2013 Classes & Workshops
Please sign up early for the classes you want, since class sizes
are limited. (Note: You do not have to have a PayPal account to pay online.) Details and
driving directions for each class will be sent following your
registration. Questions? Contact us at classes@northwestperennialalliance.org or call the NPA Office at 425-647-6004
Wednesday, July 10, 10-noon
Fee: $25 Class limit: 25
Join Karen for a fun-packed morning in Woodinville. Learn how to use succulents in containers and in the landscape by blending colors, playing with texture and considering scale. Get ideas for new combinations in an inspiring PowerPoint presentation which will include some designs featured in Karen’s new book, “Fine Foliage.” This will be followed by a planting demonstration of an outdoor container garden and a show and tell of some of Karen’s favorite hardy and tender succulents. Signed copies of her book will be available.
Wednesday, July 31, 10-noon
Fee: $25 Class limit: 16 -- SOLD OUT
Clematarian Laura Watson introduces the easiest clematis to grow and prune – integrifolias, viticellas and texensis. These clematis bloom their hearts out in July, August and September. The class will combine a PowerPoint presentation with a guided tour of Laura’s garden in which many of these clematis will be in glorious bloom. Laura has been gleefully growing clematis for over 20 years, first in her Boston garden where she left behind 50 clematis, and since 2005 in her Seattle garden where she currently has 145 clematis, and counting. See them in trees and shrubs, scrambling over perennials, and on fences, trellises and arbors in her garden. It should be quite a show!
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Saturday, August 3, 10-noon
Fee: $25 Class limit: 11
It’s all in where you hold your camera.That’s what controls composition and how light interacts with your subject. Mark will demonstrate setting up a variety of garden photographs from wide landscapes to intimate details, discussing the thought process that goes into each image. Then you’ll create your own images of a north Seattle garden, practicing working with different lighting conditions and composition techniques. Mark will be available to answer your questions and coach you throughout the session. Bring: your camera, spare batteries, extra memory cards. A tripod is recommended, especially for SLR’s. If you’re not completely familiar with your camera, bring the manual and Mark will be able to help you interpret the settings you need.
Wednesday, August 14, 10 - noon
Fee: $25 Class limit: 15
Annuals, often dismissed by perennial gardeners as garish, expensive and time consuming, are the stars of this class. Garden designer and writer Daniel Mount will show you how he uses annuals to add volume, texture and color to his mixed borders, which were featured on the summer 2013 cover of Fine Gardening. Learn what makes an annual an annual, their virtues and shortcomings. And see how they can transform the late summer garden.
Wednesday, September 11, 10am – noon
Fee: $25 Class limit: 25 
Have you always wanted to collect your own fresh eggs? Do you see chickens and wonder what it would be like to have your own? Do you dream of having someone happy to eat leftovers (and weeds to boot)? Do you wonder if you can have a garden with chickens?
If so, this class may be for you! Long-time chicken-owner and gardener
Kathy Fries will discuss the reality, regulations and best practices of chicken ownership at home. Common questions will be addressed, including:
- How much room do I need?
- Where should I keep them?
- How many and what breeds should I get?
- How much care do they need?
- What about roosters?
There will be time to tour the chicken coop and aviaries, see quail and pheasants, and wonder at the three-acre eclectic garden on the shores of Lake Washington.
Wednesday, September 18, 10am – noon
Fee: $25 Class limit: 20
See how an urban rain garden can fit into your own landscape. Join Aaron Clark, PhD, Program Manager for the 12,000 Rain Gardens Project, to learn about urban runoff pollution, low-impact development and rain gardens. We will discuss rain garden design, function and plant choices, and take a walk outside to look at a rain garden that was installed at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Other topics, depending on interest, could include government incentives and the 12,000 Rain Garden Campaign for Puget Sound.
