Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of home gardening, from plant identification and pruning, to soil and plant care? Are you an experienced gardener who is looking to improve your skills or gain a deeper understanding of important concepts like pruning, sustainability or soil testing/management? Join us for this yearlong series of workshops and classes designed to give gardeners, of all experience levels, the tools and knowledge to properly care for their gardens. No matter how small or large your garden is, you will gain new insights through this series of classes and hands-on workshops that take place here at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill.

The Pruning Workshops are performed in the garden and reflect the instructor’s five pruning windows during the year to accomplish specific tasks unique to the plants and time of year.

Walk through the garden to improve your identification skills of spring flowering shrubs. We will use our horticultural knowledge of leaves, flowers, and other parts to properly identify species. We might also cheat with some available technology on our phones. 

It is highly recommended that participants take the Intro to Horticultural Science and Botany class (May 11^th) as a prerequisite.

Instructor: Reed Pugh

All classes will be taught by Reed Pugh of Barking Dog Gardens. Reed's first career was in advertising in New York City, but after moving to San Francisco over 25 years ago, he made a life-altering change and went back to school for ornamental horticulture. Over the years in San Francisco and Boston he has worked in multiple nurseries, had his own design, installation and maintenance businesses on both coasts, managed a 30-acre historic private estate in Brookline, and managed one of the top fine-gardening companies in New England. Reed is a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist (MCH), and for the past few years he has been teaching our very popular Seasonal Pruning series.

$40 Member Adult; $55 Adult (includes admission to the Garden)

To register for a class:

1. Please log in or create an account.  The “Log In/Create Account” button is in the bar at the top right of the page.
2. Return to the class you wish to attend.
3. If you have not already done so, you will need to scroll to the bottom of the page and add Attendees.  You will need to add yourself and anyone else you wish to register. 
4. If you have already done this, the Attendees will be listed below and simply check the box next to the desired attendees.  Make sure to choose the correct price category for each participant.  This can be found in the drop-down menu on the right-hand side of the screen, next to the name of the participant.
5. If you need assistance, please contact the Registrar at 508-869-6111 x 174 or email at registrar@nebg.org.  Please note that the Registrar is a part-time position, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Please note: Beginning in October 2023, renovations and construction will be taking place in and around the Visitor Center. While every effort will be made to minimize the impact on our programs, there may be some noise, dust, or other disruptions.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Registrar at registrar@nebg.org.