12 gardening and DIY camps and workshops for adults – Bob Vila

Adopting a new hobby like gardening or woodworking should be an exciting challenge, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Hence the growing popularity of courses and workshops that can give you the skills, tools, and confidence to cultivate a green thumb or become a DIY dynamo.

Whether online or in person, the classes and workshops you’ll read here can help you start a new passion. But learning isn’t just for novices, which is why some of these courses are designed for seasoned professionals who want to expand their knowledge.

1. North House Folk School

Located in Grand Marais, Minnesota, North House Folk School offers a variety of in-person and online classes that teach traditional northern crafts, such as sausage-making, basic wood framing, carving of birds and weaving on loom. The school is committed to ensuring accessibility with work, study and scholarship programs, as well as a local discount for residents of Cook County.

Register for North House Folk School classes, prices vary

2. Guardian garden

For those hoping to grow their own flower or vegetable Eden, Garden Tutor offers a free online course in gardening basics. The course aims to teach beginners how to design, install and maintain their garden. Participants can also purchase the add-on course which includes supplies such as a soil test kit, tape measure, graph paper for garden landscaping, etc.

Register for FREE Beginner Gardening Course at Garden Tutor

3. Rockler Carpentry Course

People who enjoy DIY carpentry projects might consider a hands-on carpentry class at a Rockler store. The family-owned business has nearly 40 stores across the United States and offers a plethora of in-person classes for beginners and advanced woodworkers. Examples of workshops include an introduction to router, band saw basics, jewelry box construction, finishing with shellac, and more.

Sign up for a hands-on class at your local Rockler store

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4. Origins of food

If you’ve ever wondered how some of your favorite foods and drinks are prepared, the Origins of Food Tour in Vermont should turn out to be a treat. Avid foodies embark on a 4-day excursion around the Champlain Valley that includes several tastings, hands-on workshops and visits to local farms. A minimum group size of four is required to book the retreat, and the price includes a stay for two people at a local B&B.

Register for the Origins of Food tour at Lake Champlain for $ 799

5. Desert Botanical Garden

Ready to catch up on your cactus know-how? Gardening in an arid climate can bring dramatic results if you know how to work with the soil and the heat. The Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden offers landscaping courses both in person and online for those who want to learn how to grow in extremely hot and dry conditions. Choose an introductory course or prepare for a certificate.

Sign up for desert landscaping classes at the Desert Botanical Garden, prices vary

6. AR DIY workshops

Learn how to make folk crafts and have fun in the process with AR Workshops, which offers hands-on craft classes in 33 US states. Gather a group of friends and book the studio for an instructor-led class on how to make pillows, wood panels, trays, knit blankets, and more. As an alternative, the brand also offers DIY take-out kits that people can take home.

Register for a DIY workshop at AR, prices vary

7. Gardening with the University of Hawaii

Hawaii is home to some truly amazing flora, so it’s no wonder Oprah chose it as the site for her dream garden. If a trip isn’t on the horizon right now, you can get Hawaiian horticultural advice through an online course at Maui College. One of the most popular is his edible gardening class, with two options: self-paced or instructor-led.

Register for the online course Start Your Own Edible Garden at Maui College for $ 165

8. Arkansas State Park

Outdoor enthusiasts can learn a lot through the Arkansas State Parks’ Events Calendar, which lists a plethora of fun and family-friendly experiences. The Build Your Own Herbal Apothecary course, for example, educates students on the use of herbs for health and beauty, while the activity on wild weeds and seasonal greens teaches participants how look for native edible plants.

Register for classes in Arkansas State Parks

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9. Square foot gardening

Maximize your harvest and keep plants tidy using the square foot method of gardening. Start with an affordable introductory course that includes six modules and practical reference materials. After that, you can move on to the Instructor Certification course, which prepares you to teach others square foot gardening.

Sign up for the SFG Level 1 Introductory Course at Square Foot Gardening for $ 29.95

10. Native Plant Trust

The Native Plant Trust, located in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a plant conservation organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of plants native to New England. The Trust also offers educational resources, such as courses in horticulture and design, botany and conservation. Courses offered include plant ecology, an introduction to designing with native plants, and diversification of your lawn. Classes can be online or in person, and the cost varies by class.

Register for courses online or in person with the Native Plant Trust, prices vary

11. The market gardener

If you’re hoping to keep gardening through the cold, consider taking the Market Gardener Institute’s Winter Growing and Season Extension course. This is an in-depth yet self-directed online course for experienced growers who want to conquer winter conditions.

Sign up for Winter Growth and Season Extension with The Market Gardener for $ 399

12. The Dallas Garden School

Founded by gardening expert Callie Works-Leary, Dallas Garden School offers a plethora of classes for both budding and experienced green thumbs. Classes run the gamut, including fall vegetable gardening, hardy annual cut flowers, organic pest management, and a specific course focused on gardening in a North Texas climate. The school offers classes via Zoom, on demand or in person, and the price starts at $ 29.

Register for Dallas Garden School courses, prices vary