Join Berkshire Botanical Garden and artist/instructor Pat Hogan for winter’s magic in watercolor. Stay snug and dry in the classroom while capturing the quiet, snow-covered story unfolding around us. Views from the Center House classroom are spectacular, plus there will be plenty of reference photos on hand. The classes will be held at the Garden on Wednesdays, February 11 – March 18, from 10 – 1.
Pat Hogan’s work is inspired by nature, particularly the Berkshires, the Maine coast and the vanishing islands of the Chesapeake Bay. Each unique landscape provides a stunning connection with the beauty of our earth and wildlife, and the chaos associated with climate change and human disregard for sustaining a healthy planet.
he Northeast’s Premier B2B Industry Trade Show, where Brands Meet Buyers, takes place June 17 and 18 at Three County Fair, 54 Fair Street in Northampton.
Berkshire Botanical Garden announces its 29th Annual Winter Lecture on February 21 at 2 pm – How’s the Wow? Discover How to Bring the ‘Wow” to Your Own Garden. The talk will take place at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School in Lenox. Celebrated horticulturist Karl Gercens III will explore how bold color, unexpected plant pairings and fearless experimentation create moments of surprise and delight. Drawing on his work at Longwood Gardens, Gercens will teach how to bring the “Wow” to your own garden, transforming ordinary spaces into extraordinary experiences. Reception to follow.
Raised on a 10,000-acre cotton plantation in Mississippi, Gercens’ passion for horticulture began early. The long Southern growing seasons gave him room to experiment and innovate, eventually leading him to earn a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University. His impressive career includes internships at Walt Disney World and the Filoli Estate in California, and today he curates many of the spectacular seasonal displays in Longwood’s world-famous four-acre Conservatory. With a distinctive eye for combining colorful trees, shrubs, and perennials, Karl’s work has earned him recognition across the country and around the world. He has visited public gardens in all 50 U.S. states and over 24 countries, each journey deepening his expertise and inspiration.
Join herbalist, artist and ritualist Nicole Irene for a delightful, hands-on workshop featuring the enchanting world of herbal medicine on Saturday, February 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Embark on a journey to create two powerful plant remedies, fire cider and elderberry syrup, time-honored elixirs celebrated for their immune-boosting properties. This immersive experience combines traditional herbal medicine’s rich lore and wisdom with the joy of creative expression.
In this make-and-take class, you will:
Discover the history, medicinal properties, and health benefits of both fire cider and elderberry syrup;
Participate in detailed step-by-step demonstrations on how to make these recipes from scratch;
Enjoy a collaborative, fun, and creative environment while crafting your own bottles of fire cider and elderberry syrup;
Take home a bottle each of Elderberry Syrup and Fire Cider, along with the knowledge and confidence to recreate them on your own.
This workshop welcomes all who share a passion for the power of plants. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, get a little messy, immerse yourself in the magic of herbal medicine, and leave with two traditional folk remedies that will support your health and well-being naturally.
Nicole Irene holds a master’s degree in fine art, two herbal certifications from Dandelion Herbal Center and Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, and is a Reiki-trained ordained minister. Nicole has a love for local farms and sustainable, organic agriculture, and enjoys cooking nourishing meals and experimenting with her own herbal preparations at her home in Stockbridge. She has a deep passion for helping to grow the relationships we hold with our food, the earth and the cosmos. Learn more about Nicole at NicoleIreneArt.com and TheEnchantedAltar.com.
The Guild of Berkshire Artists Juried Member Show, ‘Flora/Fauna/Form’ will run February 13 – 29 at The Berkshire Botanical Garden, and the opening reception is scheduled for February 13 from 4 – 6. In this juried exhibition in the Leonhardt Galleries, artists explore the myriad ways flora and fauna take shape and inspire creativity. From delicate textures to bold palettes, from nature’s subtle elegance to its raw power, each piece reflects a unique perspective on the natural world. Is it the fragility of life or the complexity of ecosystems that captivates the artist? Through drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography, textiles, glass, and ceramics, these works celebrate both the beauty and the mystery of the living world. The result is a vibrant, diverse collection that invites viewers to see nature anew.
Learn about the maintenance considerations that should be integrated into the design process. Students’ horticultural knowledge will expand to factor sustainable maintenance concerns with cost effectiveness into plant selection. Learn procedures for perennials, woody plants, and lawns, including transplanting, staking, fertilizing, winterizing, mulching, plant pathology, and pest control with an emphasis on deer control. Classes will take place on six successive Saturdays from January 24 – February 28 from 11:00 am – 1:00 am Eastern, online, and is $215 for BBG members, $240 for nonmembers. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.
Instructor Daryl Beyers is the author of The New Gardener’s Handbook: Everything you Need to Know to Grow a Beautiful and Bountiful Garden, available from Timber Press. As gardening certificate program coordinator at the New York Botanical Garden, he helps guide the program’s curriculum and teaches popular gardening classes. Daryl has more than twenty-five years of professional landscaping experience, specializing in residential garden design and development. As a staff writer, photographer and editor for Fine Gardening magazine, he authored two special issues on garden design and served as a contributing garden editor for Martha Stewart Living. His articles on gardening and garden design have also appeared in Horticulture and HGTV Magazine. His next book, The New Garden Designer will be published in June 2026.
Making a gift for someone is an opportunity for you to create something unique and beautiful, something truly useful and practical, and express love from your heart for that special person.
The Herbal Holiday Gifts Workshop at Berkshire Botanical Garden on December 6 from 2 – 4 is an opportunity to make rich and diverse herbal gifts for the holidays, or other occasions, feel connected with the gift giving process, and nourish another person by crafting something special for them from the Earth.You are offering your loved one the opportunity to dip into that vibrant, natural health by giving them a handmade herbal gift that will support their well-being. These gifts are so much more special than what you can find in a store. They are novel, enticing, fresh, and low-cost once you have the skills.
Workshop leader Nicole Irene holds a master’s degree in fine art and two herbal certifications from Dandelion Herbal Center and Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary. She is a Reiki-trained ordained minister and has a love for local farms and sustainable, organic agriculture. She enjoys cooking nourishing meals and experimenting with her own herbal preparations at her home in Stockbridge. She has a deep passion for helping to grow the relationships we hold with our food, Mother Earth and the cosmos. Learn more about Nicole Irene at NicoleIreneArt.com and TheEnchantedAltar.com
An eagerly awaited tradition continues at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, December 5 – 8, with Holiday Marketplace featuring the legendary Gallery of Wreaths.
The festivities begin Friday evening, December 5, with the Holiday Wreath Preview Party 5 to 7 p.m. The party includes early wreath-buying opportunities, live music, hors d’oeuvre, libations, and merriment! This is a pre-registered event. Members: $75/Non-Members: $100. The Marketplace runs Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org
Select from a collection of 100 unique, one-of-a-kind designer wreaths as well as an assortment of holiday-blooming amaryllis and paperwhites in decorative and clay containers, succulent arrangements, garlands, hanging terrariums and gift items presented by regional artisan vendors. Picture courtesy of the Berkshire Edge.
Kick off the holiday season at Berkshire Botanical Garden with a night of creativity, connection and seasonal beauty. In this hands-on workshop on Friday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. Hilary Collingwood of Moonflower Farm will guide you step-by-step in designing a stunning Thanksgiving centerpiece. Whether you’re hosting dinner or simply want to bring a little autumn magic into your home, you’ll leave with a one-of-a-kind arrangement — and the skills to make more. All vessels and plant materials are provided. $90 for BBG members, $110 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/thanksgiving-centerpiece-workshop
If you have visited the legendary Gallery of Wreaths at the Berkshire Botanical Garden Holiday Marketplace, you may have wondered how wreath designers create their botanical masterpieces and whether you can craft your own. This three-hour program on your choice of Saturday, Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or Sunday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will combine a classroom introduction with guided hands-on practice using 14-inch balsam wreath forms, after which you will take home your own decorated holiday wreath. Chris Ferrero will lead this class, starting with a slide program introducing principles, techniques and creative ideas. Then participants will be assigned workstations in the same studio used by BBG’s wreath designers, several of whom will be on hand to help you select materials and practice optimal construction skills. Experience with a hot glue gun is recommended. The wreath below is a creation of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, and if you can’t participate in the BBG workshop you may wish to order one at https://bostonflora.com/
Please register here for Saturday, Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Please register here for Sunday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
