects using simple hand tools and from materials found in nature. The traditional Scandinavian birch bark salt box will be the focus of this workshop
Peter Lamb is a hand-craftsman exploring traditional designs and local materials to make functional objects. He likes the Swedish term “Slojdare” to describe his handiness with an ever-growing range of hand-craft materials. He is a member of the Maine Crafts Association and a past juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen. He lives in Kittery Point.
Fee: $175, members, $200, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 10 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 7/14, 11am-12:30pm: Garden Sensory Exploration-Trees, with Roanne Robbins
Build new connections to the garden and the natural world with a sensory exploration of the garden with Bedrock Gardens' educator. Experience a variety of natural textures, objects and fragrances, all which come from trees. Bedrock Gardens is a beautiful setting to inspire children to use their imagination and serve as a safe place to explore and create their play while infusing botanical appreciation and horticultural exposure into their experience. This is a great program for very young families who wish to expose their children to the language of the natural world and the spirit of the garden.
Program will end with a song and story.
Ages: Program materials are designed for toddlers to Kindergarten children, accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Fee: $20, members, $30, non-members (this includes admission for 1 adult)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 7/17: Lee Day
Residents of Lee, NH, and one guest, are admitted without charge.
Friday, 7/29, 10:30am-12:30pm: Growing an Herbal Tea Garden, with John Forti
Join Bedrock Garden's Director and Ethnobotanist John Forti on an exploration of Bedrock Gardens. Together, we will search out and sample tea herbs and botanicals found in the landscape. We will blend and sip a tisane from the plants we gather, while exploring ideas for designing your own tea garden of herbal allies in order to make infusions and decorations from dried botanicals all year round.
John Forti www.jforti.com is a garden historian and ethnobotanist who has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawbery Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and Bedrock Gardens. He is a Slow Food USA Governor and biodiversity specialist. His new book The Heirloom Gardener was inspired by his posts at The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti on Facebook.
You can also sign up for the following luncheon below.
Fee: $60, members, $75, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Friday, 7/29, 1pm-2:30pm: Tea Luncheon
Participants of the Growing an Herbal Tea Garden program are invited to extend their experience and add on our tea luncheon. Join Bedrock’s Director, John Forti and Bedrock educator, Roanne Robbins for a picnic luncheon in the gardens. Enjoy iced teas, herbal spreads, tea sandwiches, and floral inspired pastries and confections in the beauty of the gardens.
Fee: $60, members, $75, non-members, includes admission.
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
AUGUST
Sunday, 8/7, 10:30am-12:00pm: Making Solar Prints from BG Garden Plants, with Roanne Robbins
Learn to make your own unique, handprinted, botanical artworks, utilizing the sun to capture natural shapes and forms of the plant world. Our class fee includes a solar print kit and gives you the ability to print ten sheets while exploring the garden with Bedrock educator Roanne Robbins. While in class, we will also create a community poster showcasing some beautiful selections from Bedrock’s cutting garden.
Ages: Family friendly
Fee: $30, members, $45, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 8/21, 10:30am-2:30pm: Dyeing with Garden Botanicals, with Sofia Selden
Using flowers and leaves collected from your garden, we will learn the basics of botanical printing by placing leaves and flowers on silk, learning about mordants, and using natural dyes to create a floral/leaf composition.
Sofia Selden has been experimenting and learning about fiber and dyeing for the past ten years. Initially using chemical dyes and shibori techniques, she has ventured into indigo and natural dyes, and currently concentrates on botanical dyeing. Her work is featured on her website, https://joyoussilks.com
Fee: $175, members, $200, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 8 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday 8/21, 10:30-2pm, Plant Patterns-Leaves, with Roanne Robbins
Examine the exquisite details of plants through study and craft. We will learn about a leaf’s vascular system, margins and veins by pressing flowers and foliage into clay and studying the relief. What do these patterns reveal? As we create and explore, Bedrock educators will be on hand to help you infuse some botanical knowledge and lore into your craft.
Drop-in program.
Demonstration and garden studio open from 10:30am-2pm, included with admission.
Kits and supplies available in Garden Store
No registration needed. Free with admission.
Thursday, 8/25, 10:30am-12pm: Terrariums, with Roanne Robbins
Learn to create a healthy moss terrarium and introduce your child to the process of photosynthesis and the hydrological cycle. Children will learn the process of terrarium making and how to take care of their living indoor glass garden with plants and natural decorative pieces.
Ages: Family friendly
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 8/25, 10am-12pm: Flower Arranging from the Garden, with Ann Tarlton
Enjoy a hands-on flower arranging techniques and aesthetics from BG Board member and floral arranger Ann Tarlton. Come have fun creating flower arrangements from wild materials found on any walk in the woods.
Ann received her BA in Art History from Barnard College, after which she married, and had two children. Needing to escape the noise of her household. Ann found peace and stillness in her gardens, a passion which she acquired from her time living in Cuba. It was there that, as a child, she discovered the magic of tropical colors and shapes. This passion has followed Ann throughout her life, leading her to become involved in several garden clubs, ownership of two flower stores, time spent on two Tree Commissions, volunteering for Strawbery Banke and creating and presenting numerous programs and workshops on flower arranging, basket making, and wreath designs.
Fee: $50, members, $60, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 8/31, 11am-2pm: Lichen 101, with Roanne Robbins
We will start our day in our outdoor classroom with a lichen terminology lecture and discussion exploring the ambiguous question, "What is a lichen?". Lichen morphology and identification skills will be investigated throughout our field walk in the gardens. At the end of the course, you will have the tools to identify the five lichens' forms and determine which group any lichen belongs to. Class fee includes lichen key, field guide, and loupe.
Ages: Adult and teen
Fee: $100, members, $125, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
SEPTEMBER
Sunday, 9/4, 10:30am-4pm: Hands on Skills to Repair and Steward the Old Farm Walls in our Gardens and Landscapes, with Brian Fairfield
Do you have old farm walls to preserve or garden beds to build at home? This hands-on day of learning will teach learners of all levels how to build and repair dry stone walls while working on one of the original farm walls at Bedrock Gardens.
Brian Fairfield is an Advanced Craftsman and Instructor with the Dry-Stone Walling Association of Great Britain and @thatstoneguy on Instagram.
Fee: $300, members, $350, non-members (includes admission and a boxed lunch)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 9/4: 10am-4pm: Botanical Mysteries, with Roanne Robbins
Families are invited to use their super sleuth skills to solve botanical mysteries at the Garden while learning about plant families, native fauna, and pollinators.
Family Friendly
Drop-in program.
Demonstration and garden studio open from 10am-4pm, included with admission.
Kits and supplies available in Garden Store
No registration needed. Free with admission
Wednesday, 9/7, 10 am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday 9/8, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Wednesday, 9/14, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 9/15, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Sunday, 9/18, 10:30am-12pm: Miniature Mandala Wreaths, with Roanne Robbins
Using local and found botanical materials, we will craft miniature mandala wreaths which add festive horticultural cheer to your home and can be refreshed seasonally by using the skills learned in this class.
Ages: Family friendly
Fee: $30, members, $40, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Sunday, 9/18, 1pm-3pm: Gardening with the seasons - Containers that transition from Autumn to Winter, with Roanne Robbins
Play with the element of seasonal change by creating a winter ready container planting for home. Learn stunning plant combinations that transition beautifully and over-winter in your ornamental containers. Enjoy your composition next season by swapping your design out of the container and into garden come spring. Class fee includes an ornamental trough, a collection of plants, soils and top dressings.
Fee: $175, members, $200 non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 9/21, 10am-11:30am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 9/22, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 9/22, 10:00 am-12pm: Wreath Making from the Gardens, with Ann Tarlton
Join Bedrock Gardens Board Member and former florist in a hands on wreath making workshop. Participants will learn skills and techniques for home, and leave the workshop with their own handmade wreath accented with botanicals from our gardens.
See Ann's bio on her 8/25 event..
Fee: $60, members, $75, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 9/28, 10am-11:30: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday 9/29 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins- see above
Sign up here.
OCTOBER
Sunday, 10/2, 1pm-3pm: Making Botanical Cordials from the Garden, with John Forti
Tour Bedrock Gardens with Director John Forti to gather botanicals that can be turned into herbal and fruit, cordials. In the course of the program, participants will learn more about the history of liqueurs, aperitifs, and digestifs and how these concoctions help to preserve the best of our garden harvest for winter enjoyment and well-being.
See John's bio on the July 29 event
Fee: $100, members, $125 non-members (this includes admission and materials included for take home samples)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 10/5, 1-3pm: Garden Sensory Exploration-Flowers, with Roanne Robbins
Build new connections to the garden and the natural world with a sensory exploration of the garden with Bedrock educators. Experience a variety of natural textures, objects and fragrances, all which come from flowers. Bedrock Gardens is a beautiful setting to inspire children to use their imagination and serve as a safe place to explore and create their play while infusing botanical appreciation and horticultural exposure into their experience. This is a great program for very young families who wish to expose their children to the language of the natural world and the spirit of the garden. Program will end with a song and story.
Ages: Program materials are designed for toddlers to Kindergarten children, accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Fee: $20, members, $30, non-members ( this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Wednesday, 10/5, 10am: Garden and Habitat Morning Series, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
Thursday, 10/6, 10 am-12:30pm: Foraging from Garden and Landscape (The Shagbark Hickory), with Russ Cohen
Shagbark hickory is Russ Cohen’s favorite wild edible – out of native, non-native, and invasive species. “The nuts of shagbark hickory taste like walnuts that have been lightly sprayed with maple syrup. There’s pretty much consensus among people that know that the shagbark hickory nut is our tastiest wild nut, and perhaps even our tastiest nut, period. It’s a native species and grows in all six New England states.” Join Russ in Bedrock Garden’s hickory grove, including the second oldest tree in the state of New Hampshire, as he showcases this delectable edible. Propagation, gathering, and preparing the nuts for cooking will all be demonstrated in this hands-on workshop. .
See Russ's bio on his July 12 event.
Fee: $85, members, $100, non-members (this includes admission)
Registration limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.
Thursday, 10/6, 10:30am-12pm: Young Botanist Club, with Roanne Robbins-see above
Sign up here.
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