For Adults
Whether you are a seasoned green thumb, a budding artist, a green-minded locavore or an aspiring naturalist, we have a class for you. Peruse our offerings for an exciting variety of fun and enriching programs on gardening, arts and crafts, healthy living and sustainability, providing you with plenty of opportunities — from single classes to more intensive courses of study — to let your inspiration grow.
Here at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, all of our instructors are accomplished in their fields and provide a friendly, welcoming and relaxing environment in which our students can learn and realize their full potential. Our certificate courses are open to everyone and may be taken as stand-alone classes provided that all necessary prerequisites, if applicable, have been satisfied.
For more details about our programs, or to receive personalized class recommendations from our helpful staff, please feel free to contact us at edu@phipps.conservatory.org.
Confirmations will be emailed the day before each class, including a Zoom link. Please check your spam/junk mail folder, and if you have not received the link, email edu@phipps.conservatory.org.
Ecological Gardening | Landscape and Garden Design
The Ecological Gardening and Landscape and Garden Design Certificate programs consist of courses that teach best management practices necessary for designing aesthetically pleasing properties with positive impacts on the environment and essential knowledge on how to best use native plants for habitat and ecosystem preservation.
Learn more about our Ecological Gardening Certificate >
Learn more about our Landscape and Garden Design Certificate >
Floral Design
The Floral Design Certificate program offers the most extensive course of study available in the region, covering all aspects of floral design. The history and progression of floral design is integrated into each class so that students know how and why arrangements are done in a particular way. Participants are also provided with a strong foundation for building upon their own creativity and imagination.
Learn more about our Floral Design Certificate >
Botanical Art and Illustration
Students enrolled in the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate program will learn how to draw botanical subjects with scientific accuracy, artistry and mastery of technical methods. Using a basic knowledge of plant morphology, participants will develop the skills needed to document plants in intricate detail, including the root system, upper and lower leaf surfaces, flowers, fruits and seed heads. This program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing art for pleasure and self-satisfaction, and they can choose between two concentrations: watercolor or colored pencil. Beginners, as well as those with art experience, are welcome. Students may repeat most courses in the program at a 10-percent discount; however, a repeat course cannot apply toward certificate credit.
Learn More about our Botanical Art and Illustration Program >
Gardening and Botanical Crafts
Take your creativity to a whole other level! From nature walks and papermaking, to upgrading your ornamental and edible garden skills, our Gardening and Botanical Crafts courses will excite and inspire the love of nature in everyone!
Culinary Arts
Join us in our beautiful, state-of-the-art Botany Hall Kitchen for exciting culinary arts classes! Discover new ways to prepare food that is good for you and the planet in our innovative kitchen and classroom setting.
Conferences, Speakers and Professional Education
Phipps is dedicated to bringing nationally recognized speakers to our world-class facility to help enrich our region and further our mission. These special events will keep you at the forefront of your field of interest and connected to like-minded individuals. You'll be amazed at what you can learn in a day at the gardens.
Phipps Adult Education Courses Made Possible in Part By
Select photos © Paul g. Wiegman, Natalie Bowman