Gardeners' fall series at Arboretum

Fall 2009:
8 Thursdays, September 24 – November 12
9:30am–Noon
(Please note special times for field trips, which are self-driven and require pre-registration)

$100 for the series, $20 per class / Reservations or you may pay at the door
Information and registration: 626.821.4623 or jill.berry@arboretum.org

Sept 24 Garden Design Fundamentals with Laramee Haynes
A well-designed garden – be it rustic, formal or modern in style – enhances the environment, raises property values and pleases the eye. Learn how a professional arranges and showcases native plants, using sight lines, open space, proper spacing, well-placed shade trees, boulders and benches for sitting, and pathways that invite and move visitors through the garden. Laramee is a landscape designer and contractor (www.hayneslandscaping.com ) with a fondness for comfortable, long-lived gardens that require a minimum of care and resources.

Oct 1 Field Trip: Three Gardens, Three Adventures 10:00am-1:00pm
Our first field trip of the season caters to plant nuts. We begin in a North Hollywood front garden that is jam-packed with succulents, native shrubs and flowering perennials, and whimsical Mexican folk art sculpture. Next, we visit a sloping Beverly Hills landscape filled with mediterranean-climate plants, succulents, an outdoor cat run and other surprises. Our last garden, also in Beverly Hills, belongs to an avid plant collector and flower arranger whose lush collection includes rare tropical and variegated plants, fuchsias, abutilons, irises, vines, tillandsias and more! Pre-registration required.

Oct 8 The Art of Pruning with Fran West
This very important part of gardening can be rewarding and lots of fun. Learn how to get started, what tools to use, how to make proper cuts and what three growth habits to work with when pruning any shrub or small tree in your garden. Lots of tips and helpful hints will have you ready to begin your next pruning project with confidence and enthusiasm. Fran hails from the Mid-Atlantic area, where she has been a pruning specialist, lecturer and writer since 1991. Her revised and updated DVD and Field Guide, Pruning Matters, The Formula for Pruning Mastery, will be available in The Arboretum Gift Shop.

Oct 15 Field Trip: South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes Peninsula 10:00am-1pm
Our private tram tour of this South Bay jewel, narrated by biologist and plantswoman Laurel Woodley, will traverse the garden’s grounds. We’ll stop at the Propagation Workshop, where volunteers (led by Dick Kohlscreiber and aided by Debra Galliani) propagate plants from the garden’s collection. And we’ll visit the new mediterranean-climate garden, where California natives predominate, a handsome design by curator (and class member) Lisa Ceazan. Bring your lunch for a picnic al fresco in the garden. Pre-registration required.

Oct 22 The Art of Staging Succulents with Larry Grammer
Cacti and other succulent plants are living sculptures that lend themselves to display. Our guest lecturer’s stunning creations – which “marry the plant to the pot” and often resemble miniature habitats – are showcased at California Cactus Center in Pasadena
(www.cactuscenter.com ). Larry will bring specimens from his private collection, as well as all the materials needed to pot up several examples in class. You’ll leave inspired to create your own.

Oct 29 Easy Gardening with Native Plants with Barbara Eisenstein
Native plants have the undeserved reputation of being difficult to grow. Learn how to minimize the work while maximizing success with California native plants. Barbara Eisenstein, a native plant garden writer and consultant, will introduce you to unusual natives that will convert your garden into a peaceful, sustainable, backyard habitat, while using less water, resources, and effort.

Nov 5 Gardening in the Shade with Lili Singer
This session celebrates dappled, partial and deep shade – conditions that please some exquisite plants as well as the gardeners who tend them. Common and unusual shade-loving plants will be shown, and watering, pest management and other cultural practices will be discussed. Lili is an award-winning horticulturist and garden writer. She leads the Thursday Garden Talks at The Arboretum and is special projects coordinator for the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants.

Nov 12 Plants of The Arboretum: A Tour for Home Gardeners with Jill Morganelli
Explore The Arboretum’s collections with the new curator of the Kallam Perennial Garden! Along the way, we’ll discover the season’s most interesting and colorful plants, with detailed descriptions and tips on using these plants in home landscapes. In addition to her Arboretum position, Jill is adjunct faculty at Cuyamaca College and owner of Panorganic (www.panorganic.com ). Her current areas of focus include sustainable landscape design and organic agriculture.

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 North Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91007-2697
www.arboretum.org