Classes, Tours & Virtual Plant Clinic
Events In Person and Online
Classes and Events will return after the new year! Check back regularly for additions.
You can sign up for email if you are interested in getting notifications of new classes straight to your inbox.
Virtual Plant Clinic
Thursday, February 2, 2:00 pm
David Yost, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Zoom Webinar
David covers seasonal and weather based gardening topics. The specific topic is generally announced about 2 days before the class. Bring any questions you have about current issues in your garden for Q&A.
Groundcovers Set the Stage
Saturday, February 4, 10:00 AM
Peg Bier, Merrifield Plant and Design Specialist
Fair Oaks Location
Groundcovers set the stage for other plants, reduce maintenance needs in the garden, decrease erosion, and can even provide flowers or other useful offerings to local birds and insects. These wonderful plants may not be as showy as other perennials, trees and shrubs, but they are just as important! Join Peg for a discussion of her favorite groundcover plants and the ways that she incorporates them into her garden.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Fair Oaks classroom.
Orchids 101
Saturday, February 11, 10:00 am
Paul Knight, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Gainesville Location
Join us for a primer on the care of orchids. It’s much easier to grow orchids at home that most people realize! Paul will be covering the basics of watering, light requirements, planting material and more to help you get started. This will focus on the popular phalaenopsis orchid, but you are welcome to bring questions about other orchids as well. Beginners and people looking to brush up on their orchid knowledge will enjoy this class.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Gainesville store greenhouse.
Landscape Styles: Get the Cottage Garden Look
Thursday, February 16, 12:00 pm
Mary Kirk Menefee, Merrifield Landscape Designer
Zoom Webinar
Cottage Gardens are a beloved garden style known for their masses of perennials and blooms arranged in a charming informal style. In this class, Mary Kirk will outline the design principles, materials and plants that you can use to recreate this classic style in your own garden.
Virtual Plant Clinic
Thursday, February 16, 2:00 pm
David Yost, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Zoom Webinar
David covers seasonal and weather based gardening topics. The specific topic is generally announced about 2 days before the class. Bring any questions you have about current issues in your garden for Q&A.
Bonsai Basics
Saturday, February 18, 10:00 AM
Chuck Croft, President, Northern Virginia Bonsai Society
Fair Oaks Location
Join us for a primer on growing and caring for bonsai! Chuck will discuss important basics of successfully growing these plants at home. If you are looking to get into growing bonsai, this will be a great class to participate in.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Fair Oaks classroom.
Choosing the Right Container: Q&A
Tuesday, February 21, 12:00 pm
Andy Donath, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Sally Burroughs, Merrifield Marketing Strategist
Zoom Webinar
Join Andy and Sally for a Q&A session about selecting the right containers for your plants. From determining the container size, to the material and extra features like water reservoirs, wheels and more, there’s a container perfect for every plant and every gardener. Andy will be taking questions from guests (and from Sally) to help them determine their perfect container match.
Bring your questions to this class, as Andy will be helping people determine the best containers for their plants or gardening styles!
Growing Citrus and Minor Tropicals Indoors
Thursday, February 23, 12:00 pm
Paul McLane, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Zoom Webinar
Learn how to grow your favorite citrus and plants like pineapple inside your home! Paul will discuss some of the most popular varieties of plants to grow, as well as the steps you can take to help them thrive and produce fruit.
Seed Starting
Saturday, February 25, 10:00 am
Larry Shapira, Merrifield Plant Specialist and Professor Emeritus, Northern Virginia Community College
Zoom Webinar
It’s time to get our seeds growing! Join Larry for a class on the basics of starting seeds indoors, including supplies, lighting, planting media, timing and more.
All are welcome! This class will take place upstairs in the Fair Oaks classroom.
Pruning Roses
Tuesday, February 28, 12:00 pm
Pam Powers, Consulting Rosarian, Arlington Rose Foundation
Zoom Webinar
Pam Powers, Consulting Rosarian for the Arlington Rose Foundation, joins us for a demonstration and discussion about the pruning method for roses. Learn the basic techniques for proper pruning to ensure your roses return in the spring healthy and full of blooms.
Shady Places and the Plants that Thrive There
Saturday, March 4, 10:00 AM
Peg Bier, Merrifield Plant and Design Specialist
Fair Oaks Location
Dappled light, part sun and even deep shade can host a wide variety of beautiful plants. Peg draws on experience growing plants in the shadiest portions of her own garden to give inspiration for plant combinations you can use to introduce texture, vivid color and blooms to the darker parts of your landscape.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Fair Oaks classroom.
Evergreen Trees and Shrubs
Saturday, March 4, 10:00 AM
Drew Johnson, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Gainesville Location
Evergreens are workhorses in the landscape, serving as hedges and foundation plantings as well as ornamentals. They can even be planted on decks and patios in containers. Join Drew for a discussion of the best types of evergreens for a variety of uses in the landscape.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Gainesville Greenhouse.
Vegetable Garden Planning
Sunday, March 5, 1:00 pm
Pat Reilly, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Tawyna Bair, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Gainesville Location
Join Pat and Tawnya to learn methods for planning your spring vegetable garden, which vegetables to plant first, and ways to ensure that you have a bountiful harvest! This class will cover both cool season and warm season vegetables.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Gainesville Greenhouse.
Landscape Styles: Get the Tropical Look
Tuesday, March 7, 12:00 pm
Mary Kirk Menefee, Merrifield Landscape Designer
Zoom Webinar
Even living here in Virginia, there are plenty of plants we can grow that offer a tropical look and feel! If you are dreaming of turning our garden into a vacation paradise, look no further. In this class, Mary Kirk will discuss one of her favorite landscape styles, including the plants and elements you can bring into your garden to get the look and feel of a tropical space with plants that can handle our local weather.
Vegetables from Early Spring to Summer
Thursday, March 9, 12:00 pm
Peg Bier, Merrifield Plant and Design Specialist
Zoom Webinar
In this class, Peg will discuss her favorite vegetables for cool and warm season gardens as well as her tips and methods for ensuring a bountiful harvest, reducing weeds and keeping away unwanted critters. Peg will discuss growing vegetables in containers as well as in the ground.
Vegetables from Early Spring to Summer
Saturday, March 11, 10:00 am
Peg Bier, Merrifield Plant and Design Specialist
Fair Oaks Store
In this class, Peg will discuss her favorite vegetables for cool and warm season gardens as well as her tips and methods for ensuring a bountiful harvest, reducing weeds and keeping away unwanted critters. Peg will discuss growing vegetables in containers as well as in the ground.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the classroom at our Fair Oaks location.
Our Favorite Garden Supplies: Q&A
Tuesday, March 14, 12:00 pm
Peg Bier, Merrifield Plant and Design Specialist and David Yost, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Zoom Webinar
Peg Bier and David Yost team up to discuss some of their favorite garden tools, accessories, planting materials and other products they love to use in their own gardens. Attendees are welcome to bring question. Peg draws on her experience with a large garden and David on his experience with a townhouse garden to review some staff favorites and provide some recommendations you may never have considered before!
Virtual Plant Clinic
Thursday, March 16, 2:00 pm
David Yost, Merrifield Plant Specialist
Zoom Webinar
David covers seasonal and weather based gardening topics. The specific topic is generally announced about 2 days before the class. Bring any questions you have about current issues in your garden for Q&A.
Woodland Gardens
Saturday, March 18, 10:00 am
Louis Ratchford, Merrifield Plant and Design Specialist
Gainesville Location
Creating a woodland garden is a wonderful way to add a peaceful retreat to your landscape. Wandering pathways, perennial shade plants and overstory trees work well, particularly with our natural environment in this region. Louis will discuss the design principles used to create a woodland garden as well as the wide variety of plants and materials you can use to give your garden the natural look and feel and a woodland meadow.
All are welcome! This class will take place in the Gainesville store greenhouse.