Tool Selection and Maintenance

Rescheduled Date!

Professional gardeners learn how to take care of their own tools. Why not home gardeners? Dull, unmanaged tools can lead to hand fatigue and pain. This is a class where you learn the basics of tool selection and maintenance. It is for those intimidated by their husband’s tool bench and for men who want to sharpen (pun intended) their skills. Students will learn tool selection, general maintenance, sharpening and other tips. Cleaning and conditioning of other basic tools such as shovels and trowels will also be covered. Also, learn how to maintain another set of tools – your hands. Hand exercises will briefly covered to help you keep your hands in top gardening condition. Hand-outs will be distributed for all of the information covered. Bring your pruners!

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Bonsai Twin Arrangement - Pomegranate

Add a truly unique bonsai arrangement to your collection with this twin arrangement using this unique, blooming tropical. Arrangements will be set in an attractive glazed pot, and stand out in any collection. All materials will be provided. Please bring hand pruners if you have them.

The material fee is due with registration. Class size is limited to 15 participants.

This class is filled. Please contact us to be placed on the waiting list.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Digital Photography

Explore the different aspects of photography through the use of a digital camera. Participants in this course will use the photographic opportunities at Phipps to learn about the digital workflow, from understanding the settings on a digital camera through actually taking the picture, getting the image transferred to a computer, and printing it. Topics like “white balance”, “jpeg vs. raw format”, and “histograms” will be de-mystified so they can be used as reliable tools. Students will also learn when and when not to rely on the LCD on the back of the digital camera for determining the quality of images.

The goal of the course will be to help all students become more comfortable with the digital process and improve their photographic technique. All levels of photographic experience are welcome. This course is open to all digital photographers or film photographers who are contemplating moving to digital.

Students need to bring a digital or 35mm (with color print film) camera to each session. Weekly feedback will be given by reviewing color prints of each assignment.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Make Your Own Terrarium

Learn how to create a living garden contained under glass. We’ll talk about different styles of terrariums and containers (open vs. closed, wet vs. dry), choosing appropriate plants, visual design, and watering and maintenance. Students will plant a terrarium in class and learn appropriate care.

Bring your own container – anything from a glass bowl to an apothecary jar to that old aquarium gathering dust in your basement. All other materials are provided, including soil, moss, rocks, and plants. The material fee is due with registration.

This class is filled. Please contact us to be placed on the waiting list.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Tropical Bonsai Workshop

The art of bonsai is centuries old but is still popular today. In this workshop you will train a weeping fig into a bonsai specimen using specialized techniques of styling, wiring, potting and root pruning.

All materials will be provided, and each participant will take home a completed bonsai which can be kept indoors. Please bring hand pruners if you have them. The material fee covers all materials and plants and is due upon registration.

Class size is limited to 15 participants.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Spring Basket Arrangement

Throw off those winter blues and fill your house with the fresth flowers of spring. Make your own spring basket arrangement in this course and bring home the colors of the season.

A supply list will be provided upon registration. The supply fee is due upon registration.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Beginning Bonsai Workshop

This is your opportunity to learn the timeless and ancient art of bonsai in a hands-on workshop. Using dwarf garden juniper, learn the horticultural techniques of styling, wiring, potting and root pruning. All materials will be provided, and each participant will take home a completed bonsai.

Class size is limited to 12 participants. The material fee is due upon registration.

This class is filled. Please contact us to be placed on the waiting list.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Bonsai Cascade

Explore this classic Bonsai style, and take home your own cascading juniper specimen. Dr. Pietrzak will demonstrate how to plant, prune and maintain this bonsai style. All materials will be provided. The material fee is due upon registration. Please bring hand pruners if you have them.
 
Class size is limited to 15 participants.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Bonsai Workshop: On the Rocks

Expand your bonsai skills with a root-over-rock bonsai specimen.  A juniper will be planted and trained over tufa rock. Pietrzak will demonstrate how to plant, prune and maintain this unique bonsai style, which is a spectacular addition to any bonsai collection.

All materials will be provided.  Please bring hand pruners if you have them.  The material fee covers all materials and plants and is due upon registration. Class size is limited to 15 participants.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.

Wildflower Trail Hike

Raccoon Creek State Park is home to a 314 acre Wildflower Reserve, which contains one of the most diverse stands of wildflowers in the western PA. This unique and diverse landscape is host to over 500 species of plants. Join us at the peak of spring wildflower season for a 2-hour walk along the trails in the Reserve and learn about the plants that call this place home. We will travel through a diverse landscape with a variety of habitats including oak-hickory forest, pine plantations, woodland meadows, and flood plain forest and may see several species of trillium, bloodroot, Virginia bluebells, and Dutchman’s breeches. Learn how to identify these plants and other surprises, including some majestic trees growing in the preserve.

Some trails through the Reserve are somewhat steep with uneven footing and muddy/wet spots. Please wear appropriate footwear for the hike and the season. A walking staff may also be helpful. Approximate length of hike is 1 - 2 miles, depending on trail conditions. Pets are not allowed in the preserve. The Wildflower Reserve is located immediately off of Route 30 in Clinton, PA before the main entrance to Raccoon Creek Park. Detailed directions can be provided upon registration.

To register, call the Garden Center at (412) 441-4442 ext. 3925 or download our registration form.