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Classes
Welcome to the 2009 Gardening Series classes. This year we have even more courses that will pique your interest. Take a class on Designing an Ornamental Grass Garden. This 2 day class considers the elements that are necessary to successfully use grasses in the garden. On the flip side, learn how constructing a cold frame can extend the gardening year with flowers and vegetables.
Our classes have been designed to provide the homeowner and the Master Gardener with ideas and techniques for improving the home garden - both inside and out! Come and spend a morning or an afternoon with other gardeners, as a variety of experts in their field share their experience and knowledge with you.
Give the Gift of Gardening! 
Looking for something different for that hard to shop for person? Why not give them the gift of gardening. We will provide a gift certificate for any of our classes. Just let us know to whom and where it should be sent. Please call the Gardens office 732-932-8451.
2009 Class schedule Registration Form (28k PDF)
March
Growing Small Fruits at Home NEW
Have you been looking with envy at Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries and other small fruits in the grocery store and wish you could grow them at home? Peter will take you through the step-by-step process of growing them in your own garden. He will cover varieties, maintenance, and proper layout practices so that in the summers to come, you can have great fresh small fruit at your fingertips.
Instructor: Peter Nitzsche Fee: $ 47.50
Date: March 7, 2009 Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG-CEU: 2.0
Rhododendrons for New Jersey Gardens NEW
Nothing delights a gardener more and lights up a spring garden better than the genus Rhododendron! Although the name and the common forms are known to many, there are a vast number of truly interesting plants that remain unknown. Steven will take the class through the odyssey of this group of plants, discussing culture, maintenance techniques, and a host of available species and cultivars that will add great interest to the garden through texture, unusual flowers or bloom time and size. Weather permitting, we will venture outside and perform some hands-on pruning as well.
Instructor: Steven Kristoph Fee: $ 47.50
Date: March 14, 2009 Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG - CEU: 2.0
Woodland and Shade Gardening
Almost every yard has that shady area that creates a challenge to the gardener and the designer. Bruce will detail methods of identifying the type of shade and the associated problems, points on improving the soil, and provide a variety of plants that survive and flourish under stressful shade conditions. Finally, some thoughts will be shed on proper design for gardens in the shade.
Instructor: Bruce Crawford Fee $ 47.50
Date: March 14, 2009 Time: 1:00-3:30 PM
Location: Holly House MG-CEU: 2.5
The Wonderful World of Orchids and Epiphytes
Are you longing to grow those wonderful and exotic flowers found only on a Cattleya or a Dendrobium – the Orchids? Are you looking for a truly exotic plant that grows without soil – the Epiphytes? This class will introduce a host of different species and hybrids that are easy to grow in NJ. It will discuss the cultural conditions, soils, problems and pests that are the most important to the Orchid and Epiphyte enthusiast or beginner. Participants will also learn how to divide and ‘replant’ their favorites plants as well as techniques on methods of breeding Orchids.
Instructor: Nicoletta Graf Fee $ 45.00
Date: March 28, 2009 Time: 9:30 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Floriculture Greenhouse MG- CEU: 2.5
April
Designing with Ornamental Grasses NEW
Often we see gardens that feature grasses used in an attractive manner and wonder what type of grass we are observing and how to incorporate these plants better into your garden. Regardless of your soil type and exposure, there is a grass or a grass relative that will work for you! This two-week course will provide an in-depth look at grasses. The first week will cover various methods of incorporating grasses and some bamboos into the garden as well as the identification of a multitude of plants available in the trade. The second week will feature digging, dividing and planting of the monocot garden. Everyone will leave with numerous divisions from the plants at Rutgers Gardens!
Instructor: Bruce Crawford Fee: $ 85.00
Date: March 28 & April 4, 2009 Time: March 28, 1:00-4:00 PM, April 4, 9:00-3:00
Location: Holly House and Rutgers Gardens MG- CEU: March 28 - 3.0; April 4 – 5.0
Vegetable Gardening Made Easy
This organic gardening class is designed to inform the home gardener how to plan, prepare, plant and process food crops in your backyard. With the growing trend towards healthy living, it's important to learn how to reduce pesticide use and control pests with environmentally friendly methods. Building soil quality improves our local environment as well as the nutritional and culinary quality of our homegrown fruits and vegetables.
Instructor: Bill Sciarappa, PhD Fee: $ 45.00
Date: April 4, 2009 Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG-CEU: 3.0
Attractively Growing Food and Flowers Together in a Cottage Garden NEW
When tomatoes were thought to be poisonous they were grown as ornamentals. Now we segregate food plants in the vegetable garden, and flowers somewhere else. Combining them is traditional, and it works. Grow vegetables and flowers together for a garden that's both edible and ornamental. Think of colorful lettuces and violas in a spring window box, 'Bright Lights" Swiss chard in a planter, and edible flowers like marigolds. Options and possibilities galore for a delicious, practical, ornamental garden
Instructor: Judy Glattstein Fee: $ 47.50
Date: April 4, 2009 Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG-CEU: 2.0
Spring Centerpieces
Vinnie will bring to the table an introduction to mastering the techniques of creating an unusual and beautiful basket of mixed spring flowers. Learn how to add a little spring and fun to the dining room or kitchen table.
Instructor: Vinnie Vignuolo Fee $ 60.00 (includes $30.00 material cost)
Date: April 10, 2009 Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Location: Floriculture Greenhouse MG-CEU:
Pruning Techniques for the Homeowner
The when, where and whys of pruning. The 3 W’s and the art of pruning recently appear to have been reduced to electric shears and the production of the green meatball! This class will discuss the various methods of pruning small trees and shrubs, when certain plants should be pruned and how proper pruning can produce a healthier, more attractive and longer-lived plant.
Instructor: Bruce Crawford Fee: $ 45.00
Date: April 18, 2009 Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Holly House and Rutgers Gardens MG-CEU: 3.0
May
Choosing and Using Bulbs for the Summer Garden NEW
Beautify your summer garden with an assortment of bulbs that you plant in the spring to flower in just a couple of months. There are bulbs for sunny or shady gardens, container planting, flowers for bouquets, familiar favorites and tropical exotics. Explore the diversity of bulbs from where to buy them, their culture, easy maintenance, and winter storage for tender bulbs.
Instructor: Judy Glattstein Fee: $ 47.50
Date: May 2, 2009 Time: 10:00-12:00 AM
Location: Holly House MG- CEU: 2.0
Peonies – Hot Flowers for the Cool Spring Garden NEW
Peonies are well known to most gardeners as that flower that was at Grandma’s House! Peonies are back in vogue with more flower colors and types than ever before. Kathleen is a professional peony grower, and she will take everyone through the details of plant care and culture, along with ideas on how they can best be incorporated into your garden. She will also highlight some great ironclad varieties, as well as some cutting edge new cultivars.
Instructor: Kathleen Gason Fee: $ 47.50
Date: May 16, 2009 Time: 9:30-11:30
Location: Holly House MG-CEU: 2.0
Bamboo for New Jersey Gardens NEW
Bamboo is one of the most beautiful and majestic of plants for the Garden. Unfortunately, it is very often the most misunderstood group of plants. Join us as Ed takes us on a journey through a variety of the plants that are hardy to NJ, that vary in height from 6” to 30’, that provide color through leaf or stem (culm) variegation and have leaves that range from 2 ” long to over 1’ long! Ed will also cover culture, care, and how some of the more ‘adventurous’ forms can be restrained from becoming the entire garden! At the end of the program, we will look at some of the bamboo specimens in Rutgers Gardens.
Instructor: Ed Woolley Fee: $ 47.50
Date: May 16, 2009 Time: 1:00 – 3:30 PM
Location: Holly House MG CEU: 2.5
Evening in the Gardens
As the sun starts to dip down in the sky, and the fragrances of the May garden become more pronounced with the evening, join Bruce Crawford on a tour of the Rutgers Gardens. We will discuss and highlight those many plants that are currently in bloom, and provide some interesting insights into where and how to grow some of the more unusual plants in the Rutgers Gardens.
Instructor: Bruce Crawford Fee: $ 25.00
Date: May 21, 2009 Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
Location: Rutgers Gardens MG- CEU: 2.0
Container Gardening – Terra Cotta and Beyond
Containers are becoming increasingly popular with time. Judy explores a variety of appropriate containers and window boxes, soil mixes and amendments, as well as watering and fertilization practices. A wide range of plants – from the familiar annual to the now-popular tender perennial, to bulbs and shrubs – fill out the potential plant list. Soil and a number of fun and unusual annuals will be available for students to decorate their own containers at the end of class. Containers and extra plants will be available for purchase.
Instructor: Judy Glattstein, Fee: $ 65.00
Date: May 23, 2009 Time: 10:00 AM-12:30 PM
Location: Floriculture Greenhouse MG-CEU: 2.5
June
The Art of Beer NEW
Beer is much more complex than people typically give it credit. Have you ever wondered what the differences are between a Lager, Ale, IPA, or Stout? Have you ever wondered why Ales will often taste fuller and more complex than Lagers? Rick Reid will provide all the insights into how these age-old beverages are crafted and the subtle or quite often dramatic differences to be found in their tastes. Note: since samples of various ‘beers’ will be provided, you must be at least 21 years of age to attend this class.
Instructor: Rick Reed Fee: $ 47.50
Date: June 20, 2009 Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG- CEU: 0
July
Evening in the Gardens
As the sun starts to dip down in the sky, and the July heat subsides, join Bruce Crawford on a tour of the Rutgers Gardens. We will discuss and highlight those many plants that are currently in bloom, and provide some interesting insights into where and how to grow some of the more unusual plants in the Rutgers Gardens.
Instructor: Bruce Crawford Fee: $ 25.00
Date: July 16, 2009 Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
Location: Rutgers Gardens MG- CEU: 2.0
September
Mushrooms – Good or Evil?
Beginning with a brief discussion of how the major groups differ and the class will then go on a foray in the Gardens and Helyar Woods. Emphasis will be on where mushrooms grow, why they occur in a specific location, and their importance in the survival of life on earth. We will return to the classroom to learn to identify our finds with the help of the most important and useful field guides. The joys and hazards of collecting fungi for food will be considered. Participants are encouraged to bring in their own specimens for identification.
Instructor: Dr. Gene Varney Fee: $ 40.00
Date: September 12, 2009 Time: 1:00-4:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG- CEU: 3.0
Cold Frames: Extend the Vegetable and Flower Season NEW
Low tech, low cost, traditional, AND very effective, cold frames are a great way to extend the gardening season. Cold frames are a glass or plastic covered frame without artificial heat, used to protect plants and seedlings. Grow salad greens early and late. Force bulbs. Root cuttings. Start seeds. Once used, you'll wonder how you ever managed to garden without one!
Instructor: Judy Glattstein Fee: $47.50
Date: September 26, 2009 Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG- CEU: 2.0
October
Potting Bulbs for Forcing
You can fool Mother Nature!! Learn simple methods for potting spring blooming bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and more. Judy will discuss a variety of methods and tricks to coax your bulbs into flower indoors while it is still winter outside.
Instructor: Judy Glattstein Fee: $47.50
Date: October 17, 2009 Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Holly House MG- CEU: 2.0
November
Harvest Centerpieces and Garland for the Holidays
The weather has turned cold, and the garden is quiet. It is time to turn your attention indoors and spruce up the house for Thanksgiving with a grand floral arrangement and interesting garland. Vinnie will guide you through the design challenges and intricacies of creating a bold and colorful centerpiece for the holiday table and cheerful roping to decorate the windows. Please bring a low vessel of your choice. All other materials will be provided.
Instructor: Vinnie Vignuolo, Fee: $65.00
Date: November 19, 2009 Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: Floriculture Greenhouse MG- CEU: 0
December
Wreath Decorating and Boxwood Tree Centerpieces
Looking for techniques on how to create the perfect Centerpiece and Wreath for the Holidays? Look no further. Dr. Jack Sacalis will detail several different methods of designing a wreath, while Nicki Graff will take you step by step through the techniques necessary to create your own holiday boxwood ‘centerpiece masterpiece’.
Instructors: Dr. John Sacalis and Nicoletta Graff Fee $ 65.00
Date: December 10, 2009 Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: Floriculture Greenhouse MG- CEU: 0
Instructors
Bruce Crawford – Director of Rutgers Gardens, Bruce is also an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at Rutgers University. There is hardly a plant that he has met that he did not like!
Kathleen Gason – Kathleen is the owner of Peonies Envy, a company located in Bernardsville NJ that grow and sell unusual and specialty Peonies. She lectures frequently throughout NJ and the East Coast on techniques of growing and integrating Peonies into the garden.
Judy Glattstein – Judy is the author of numerous books, with her latest being Bulbs for Garden Habitats (Timber Press, 2005). Judy also lectures frequently throughout the United States on a variety of garden topics, and is a true gardener!
Nicoletta Graf – Nicki, as her friends call her, is the manager of the floriculture greenhouse at Cook College. Her plant interests range from the tropical to the subartic!
Peter Nitzsche – Peter is a Rutgers extension specialist and conducts educational programs in commercial vegetable and small fruit production and marketing. He also is a frequent lecturer on growing small fruits and vegetable in the home garden at Master Gardener classes, and at the Home Gardeners School.
Rick Reed – Rick is the Brew Master for Cricket Hill Brewery, in Fairfield NJ. A very entertaining and knowledgeable speaker on the art of brewing beer.
Dr. John Sacalis – Jack has guided thousands of undergraduate Horticulture and Plant Science majors through their studies at Cook College over the past 40+ years. He teaches several undergraduate courses in floral design, and is the consummate teacher
Bill Sciarappa, Ph.D. – Bill is a Rutgers faculty member who teaches Organic Gardening on campus and serves as Chair for the Organic Horticulture Committee of the American Society for Horticultural Science.
Eugene Varney, Ph.D. – An avid educator, Gene is a retired Rutgers faculty member who taught graduate and undergraduate classes in Mycology. During and since his retirement, he has taught numerous classes on identification of mushrooms, as well as how to grow mushrooms.
Vincent Vignuolo – Vinnie, as he prefers to be called, is the owner of Biagio’s Florist. He has been in the floral art business for over 30 years, and still gets up in the morning excited to go to work. His main concern is to make people happy through ‘Fresh Affordable Indulgences’! Come and share his enthusiasm.
