Planting spring bulbs in the fall is as natural as falling leaves and football games. It is an opportunity neglected by the home gardener, if he/she doe not include some of the hardy, easy to grow spring beauties in the garden next fall. Bulbs are truly some of the simplest of flowers to grow, easy to care for and inexpensive. All they ask is a fall planting in 2018 and they will reward the grower with weeks of early spring color, fragrance and beauty. In general, good bulbs produce flowers the first season after planting as the flower buds are already formed when the bulbs are purchased and planted for 2019 spring.

Join us in exploring the world of native Texas wildflowers with experts in the subject! Attendees will learn basic techniques for field identification, scientific and common names for local wildflowers, and where and when to look for them. Come prepared to walk around outside. Bring a photo or a (legally) picked specimen if you want to talk about a specific plant. No more than 2 per person, please. 

Instructor Heather Bass is an ecologist specializing in plants and insects. Her most recent research has been at BRIT looking at sustainable landscaping with native plants and its impact on pollinator populations, water use, and carbon footprint. Heather also researches strategies for native prairie restoration in local Texas prairies and has spent time in Alaska researching tundra plant community responses to climate change. Heather has a BS in Biology and an MS in Environmental and Earth Sciences.

This class will take place at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Using BRIT's state of the art microscopes, you'll journey into the micro wonderlands of plants! By looking through the microscopes and projecting enlarged views, your imagination will be energized and ready to create a large mixed media drawing that may resemble anything from a surreal landscape to abstract art. All you need is a frame and you will have some modern art for your home or office along with a very interesting conversation piece!

Instructor Delia deVer, originally from Mill Valley California, moved to Texas after studying visual art at the California College of the Arts. During an artist residency in Marfa, TX the open spaces of the region spoke to her interests in abstract and nature inspired work and she gained an appreciation for the unique art culture found here in Texas. deVer returned to California in 2012 and worked with The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Angeles Gate Cultural Center, and Engage, inc. in addition to teaching private lessons.

deVer is a trained dharma artist in contemplative arts. Her art and teaching style are informed by both western and eastern approaches to life and art. deVer works out of her studio in Fort Worth, Texas bringing unique programs to organizations, teaching private lessons, and offering weekend creativity retreats that combine mindfulness development and art making experiences.

This class will take place at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

All compost is not created equal. You've learned the basics of composting now dive deeper into the subject and learn why hot composting is the best way to generate compost for your garden and to use in compost tea. Learn how to make compost that meets the needs of your soil, how to determine whether your soil needs fungal or bacterial compost, and the best way to use each type. 

Instructors Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, focus on growing high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner. Brix testing is done regularly to monitor the nutritional quality of the produce and compost and compost teas are applied to the soil to ensure that soil biology is constantly improving. Both Laurie & Kim have their Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Course. Both have studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham and are working towards becoming Certified Soil Life Consultants. They offer permaculture design and soil biology consulting services to other growers and gardeners.

Please Note: This class will take place at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Plant your landscape with native plants to save water, attract pollinators, and reduce your carbon footprint! Learn how to identify and choose native plants for a landscape, plan a layout, and care for your plants. An expert will guide you through the process of designing your own native landscape, whether it be for an urban container garden or a large suburban yard. An informative class for those who are seeking general knowledge on native landscaping and for those who already have a project in mind. 

Instructor Heather Bass is an ecologist specializing in plants and insects. Her most recent research has been at BRIT looking at sustainable landscaping with native plants and its impact on pollinator populations, water use, and carbon footprint. Heather also researches strategies for native prairie restoration in local Texas prairies and has spent time in Alaska researching tundra plant community responses to climate change. Heather has a BS in Biology and an MS in Environmental and Earth Sciences.

This class will take place at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

If you’re a gardener and you live in Texas you know that fire ants are frequently uninvited, unwelcome guests in your beds and lawns. Their mounds are large and unsightly and their bites can be extremely painful. But how did they get here? Where did they come from? What exactly are they good for (if anything!) and is there a safe and effective way to get rid of them? Join us for this class and learn the ins and outs of fire ants. 

Instructor Joyce Fethke-Block, a native Minnesotan, was raised on a family farm in the southern part of the state where she learned to love all aspects of gardening. After deciding that a career in the restaurant business wasn’t for her, she returned to school at the University of Minnesota and majored in Horticulture. She moved to Texas several years ago, married a native Texan, and along the way became a Master Gardener, a member of Texas Nursery and Landscape Professionals, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in, what else, Horticulture. Joyce has worked at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as the curator for the Rainforest Conservatory & Christmas Coordinator for almost 4 years. She and her husband live in Alvarado, TX. According to Joyce, Texas is a whole other country when it comes to gardening!

Please note: This class will be held at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Interested in taking your composting knowledge even further? Then join us for this class on aerated compost tea (ACT) and learn why spraying your soil with ACT is a more cost effective way to inoculate your soil rather than spreading compost directly. Learn the right way to make ACT and the right way to apply it so that you get all that good soil biology working for you. 

Instructors Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, focus on growing high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner. Brix testing is done regularly to monitor the nutritional quality of the produce and compost and compost teas are applied to the soil to ensure that soil biology is constantly improving. Both Laurie & Kim have their Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Course. Both have studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham and are working towards becoming Certified Soil Life Consultants. They offer permaculture design and soil biology consulting services to other growers and gardeners.

Please Note: This class will take place at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

North American bats are subject to a number of potentially serious threats including emerging diseases and land-use change; however, there is great uncertainty as to whether such threats are detrimental to bat populations. Unlike birds, bats are cryptic, nocturnal, and produce vocalizations above human audible levels (ultrasonic). However, with ultrasonic detectors we can conduct surveys that allow us to record species-specific bat activity levels (an indicator of abundance) and activity patterns, such as migration. In turn, we can gain much needed insights into the population dynamics and stability of bats. Thus in 2013, we established the TCU Bat Outreach Program established in 2013, which not only raises public awareness for bats, but is the first long-term, citizen science-driven study to monitor bat populations in Texas, and potentially the United States. To date the TCU Bat Outreach Program involving K12 students has shown that urban parks can represent quality habitat for bats and essential migratory stopover sites.  This data has given us a better understanding of whether we can enhance and use urban refuges to benefit bat populations and this may be crucial to their conservation.

One of the great joys of gardening is planting! Well, actually, it can be a bit frustrating especially if you are planting seeds. Seeds are hard to pick up with your fingers, spacing is difficult as the seeds slip from your hands, and trying to keep seeds in a straight row is almost impossible. Forget about the seed packets, we have a better way! We are going to teach you how to save surplus seeds and make your own seed tape for the next planting season.

Bella Goes to Camp is a special opportunity for children to spend the week exploring and learning about plants: what makes a plant, how they grow, and why they’re important.

BRIT Members: $90 | Non-BRIT Members: $110
Monday—Thursday: 9—11:30 a.m. 
June 11—14 | June 18—21

Next up in the Madeline R. Samples Exhibit Hall at BRIT is Botanical Art: Flowers, fruit and fungi, the first exhibition of the newly formed Botanical Art Collective of North Central Texas. This exhibit, which will hang from June 14 – August 9, is a celebration of the world of botany and will feature depictions of flowers, fruits, seeds, vegetables, fungi, and grasses executed in a variety of mediums by a variety of talented, local artists. Join us and explore the joyful intersection of two distinct yet closely related disciplines - botanical art and science.

The opening reception for Botanical Art: Flowers, fruit, and fungi will be on Thursday June 14 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Meet the artists and enjoy informal gallery talks.

Do you have a teen that loves to draw and paint? Then join us for this two day teen workshop where students will cover the basics of botanical drawing and botanical watercolors with instructor Samantha Peters. Students will learn drawing skills that can be applied to any subject and complete a botanical drawing and watercolor of a subject of their choosing. On Day 1 students will learn basic observational drawing skills, with an emphasis on correct proportion. Students will learn basics of perspective, contour drawing, value, continuous tone, lighting, and shade to create form. On Day 2 students will learn basic watercolor techniques, including creating flat and graded washes, dry brushing, and basic color theory. 

Instructor Samantha Peters is a science illustrator based in Dallas, Texas. She received her B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin and attended the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, leaving once she realized illustrating her study guides was more fun than actually studying them. Afterwards, while living in New York City, she discovered a love of botanical art through classes at the New York Botanical Garden, and decided to pursue science illustration full time, attending the graduate program in Science Illustration at California State University, Monterey Bay. Samantha currently works in the graphics department at the Dallas Zoo and is the President of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Texas Group. Member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists. 

This class will take place at BRIT.

Please Note: This is a two day class that will take place on two consecutive Saturdays.
Day One - 6/16/2018
Day Two - 6/23/2018. 

$150 members/$175 non-members

Required Materials:

• Paints
  Look for professional grade watercolors. Winsor Newton and Daniel Smith are good brands. I prefer tubes, but half pan kits are very good.
  Basic/Primary Palette: Lemon or Winsor yellow, Cadmium yellow medium, scarlet lake, quinacridone rose, French ultramarine, Prussian blue, burnt sienna, neutral tint. 
  Also useful: sap green, quinacridone gold, quinacridone magenta
  You can also purchase a pocket set with 12 or 24 half-pans — look for something with at least two yellows, two reds, and two blues, and buy what you can afford.
• Brushes
  Round watercolor brushes with good points. Size 0 and 6 are good sizes, but this depends on your preference. Windsor Newton, Daniel Smith, Sceptre Gold, and Princeton are good brands. Look for a sable or synthetic/sable blend with a good point.
• Mixing palette
  White porcelain plates are available for a few dollars at Target. You can also use plastic palettes with multiple wells – look for one with a lid.
• Plastic tubs for water - empty cream cheese or butter tubs work well!
• Viva brand paper towels
• Saral graphite transfer paper
• Tracing paper
• Pencils: 2H, H, HB, and 2B graphite pencils, or lead with holder.
• Handheld sharpener
• Kneaded eraser
• White vinyl eraser (Magic Rub or similar)
• Small ruler (clear ones are great!)
• Drafting tape
• Drawing Paper: Strathmore 400 series Drawing paper or Stonehenge brand smooth drawing paper.
• Watercolor paper: HOT PRESS 140 lb or higher — look for Fabriano or Arches brand. (A good paper that works for both drawing and watercolor is Fabriano Studio 140lb Hot Press!)

Bella Goes to Camp is a special opportunity for children to spend the week exploring and learning about plants: what makes a plant, how they grow, and why they’re important.

BRIT Members: $90 | Non-BRIT Members: $110 
Monday—Thursday: 9—11:30 a.m.  
June 11—14 | June 18—21

Join Master Gardener Pat Higgins as she demonstrates how to preserve our wonderful local, seasonal fruit by making strawberry jelly. In this demonstration class, Pat will share her recipes as she cooks, mashes and fills the jars with delicious homemade jelly. She will also cover the basics of water-bath canning. You can help stir if you want! 

Instructor Pat Higgins has been a Master Gardener since 2005 after retiring from Bass Enterprises Production Co.  Besides gardening she enjoys painting and cross stitch.  She is active in the Education program with Tarrant County Master Gardeners and Lead Propagator at the TCMGA Community/Demonstration Garden greenhouse.

Please note: This class will take place in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden Kitchen.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Little B.I.T.s spend the week thinking, exploring, and using their senses like scientists as they investigate all things trees including their unique properties and importance in nature.  

BRIT Members: $200 | Non-BRIT Members: $250
Monday—Thursday: 9 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
June 25—28 | July 9—12

In My Plants, My Place children explore and discover wetland ecosystems, the role plants and humans play in this kind of habitat, and the benefits they bring to our lives.

BRIT Members: $200 | Non-BRIT Members: $250
Monday—Thursday: 9 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
June 25—28 | July 9—12

Little B.I.T.s spend the week thinking, exploring, and using their senses like scientists as they investigate all things trees including their unique properties and importance in nature.  

BRIT Members: $200 | Non-BRIT Members: $250
Monday—Thursday: 9 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
June 25—28 | July 9—12

In My Plants, My Place children explore and discover wetland ecosystems, the role plants and humans play in this kind of habitat, and the benefits they bring to our lives.

BRIT Members: $200 | Non-BRIT Members: $250
Monday—Thursday: 9 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
June 25—28 | July 9—12

Is "tenting" not for you? How about "glamping" in a classic, vintage-style teardrop camper?! Learn about trailer selection, safety procedures, operation, equipment, camping options, and group and individual activities. Hands-on trailer experience will inspire you to leave your worries at home and head for The Great Outdoors!

Join us for this special presentation by GROW volunteer and outdoorswoman, Diane Pierce. While part of the presentation will be indoors (and in air conditioning), there will also be an outdoor component and a viewing of Diane's own teardrop trailer. 

Join Chef Charles Youts as he inspires you to use fresh herbs in your cooking to make meals more delicious as well as more healthful. Recipes for Healthy Ranch Dip with fresh vegetables, Cream of Herb Soup, Seared Chicken with Citrus Herb Compound Butter, and Creamy Herb Polenta will be shared as he demonstrates the techniques used to make these delicious concoctions. Stirring will be encouraged!

Instructor Charles Youts is Executive Chef at the Classic Café in Roanoake and also teaches classes to help others develop their culinary skills, whether they want to improve their own skills or go into the professional culinary world. He mentors students at Byron Nelson High School's Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality and teaches at Colleyville's Market Street and Southlake's William-Sonoma. While eating at Classic Cafe you may enjoy perusing the Chef's Pantry Garden where many of the vegetables are grown that make their way to your plate!

This class will be held in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden's Kitchen

$20 members/$25 non-members

This full day workshop is designed to provide an introduction to oil painting materials and techniques with an emphasis on color mixing. Participants will paint still lifes and botanical specimens from the BRIT collection from direct observation and can complete at least one work. We will discuss tips for working cleanly and safely with oil paint at home, as well. This course is well suited for someone with no oil painting experience, but who has some experience with drawing or watercolor. If you have painted in oils before but would like a refresher and new inspiration from BRIT’s collection, this is also the class for you. Please bring a brown bag lunch and snack, and be prepared for a fun day of painting!

Instructor Devon Nowlin is a Fort Worth native who holds a BFA from the University of North Texas (2004) and an MFA from Texas Christian University (2011). Recent exhibitions include "Casual Luxury Complex" at Artspace 111, "Don't Deny Your Heart" at Stephen F. Austin State University, and "Cult of Personality" at David Shelton Gallery, Houston. Nowlin has taught at TCU, The Modern, and the Rachofsky Warehouse and is currently the Assistant Registrar at the Amon Carter Museum. Nowlin is a co-founding member of the Fort Worth-based art collective HOMECOMING! Committee, whose exhibitions include "Friskt kopplat, halfen brunnet" (Quickly connected, half burned) for the 2013 Texas Biennial and "Post Communique" at the Dallas Museum of Art. Her public works include "Trailing the Trinity," commissioned by Fort Worth Public Art for the Clearfork Main Street Bridge and the "Look Book Fort Worth" photographic series for the Westbend development on University Drive

Required Materials:

I teach the use of a “limited pallet.” You will see that there are no greens, purples or blacks on this primary list; we will learn to mix them from this limited color selection. 37ml tubes are sufficient but you may benefit from buying a 200ml tube of white.

• Cadmium Red (or Hue)
• Alizarin Crimson
• Thalo Blue
• French Ultramarine Blue
• Lemon Yellow (or Hue)
• Cadmium Yellow (or Hue)
• 37 ml or 200ml Titanium White

In addition to paint, you should bring:

• 1 small glass jar with lid
• 3 small thin rags (old t-shirts are great)
• Pencil and eraser
• 2 primed canvases, 11 x 14 to 16 x 20 inch size is suggested

Brushes, painting mediums, and paper palettes will be provided, and during the course we will discuss other useful supplies for continuing your painting practice at home.

This class will be held at BRIT.

$85 members/$95 non-members

Do you have a teen who loves to draw and paint? Then join us for this two day teen workshop where students will cover the basics of botanical drawing and botanical watercolors with instructor Samantha Peters. Students will learn drawing skills that can be applied to any subject and complete a botanical drawing and watercolor of a subject of their choosing. On Day 1 students will learn basic observational drawing skills, with an emphasis on correct proportion. Students will learn basics of perspective, contour drawing, value, continuous tone, lighting, and shade to create form. On Day 2 students will learn basic watercolor techniques, including creating flat and graded washes, dry brushing, and basic color theory. 

Instructor Samantha Peters is a science illustrator based in Dallas, Texas. She received her B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin and attended the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, leaving once she realized illustrating her study guides was more fun than actually studying them. Afterwards, while living in New York City, she discovered a love of botanical art through classes at the New York Botanical Garden, and decided to pursue science illustration full time, attending the graduate program in Science Illustration at California State University, Monterey Bay. Samantha currently works in the graphics department at the Dallas Zoo and is the President of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Texas Group. Member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists. 

This class will take place at BRIT.

Please Note: This is a two day class that will take place on two consecutive Saturdays.
Day One - 7/28/2018
Day Two - 8/04/2018. 

$150 members/$175 non-members

Required Materials:

• Paints 
  Look for professional grade watercolors. Winsor Newton and Daniel Smith are good brands. I prefer tubes, but half pan kits are very good. 
  Basic/Primary Palette: Lemon or Winsor yellow, Cadmium yellow medium, scarlet lake, quinacridone rose, French ultramarine, Prussian blue, burnt sienna, neutral tint.  
  Also useful: sap green, quinacridone gold, quinacridone magenta 
  You can also purchase a pocket set with 12 or 24 half-pans — look for something with at least two yellows, two reds, and two blues, and buy what you can afford.
• Brushes 
  Round watercolor brushes with good points. Size 0 and 6 are good sizes, but this depends on your preference. Windsor Newton, Daniel Smith, Sceptre Gold, and Princeton are good brands. Look for a sable or synthetic/sable blend with a good point.
• Mixing palette 
  White porcelain plates are available for a few dollars at Target. You can also use plastic palettes with multiple wells – look for one with a lid.
• Plastic tubs for water - empty cream cheese or butter tubs work well!
• Viva brand paper towels
• Saral graphite transfer paper
• Tracing paper
• Pencils: 2H, H, HB, and 2B graphite pencils, or lead with holder.
• Handheld sharpener
• Kneaded eraser
• White vinyl eraser (Magic Rub or similar)
• Small ruler (clear ones are great!)
• Drafting tape
• Drawing Paper: Strathmore 400 series Drawing paper or Stonehenge brand smooth drawing paper.
• Watercolor paper: HOT PRESS 140 lb or higher — look for Fabriano or Arches brand. (A good paper that works for both drawing and watercolor is Fabriano Studio 140lb Hot Press!)

Join Steve Chaney as he demonstrates making salsa in your own kitchen.  As he cooks, Steve will provide recipes and describe the different types and flavors of salsa found in the various regions of the Southwest. He will share how these flavors are achieved by using fresh and local herbs, vegetables and seasonings. 

Instructor Steve Chaney is originally from a small town in Southern Oklahoma where he learned to love the garden from a very young age.  After receiving two BS degrees from Oklahoma State University in Landscape Architecture and Marketing, he owned and operated a design/building firm for over ten years before joining the Extension family and acquiring his Master’s Degree in Agricultural Education.  He first served as a CEA in Wichita County and, after four years, continued his service to the community as a CEA in Tarrant County, where he still continues to make a significant impact. His experience and expertise have helped to make the Tarrant County Home Horticulture programs recognized as “tops in the state”.  

This class will be held in the FWBG Kitchen.

$20 members/$25 non-members

The key to having nutrient dense food is having a healthy functioning soil food web in your garden. This course will give you a good foundation in understanding how to use biology in your organic gardening to grow tasty, healthy, nutritious food. Pair this class with the hands-on 'Soil Biology for Gardeners' for a deeper dive into this fascinating subject.

Instructors Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, focus on growing high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner. Brix testing is done regularly to monitor the nutritional quality of the produce and compost and compost teas are applied to the soil to ensure that soil biology is constantly improving. Both Laurie & Kim have their Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Course. Both have studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham and are working towards becoming Certified Soil Life Consultants. They offer permaculture design and soil biology consulting services to other growers and gardeners.

Please Note: This class was rescheduled from its original date of  Saturday, April 7. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

$30 members/$35 non-members

The organisms living in soil are crucial to soil health. In this hands-on class participants will work with microscopes to identify the different types of organisms that live in the soil. This class is a companion to the earlier class "What is the Soil Food Web?" and it is strongly recommended that they be taken together for a more complete understanding of the soil organisms we’ll be discussing and viewing. 

Instructors Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, focus on growing high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner. Brix testing is done regularly to monitor the nutritional quality of the produce and compost and compost teas are applied to the soil to ensure that soil biology is constantly improving. Both Laurie & Kim have their Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Course. Both have studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham and are working towards becoming Certified Soil Life Consultants. They offer permaculture design and soil biology consulting services to other growers and gardeners.

Please Note: This class was rescheduled from its original date of  Saturday, April 7. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

$20 members/$25 non-members