Adult Classes

Learn the secrets to successfully starting seeds indoors so you can enjoy the satisfaction of getting a head start on your spring garden, including vegetables, annuals, and herbs.  This class will cover lighting, seed sources, hardening off, and saving seed. Take home a few of our favorite seed varieties. 

Instructor: Ted Schaaf, Horticulturist

Cost: $18

Saturday, March 2; 10 a.m.-noon

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Create your own food-producing gardens at home.  Get tips on garden size, site selection, container possibilities, choosing seeds and transplants.  Learn how and when to plant, tend and harvest your garden. Plant lists will be provided and Spring Plant Sale showstoppers highlighted.            

Instructor: Mary Miller, Community Garden Outreach Coordinator, The Gardens on Spring Creek     

Cost: $18

Saturday, March 16; 10 a.m.-Noon

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A soil test is the best way to check the growing potential of your garden.  This class will show you how to use the data from a soil test to make good landscape management decisions like plant selection, applying fertilizer and compost, and irrigation strategies.              

Instructor: Jean Reeder, Ph.D., Soil Ecologist

Cost: $10
Class fee reduced by Fort Collins Utilities subsidy to support water conservation.

Saturday, March 16; 1-3 p.m.

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Explore the power of medicinal plants and discuss why they are often overlooked by western medicine. We will cover some of the most common Colorado medicinal plants you can grow in your home garden and different ways to use them in your everyday life to support your overall health. Note to participants: This is an exploratory class and not led by healthcare professionals. We are not able to diagnose or prescribe treatments.       

Instructors: Kenna Castleberry and Sue Abernathy   

Cost: $18

Saturday, March 23; 10 a.m.-Noon

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Learn how to create a plant palette for your garden to attract all forms of pollinators. The class will cover basic Fort Collins pollinator identification, plant varieties that support pollinators, and how to incorporate these plants and nesting structures into your existing garden design. 

Instructor: Kelly Kellow, Horticulturalist, Gardens on Spring Creek

Cost: $18

Saturday, March 23; 1-3 p.m.

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Boost your vegetable garden yields by applying basic principles of large-scale production farming to your residential space! We will cover automating your irrigation, understanding seeding techniques, employing season extension, creating crop planning worksheets and more.

Instructor: Andrea Vanderbilt, Teach Me To Grow

Cost: $18

Saturday, April 6; 10 a.m.-Noon

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Tips to care for the roses you have and plan for what you want. How to select cultivars that will thrive in our climate and the proven practices for growing them. All based on first hand experience and the latest research techniques that you can easily implement.         

Instructor: Roger Heins, Rosarian & Plant Researcher

Cost: $18

Saturday, April 6; 1-3 p.m.

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Do your spray heads mist? Have you ever wondered how your sprinkler system is put together underneath your landscape? Join us for this hands-on class to better understand: how sprinkler systems are designed, how to adjust heads and nozzles, what to look for to upgrade an existing system and how to identify water loss. We will be using live water, so dress appropriately!   

Instructor: Eric Olson, City of Fort Collins Utilities    

Cost: $10
Class fee reduced by Fort Collins Utilities subsidy to support water conservation.

Saturday, April 13; 10 a.m.-Noon

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Learn uncommon yet easy to grow, drought tolerant plants including many that will be available at our Spring Plant Sale.  We will discuss pollinator-loving varieties, multi-season interest, long blooms, and cultivars that your neighbors will envy. Leave with a great plant list for your garden!  

Instructor: Sherry Fuller, Curator, The Gardens on Spring Creek        

Cost: $10
Class fee reduced by Fort Collins Utilities subsidy to support water conservation.

Saturday, April 13; 1-3 p.m.

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Learn basic irrigation components, terms, design and function. We will also cover how to water your landscape efficiently using industry standards and waterwise equipment and practices.

Instructor: Jason Brown, Summit Lawn and Landscape 

Cost: $10
Class fee reduced by Fort Collins Utilities subsidy to support water conservation. 

Saturday, April 20; 10 a.m.-Noon

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Learn landscape tips and get to know equipment that can take a chunk out of outdoor water use. We will discuss small landscape conversions and the easy irrigation changes that go along with them, as well as simple water management techniques. Topics discussed relate to residential sprinkler systems.

Instructor: Katie Collins, City of Fort Collins Utilities, Xeriscape Program         

Cost: $10
Class fee reduced by Fort Collins Utilities subsidy to support water conservation. 

Saturday, April 20; 1-3 p.m.

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This hands-on class covers the basics of drip irrigation.  Learn the components’ functions and how they fit together to create a simple watering system for your patio, vegetable garden, or flower beds.  This class will teach you how to design and install or troubleshoot your own system.       

Instructor: Dillon Hancock, Horticulturist, The Gardens on Spring Creek        

Cost: $10
Class fee reduced by Fort Collins Utilities subsidy to support water conservation. 

Saturday, April 27; 10 a.m.-Noon

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Learn all about what it takes to grow and care for fruit trees on the Front Range. In this class we will learn about the planning needed to successfully plant a fruit tree in your space; how to select and purchase a quality tree; the proper techniques for handling and planting; pollination; training and pruning. We will also cover the basic characteristics and care needed to grow apples, pears, peaches, plums and cherries.              

Instructor: Susan Bonsall, Master Gardener, Larimer County Extension         

Cost: $18

Saturday, April 27; 1-3 p.m.

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