Propagation of Ferns

This class is Sold Out.

Join Agnes Slociak Knasiak for a hands-on class which will explore the unusual way in which ferns propagate, as they bear no flowers or seed pods. You will probe into this very primitive process of plant sexual reproduction.  You will take home pots ready to bring the mystery of spore reproduction into its full glory and will have several new ferns to add to your plant collection.

Instructor Agnieszka Slociak Knasiak, has degrees from two universities in Europe including a PhD in Horticulture. During her doctoral study in Wroclaw, Poland she took special classes for “The Art of Floral Design.” She creates the flower designs each year for the Japanese Garden Festivals. She also designs arrangements for special events in Botanic Garden such as birthday parties, anniversaries, funerals, holidays tables, etc. She is currently a Greenhouse Attendant at the Botanic Garden.

Please note: This class will be held at the FWBG.

$20 members/$25 non-members

From Amazon.com: "In six compelling essays, Wes Jackson lays the foundation for a new farming economy grounded in nature’s principles. Exploding the tenets of industrial agriculture, Jackson, a respected advocate for sustainable practices and the founder of The Land Institute, seeks to integrate food production with nature in a way that sustains both."

Come join in on the summer fun!

We offer two hour custom experiences during the summer at both BRIT and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden campuses. Students have the opportunity to learn about composting, become scientists in our herbarium of over 1.5 million plant species, explore the many areas of the gardens, and learn about botany in TEKS based, nature-inspired field study trips! 

Click here to view our Field Study Trip Guide with details and pricing. 

To book, contact Michelle at mschmidlkofer@brit.org. Please provide number and grade level of students as well as preferred date, time and experience(s) for your trip. 

Explore the outdoors with your children ages 18 months to 3 years at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Spend your morning in the garden for story time and activities with Carlos the Cactus! This month we will be reading the book, The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulsen so come join us as we get our hands on corn, and onions and learn all about a summer harvest. See you there! 

*No programs in July, December, January, & February.*

Location: Backyard Veggie Garden (#25 on FWBG Map)

Parking: Shelter House (#27 on FWBG Map)

Age: Catered to 18 months to 3 years old, all ages welcome

Free to the public!

Fungi are mostly unseen, hidden in the soil  where they work their magic of recycling and providing nutrients to all plants. When they reproduce, however, some produce the unique, sometimes strange fruiting bodies, that we call mushrooms. This exhibit illustrates a selection of the good (edible), the bad (toxic) and the beautiful.

Join us in the BRIT Welcome Center Gallery for this fascinating glimpse at the often overlooked Fifth Kingdom.

This two-day workshop is designed as an introduction (or intermediate refresher) to painting in oils with an emphasis on color mixing. The BRIT Studio will offer botanical specimens and objects from the collection for still lifes, or participants can work from reference photographs or drawings. We will also discuss tips for working cleanly and safely with oil paint at home. 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 each day, and be prepared to complete one or two paintings in this immersive workshop experience!

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). Her oil paintings often feature figures set in an abstracted, densely-patterned, or botanical-inspired settings and can be seen regularly around town at Artspace 111 and the Fort Worth Community Art Center. Nowlin has taught at TCU, The Modern, and the Rachofsky Warehouse and is currently the Assistant Registrar at the Amon Carter Museum. Her public art 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.

Please Note: This class will be held at BRIT.

This class will meet on:
Saturday, June 29     10am - 3pm
Sunday, June 30        10am - 3pm 

$175 members/$185 non-members

Click HERE for a complete list of required materials

This one day, hands-on workshop will provide students with an introduction to the versatility of ink for botanical subjects. This class will cover basics like contour lines, stippling, hatching and cross hatching, and ink washes. 

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. 

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$85 members/$95 non-members

Click HERE  for a complete list of materials.

Lean how to plan your landscape with Texas-tough plants that do well during the heat and drought and how we can ensure they survive the long, hot days of summer.

Instructor Theresa Kay Thomas is a member of the Tarrant County Master Gardener Association, the North Central Native Plant Society of Texas and a Cross Timbers Master Naturalist. She is Co-lead at the Southwest Regional Library Native Plant Demonstration Gardens.

Please note: This class will be held at the FWBG.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Did you know that Fall is the best time to garden in North Central Texas? Join us for this five-hour workshop and learn how to take advantage of this time of year in your garden and learn how to battle the elements during the rest of the year. You’ll cover a variety of topics including site selection, irrigation, soil biology, specialty gardens like herb, salad and salsa gardens, and much more. 

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 be held at BRIT.

$75 members/$85 non-members

Nothing tastes better than a nourishing salad with a zippy homemade salad dressing! Culinary Dietitian Dixya Bhattarai will teach the art of well-composed, nutritious salad inspired by seasonal and local ingredients. She will share her tips for adding pops of color, bursts of flavors and unexpected textures for every lifestyle. To dress the salad, you will whip up a punchy vinaigrette and a creamy dressing.

Instructor Dixya Bhattarai graduated with a major in dietetics and a minor in Biology from Idaho State University in 2010 before she received a Master of Science in Nutrition in 2016. She has 6+ years of experience in acute care clinical dietetics and food service management. She also collaborates with corporate wellness companies through nutrition education, cooking demonstration, and workshops. To learn more about Dixya, please visit: https://www.foodpleasureandhealth.com/.

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$40 members/$45 non-members

Do you want an organic garden?  Have you heard about companion plants for your vegetables? Come learn about “insectary plants” and the beneficial insects they support.  Use Nature’s predator-and-prey relationships in insect control.

Instructor Gail Manning is an entomologist and has been at the Botanic Garden for 13 years. Her focus is conservation and citizen science, primarily on the monarch butterfly. 

Please note: this class will take place at the FWBG.

$20 members/$25 non-members

In this two hour, hands-on class floral designer Stephanie Bergmann will teach you how to take that grocery store bundle of flowers and make a unique arrangement for your home. This is the class for you if you've ever wondered how florists compose a perfect arrangement, where they get their inspiration, how they work with difficult vases and containers, and how they take common everyday items found in most gardens and turn them into something special. 

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$40 member/$45 non-member

Using papers strewn with leaves and petals, students will construct an eye-catching, sewn binding, handmade book. We will discuss papers, peruse examples of similar book structures, and learn the step-by-step process for designing and assembling your book. Your handmade book can later be used for writing, drawing, or nature journaling. Craft a book as a gift for a friend, family member, or keep it for yourself!

Instructor Carol Parker Mittal is an energetic and creative teaching artist with experience in educational program development and implementation, writing, and working in arts settings with students and participants of all ages. She has a unique ability to communicate her love of art to her students, to  motivate them to accomplish projects that they might not otherwise attempt and to celebrate their successes. You can see examples of her book binding work at Attack Cat Studio.

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$40 member/$45 non-member

From Amazon.com: "The acclaimed author of Motoring with Mohammed brings us a compelling adventure into the remarkable world of the orchid and the impossibly bizarre array of international characters who dedicate their lives to it."

Click here to register! 

K-2nd: Enjoy story time with Carlos the Cactus as he teaches us about the importance of pollinators in the Backyard Veggie Garden. Then explore the garden as we work together to solve the Case of the Fallen Pollen and discover why pollinators are disappearing.

3rd-5th: Saddle up as we head out for a Texas Ecoregion Roundup! The flora and fauna from each ecoregion need your help to find their way home. Work together to determine which animals and plants belong where.

6th-10th: Think like a scientific engineer while examining two distinct sets of soils to determine which type is used on BRIT’s very own living roof. Texas Instruments Nspires and probes will be in used outdoors, and drop-ins experts will help establish career pathways.

Times:
K-5th:10:00—11:30, meet/park/pick up at the Japanese Garden Parking Lot. We will have a sign in sheet for students there.

6th-10th: 9:45—Noon, meet in the BRIT Atrium (1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76107) ** Parking is available outside of BRIT**

Cost: $5 per person (includes adults and children)

$75 non-members

$65 GROW members

**Tickets include a signed copy of Vitamin N**

Join GROW Education as we welcome Richard Louv in this fundraiser to create a Nature Play space at BRIT.

Recent research suggests that exposure to nature can improve all children's cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression. In 2008, University of Michigan researchers demonstrated that, after just an hour interacting with nature, memory performance and attention spans improved by 20 percent. Not long ago, researchers at the University of Kansas reported a 50 percent boost in creativity for people who were steeped in nature for a few days. as the research suggests, a case can be made that nature time can improve adult cognitive and creative functioning. Useful anytime, especially in the current job market. Businesses, too, can become nature-smart.

Richard Louv is a journalist and author of nine books, including Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Defecit Disorder, The Nature Principle; and Vitamin N. Translated and published in 24 countries, his books have helped launch an international movement to connect families and communities to nature. In 2008, he was awarded the Audubon Medal, presented by the National Audubon Society. Prior recipients included Rachel Carson, E.O. Wilson and President Jimmy Carter. Among other awards, Louv is also the recipient of the Cox Award for 2007, Clemson University's highest honor, for "sustained achievement in public service." He speaks frequently around the world, including keynote addresses at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference, the first White House Summit on Environmental Education, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Friends of Nature Conference in Beijing, China. He is chairman emeritus of the nonprofit Children & Nature Network.

GROW Members are invited to a wine and cheese reception honoring Richard Louv just prior to the lecture, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM.

Not a member? Become a member today by visiting fwgrow.org.

All compost is not created equal so, if you've learned the basics of composting, come take a deeper dive and learn which type of composting is considered the gold standard and how to make aerated compost tea. Learn how to determine whether your soil needs fungal or bacterial compost, how to make these two types of compost and the best way to use both. Join us for this 5 hour hands-on workshop and harness the power of compost! 

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 be held at BRIT.

$75 members/$85 non-members

Join Agrilife Horticulturalist Steve Chaney to learn how to work smarter not harder to have a luscious landscape by choosing more efficient methods of watering as you add plants that require less water.  Learn to maintain your yard even with the water restrictions that are necessary in our climate.  

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 the Tarrant County Home Horticulture programs to become recognized as ‘tops in the state’.

Please note: This class will be held at FWBG.

$20 members/$25 non-members

$10 per scout

Location: BRIT 1700 University Drive Fort Worth,TX 76107

Parking: You can park in BRIT's main parking lot. Kat, our program lead, will be there to greet you inside the main entrance!

Click here to register! 

Contact rlincoln@brit.org with any questions or concerns. 

Join BRIT as we celebrate the arrival of fall with the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association Fall Gallery Night and our exhibits Botanical Art - 6 Ways featuring the work of six regional botanical artists working in a  variety of mediums in the Madeline R. Samples Exhibit Hall and The Fifth Kingdom by Denis Benjamin in the Welcome Center Gallery. 

This year BRIT's First Saturday and Gallery Night fall on the same day so it will be a full and fun day. Take a class, bring your kids for story time with Bella, learn about BRIT on the free tour, do some shopping at the Gallery Night Artisan Market and enjoy an evening of beautiful art. Our full schedule is below.

9:00 am
Doors open

10:00 am
Adult Ed - Plant Portraits: Acrylic Techniques
Adult Ed – Pesto-mania

10:30 am
Free tour of BRIT
Bella’s Saturday Storytime

11:00 am 
Artisan Market* opens 

1:00 pm
Adult Ed – Preserving Nature’s Bounty: Canning Pickled Peppers
Adult Ed – Wildflower Hand Embroidery

6:00 pm
Gallery Night Reception for Fifth Kingdom and Botanical Art – 6 Ways

9:00 pm
Doors close

 * If you are interested in becoming a vendor at the Artisan Market click HERE 

For more information please contact Laura or Layla.

Not sure what to do with your bumper crop of basil? Are you swimming in sage? Overrun by mint? Learn how to use your late summer harvest of herbs to create several different types of pesto and bring fresh, new tastes to your dinner table.

Instructor Nancy Curl has been a Tarrant County Master Gardener since 2007. She has served on the board of the TCMGA for 4 years and as president for 2 years. She was named Tarrant County Master Gardener of the Year and State Master Gardener of the Year, large counties in 2012. As a Greenhouse, Oak Wilt, Propagation, and Rain Water Harvesting Advanced Trainer, she teaches gardening and garden- related topics at the Botanic Garden, TCC, Home & Garden shows, the Union Gospel Mission and garden clubs. She is the Education Coordinator for the TCMGA and the Water Works Learning Center at the Resource Connection of Tarrant County and she volunteers as a docent at the Botanic Garden Japanese Garden, Butterflies in the Garden, and with the BG/BRIT GROW Education Series.

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Join us for this fast paced, fun, hands on workshop and paint a 20' x 16” portrait of your beloved plant and/or favorite plant specimen. Class will begin with the instructor demonstrating various painting techniques that can be achieved with acrylic paint. We will also talk about how to create compositional balance within the painting and how to correctly use color. For further inspiration, we will look at contemporary artists who have worked with similar subject matter. Students may choose to paint from life or from a photograph. 

Instructor Erika Duque is a painter who lives and works in Fort Worth, TX. She is originally from Flushing, Queens, NY. Duque received her BFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently an MFA candidate at TCU in painting and graduates in May of 2018. http://www.erikaduque.com

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$85 members/$95 non-members

August and September in most North Texas gardens is a time of transition. The spring and summer vegetables have finished up and their fall counterparts are just getting started. Peppers are one plant that shines in late summer all the way through to the first frost. Your plants may be producing much more than you know what to do with. Canning or pickling them is a great way to store extra garden produce or in season groceries when the prices are low. Participants will enjoy a hands-on class on pickling peppers (sweet or hot) with an experienced instructor before trying it themselves at home.

As a semi-retired CPA, instructor Teresa Day-Fickel enjoys gardening and volunteering her time as a Tarrant County Master Gardener and has completed advanced training in Vegetables, Propagation, and Greenhouse Management. She loves teaching people how to grow, harvest and preserve food at the Harvesting Hope Community Garden in Arlington. She is always ready to lend a hand at the Tarrant Area Food Bank Kindred Spirits Kitchen Garden and she developed and teaches the food preservation series of classes at the TAFB demonstration kitchen.

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$30 members/$35 non-members

GROW adult education is thrilled to welcome Colleen Duarte of And Other Adventures Embroidery who will walk you through step-by-step instructions for the 5 basic stitches used in her Wildflower Hoop.  In addition to step by step instructions, Colleen will share with you the tips and tricks she has picked up over the years and she'll get you started on your own Wildflower Hoop. This workshop is perfect for all levels so whether you already know your way around a hoop or you have never picked up a needle before, there is a little something for everyone. Please keep in mind, hand embroidery is a slow craft that is meant to be done at a leisurely pace.  While we will have time to walk-through and practice each stitch during the class, it is expected that additional stitching time will be required at home in order to complete the project. A full Wildflower Hoop embroidery kit  in your choice of color palette is included with your tuition. Additional kits will be available for purchase.

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$60 members/$65 non-members

The key to growing nutrient dense food and happy plants is having healthy, functioning soil in your garden. The organisms living in soil are crucial to soil health and in this five hour, hands-on class participants will work with microscopes to identify the different types of organisms that live in the soil and learn how to manage them for optimal soil health. This workshop will give you an understanding of how to use soil biology in your organic gardening to grow tasty, healthy, nutritious food. 

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 be held at BRIT.

$75 members/$85 non-members

Join Tarrant County Master Gardener Rita Hottel to discuss how best to use local herbs in oils, vinegars, and salad dressings and discover inventive ways to use your new creations. Come expand your culinary skills and go beyond the expected combination of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Don’t miss this chance to taste and take home some new ideas and easy recipes that provide a big range of flavors for everyday cooking.

After becoming a Master Gardener in 2000, instructor Rita Hottel quickly found her niche in herbs. She is currently the Lead Gardener of the Herb Garden at the Tarrant County Master Gardener Community/Education Garden. Even though she was trained in all aspects of gardening, herb gardening was the perfect complement to her other hobby of cooking. 

Please note: This class will be held at BRIT.

$30 members/$35 non-members

From Amazon.com: "The universal appeal of Laura Ingalls Wilder springs from a life lived in partnership with the land, on farms she and her family settled across the Northeast and Midwest. In this revealing exploration of Wilder’s deep connection with the natural world, Marta McDowell follows the wagon trail of the beloved Little House series. You’ll learn details about Wilder’s life and inspirations, pinpoint the Ingalls and Wilder homestead claims on authentic archival maps, and learn to grow the plants and vegetables featured in the series. Excerpts from Wilder’s books, letters, and diaries bring to light her profound appreciation for the landscapes at the heart of her world. Featuring the beloved illustrations by Helen Sewell and Garth Williams, plus hundreds of historic and contemporary photographs, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a treasure that honors Laura’s wild and beautiful life." 

Join us for this workshop and learn which fall nectar plants attract the migrating monarchs.  Learn about the annual migration, the 5th generation, and the overwintering grounds in Mexico. We’ll tag monarchs if our timing is right! This class contains material not covered in the spring Gardening for Monarchs class.

Instructor Gail Manning is an entomologist and has been at the Botanic Garden for 13 years. Her focus is conservation and citizen science, primarily on the monarch butterfly. 

Please note: this class will be held at BRIT.

$20 members/$25 non-members

Add an amazing piece of hand crafted art to your landscape when you learn how to create a concrete leaf cast using Portland cement, fine sand and water. They're fun to make and each one is unique and gorgeous!

Instructor Nancy Curl has been a Tarrant County Master Gardener since 2007. She has served on the board of the TCMGA for 4 years and as president for 2 years. She was named Tarrant County Master Gardener of the Year and State Master Gardener of the Year, large counties in 2012.

As a Greenhouse, Oak Wilt, Propagation, and Rain Water Harvesting Advanced Trainer, she teaches gardening and garden- related topics at the Botanic Garden, TCC, Home & Garden shows, the Union Gospel Mission and garden clubs. She is the Education Coordinator for the TCMGA and the Water Works Learning Center at the Resource Connection of Tarrant County and she volunteers as a docent at the Botanic Garden Japanese Garden, Butterflies in the Garden, and with the BG/BRIT GROW Education Series.

Please note: This class will be held at FWBG.

$40 members/$45 non-members

Join Gay Larson and create a colorful succulent container garden that seems to flow across a pot. Bring your own 12”-14” pot and we'lll supply the other materials including plants, decorative stones, sea glass and, of course, soil! You will leave with a delightful, easy to maintain pot of succulents that will add interest to your patio.

Instructor Gay Larson is a Master Gardener in both Tarrant and Parker Counties.  She is the Project Leader for Union Gospel Mission and has landscaped various Master Gardener projects in Fort Worth, Aledo, Azle, Annetta, Weatherford, and Willow Park since 1997.  She teaches classes to 4 H, Eagle Scouts and various Master Gardener Associations and Conferences. She was recognized by the Star Telegram as one of five Women of the Year in 1997 for her volunteer work at Union Gospel Mission and named Master Gardener of the Year in 2000.

Please note: This class will be held at FWBG.

$40 members/$45 non-members