Spend a day learning about the amazing nutritional and healing powers of dandelions and other spring plants. We will walk around the beautiful grounds of Chatfield to meet the wild healing plants and also tour some of the gardens that feature cultivated healing plants. We wil harvest dandelion roots and learn how to make various medicinal preparations. Participants will go home with a herbal alcohol extract.

$52 members, $55 non-members, $47 CSA shareholders (reciprocal member).

Instructor: Mary O'Brien

About our instructor:

Mary O'Brien has been studying and practicing herbal medicine since 1987. She has studied with many renowned herbal medicine teachers and completed the Chartered Herbalist program with Dominion Herbal College. Mary lives in Steamboat Springs where she teaches and maintains a medicinal garden for Yampa River Botanic Park. She is currently co-authoring a book on edible and medicinal plants of Northwest Colorado. Mary is certified in Advanced Permaculture Design and has studied Edible Forest Gardening.

In this fun, family-friendly class we will focus on how to use the delicious bounty of your CSA or home garden. We will make a variety of salads and dressings using the arugula, parsley, dill, kohlrabi, salad mix, and swiss chard. We will also make a cold beet and yogurt soup and discuss other ways to bring out the natural flavor of delicous beets. Finally we will make several carrot side dishes: two kinds of carrot salads, a carrot puree with hazelnuts, and roasted carrots.

$35 members, $38 non-members, $32 CSA shareholders (reciprocal members). Children under 10 are free!

Instructor: Katrina Brink

Interested in learning how to use all those copious amounts of cucumbers, hot peppers, and tomatoes? Join us in our new outdoor kitchen for a hands-on simple instructional on how to preserve all your seasonal garden delights with water bath canning.

Each class will be 3 hours long so everyone has a chance to do, see and taste. All participants will take a home a gourmet jar of veggies to enjoy at home.

$42 member, $45 nonmember, $38 CSA shareholders (reciprocal member)

Instructor: Kathy Lee

Image: Courtesy of cjmartin (Flickr)

When people, plants, animals, water, air, buildings, energy, communications, etc., interact beneficially with each other through good design and placement, the area becomes more resilient, more of a Permanent Agriculture.

Permaculture is a Design system based on the joining of indigenous wisdom practices with current ecological activism, guided by Ethics and Principles. Permaculture reminds us that "everything gardens" and teaches a sustainable worldview that brings together many disciplines into a systematic approach for gardening, lifestyle and being. Based on deep Observation, Pattern Recognition and Working with Energetic flows (wind, water, people, sound, animals, community, etc.) we engage in the organization of our endeavors to eliminate waste and support natural processes for enhancing our gardening. Permaculture is actively taught and practiced by thousands of people all over the planet we call home. There are many classic Permaculture techniques that have been developed and we will explore some of them in this class, including sheetmulching, herb spirals, guild planting, alternative economics, stacking functions. season extension and natural building.

Participants in this class will gain a basic understanding of the Ethics and Principles of Permaculture, along with having a specific set of practical gardening and lifestyle ideas that they can put into action immediately. We will have 'hands on' time during the morning class to practice Observation, a foundational Permaculture skill. We will examine some examples of Permaculture style gardening at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield. The class will also include an additional "hands on" exercise in the afternoon to enhance the lecture information. The participants will have practical information and experience to use for their personal situation at home, work or both.

Instructor: Jim Gibson and Mary O'Brien

$52 member, $55 non-member, $47 CSA shareholders (reciprocal member).

Pleine air is a French expression that means én the open air. Channel Monet as you paint in the open air at the beautiful setting of the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. This peaceful, pastoral setting will provide plenty of inspiration for painters looking to capture landscape and nature scenes.

Instructor Judith Scott has taught art for over thirty years. She will guide you in finding your personal color and design choice, catching the feel of the place and day, and applying techniques from the medium of your choice. Depth of field, atmosphere, expression, and concern for values will also be emphasized. This outdoor painting session is open to all levels, including the beginner. Students are responsible for their own materials and easel.

$22 member, $25 non-member

Instructor: Judith Scott

Image: Courtesy of Historic Gardens (Flickr)