Adult Education

Garvan Woodland Gardens has been offering horticulture-based educational programs since 1995, when the University of Arkansas first opened the property to the public. Over the years, these “Gardening 101” workshops have grown in popularity, becoming mainstay courses for those studying to become master gardeners and those desiring to learn how to become successful gardeners.

Currently, “Gardening 101” workshops are held approximately three times a month and address a wide range of garden topics - from seed starting and soil basics to planting and maintaining a wide variety of cultivated plants. Specialized lessons, called “Gardening 201” workshops, have evolved to address more sophisticated subjects like Japanese Garden Design, cooking with plants, and advanced pruning techniques. Speakers for these educational workshops are drawn from a talented pool of state-wide master gardeners, cooperative extension specialists, and experts in landscape design and gardening. “Gardening 101 & 201” workshops are free to GWG members. Non-members pay the Gardens’ daily entrance fee.

In addition to these year-round workshops, the Gardens has collaborated with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service since 2007 to annually produce four quality educational programs that feature horticulture specialist Janet Carson of the U of A Cooperative Extension Service. Special art-based classes are also offered yearly and cover an array of mediums. Topics have included silk scarf painting, pysanky egg painting, hypertufa, and mosaic design. Fees are attached to these workshops.

See our calendar of events for a list of current classes.