Events In Person and Online
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2025 Classes
Join us this year for webinars, workshops and classes in our stores. We take a break from in-store classes for most of April and May, and resume events in June. Webinars continue throughout the year!
Gardening for the Birds, Bees and Butterflies
Thursday, June 19, 12:00 pm
Webinar
Peg Bier shares the best plants you can add to your garden to support our local birds, bees and butterflies! Pollinator friendly plants brighten the garden with vibrant blooms while supporting our local wildlife. They are a wonderful addition to gardens of all sizes in containers and planted in garden beds.
Native Plants in Landscape Design
Saturday, June 21, 10:00 am
Fair Oaks Store
As native plants have skyrocketed in popularity, so has interest in landscapes designed with native plants. In this class, Renatta will discuss the ins and outs of designing with natives, whether you are planning to plant all natives, or to incorporate a significant percentage of them with non-native plants. We recommend this class for anyone considering a native plants garden for their home.
This class is free to attend and open to all! Walk-ins are welcome.
Designing Woodland Gardens
Thursday, June 26, 12:00 pm
Webinar
Summer is the perfect season to enjoy beautiful shaded gardens! In this class, learn about the design principles, hardscape materials and plants you can use in your garden to create a shaded woodland oasis. Meandering paths, tucked away benches and natural plantings all add to the feeling of a peaceful woodland retreat.
Virtual Plant Clinic: Shade Gardens
Thursday, July 10, 2:00 pm
Webinar
Shade gardens are a wonderful place in the summer, but plant selection for these areas can be more complex than selecting for full sun conditions. In this plant clinic, David will be discussing how to consider factors such as the density of shade, timing of sun, moisture conditions and root competition in your plant selection for shaded areas.
Georgia Peach Truck
Thursday, July 17, Gainesville and Fair Oaks (times listed below)
Pre-orders due Thursday, July 10
The Georgia Peach Truck is returning to Merrifield with farm-fresh peaches and pecans! The Georgia Peach Truck recommends pre-ordering as they cannot guarantee they will have enough peaches for walk-up customers. Click each of the locations below to visit their website and place your pre-order for delivery to your closest Merrifield location. If you have questions about your peaches order, you can contact the Georgia Peach Truck directly through their website.
Gainesville Store
Thursday, July 17, 9:00 – 10:30 am
Click here to place an order.
Fair Oaks Store
Thursday, July 17, 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Click here to place an order.
Hydrangea Identification, Selection and Care
Saturday, July 12, 10:00 am
Fair Oaks Store
Join us to discover the various types of hydrangea, how to select the right one for your landscape (or identify the ones you already have) and care for them throughout the year! Joel Cooke will discuss the similarities and differences in pruning, environmental preferences and care requirements between our native Smooth hydrangea and regional native Oakleaf hydrangea as well as the popular and gorgeous Big Leaf, Panicle and Climbing hydrangeas.
This class is free to attend and open to all! Walk-ins are welcome.
Growing Japanese Maples
Saturday, July 19, 10:00 am
Fair Oaks Store
Alison Hutzler highlights some of the best Japanese Maple cultivars and discusses how to select the ideal variety for your landscape. Join this class to learn about the basics of caring for Japanese Maples, which varieties our team recommends, and more tips from our instructors.
This class is free to attend and open to all! Walk-ins are welcome.
Boxwood Care Basics
Saturday, July 26, 10:00 am
Fair Oaks Store
Merrifield Plant Specialist David Yost reviews the basic techniques and timing for taking care of boxwood, including pruning, shearing, fertilizer, soil and environmental preferences and more. Learn how to choose the correct size and variety for your garden, and how to identify which boxwood you already have.
This class is free to attend and open to all! Walk-ins are welcome.
Native Perennials for Late Summer and Fall
Tuesday, August 19, 12:00 pm
Webinar
Louis shares his favorite native perennials for the late summer and fall seasons! Virginia natives include an abundance of blooming and foliage plants for shade and sun that will look beautiful until the first frost and beyond. If you are looking to increase the number of native plants in your garden, this is a great class for you!
Fall Vegetables to Plant Now
Saturday, September 6, 10:00 am
Gainesville Store
Visit Tawnya Bair in the annuals section to learn about the best vegetables to plant now for fall harvest! Tawnya will share her personal favorites, reliable choices our team loves and interesting new selections while providing assistance to help you pick your vegetables to plant! Tawnya will be available from 10:00 to 12:00 on September 6.