Find plant swaps and nature walks: 45 garden and houseplant classes to try in September | Home & Garden

Make a moss wall, create a fall planter and learn which plants look amazing in autumn.

This September, there are dozens of talks and classes to learn about plants, virtual and in-person in the Lancaster County region.

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Gardening for All Seasons: The Grass Can Be Greener – Ten Common Mistakes You Might Be Making. This virtual class from Penn State Extension will cover common lawn care mistakes and how to avoid them. Free. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 2, 6-8 p.m. Foraging: Wild Teas and Other Drinks. Learn how to harvest and make your own tea at Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $25. Register online. 

Tuesday, Sept. 7, noon-12:30 p.m. Virtual Lunchtime Tour: September in the Garden. In this virtual talk from Scott Arboretum, explore the blooms of summer. Free. Join online.

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 6:30 p.m. All Things Dahlias class with Flourish Flowers in East Earl. Mindi Bruckhart, from Cool Spring Garden will share how to grow and arrange dahlias. $85. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 9, 1-2 p.m. Plants and Pollinators with Lancaster County Parks at Muhlenberg Meadow parking lot, 548 Golf Road, Lancaster. $3 per child and $1 per adult. For ages 6-9. Register online or at 717-295-2055.

Thursday, Sept. 9, 6-7 p.m. Oral Histories for the Community Garden. In this online lecture from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, learn how to conduct an oral history to preserve your community garden’s memory. Free. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 9, 7-8 p.m. Mystery Songbird Disease: Knowns, Unknowns, and Actions to Take. This virtual class from Penn State Extension will review what we know about a new bird illness and steps to take to help birds. Free. Register online. 

Friday, Sept. 10. Sunflower Days at Verdant View Farm, 429 Strasburg Road, Paradise. Explore this farm’s 100,000 sunflowers Sept. 10-11 and 17-18. Fridays and Saturdays, the farm is open 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Other days, the site is open 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $10 online and $15 at the gate and include one sunflower. 

Friday, Sept. 10, noon. Ask the Experts about Combination Containers for Fall. This webinar from National Garden Bureau will cover creating stunning fall combination containers. Free. Register online. 

Friday, Sept. 10, 2 p.m. Plant Swap. Bring plants to swap to the courtyard at Lancaster Public Library, 125 N. Duke St, Lancaster. If it rains, go to the parking garage. 

Saturday, Sept. 11, 8-9 a.m. Bird Walk in the Fields with birder William Young at Homefields, 150 Letort Road, Millersville. Free, donations are welcome. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 11, 9-10:30 a.m. Fall Garden Series: How to Create a Spectacular Fall Garden. This class from Penn State Extension will cover easy-to-grow, underused and well-known plants for beautiful fall landscapes. $5. At Olewine Nature Center, Wildwood Park, Harrisburg or watch virtually. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m.-noon. Fall Planter workshop at Tudbinks, 610 Stone Hill Road, Conestoga. $10, includes soil and fertilizer. Bring your own planter or buy one from the business. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 11, 10-11 a.m. Guided Nature Walk through Hershey Gardens. Join a walking adventure through the gardens. Free with admission. Continues on Saturdays through Sept. 25. 

Saturday, Sept. 11, 2-6 p.m. Pop-up Plant Bar with Terrarium Therapy at Mount Gretna Craft Brewery, Palmyra. Build your own succulent arrangement, prices vary from $15-$75. Pre-registration is suggested. 

Saturday, Sept. 11, 2-5 p.m. Soil, Carbon, Climate and Biochar: The Rest of the Story. This class at Horn Farm Center will de-mystify the biochar-making process. $25. Register online. 

Sunday, Sept. 12, 1-3 p.m. Guided Nature Walk: Foraging for Edibles. Take an ecological adventure walk through the woodlands and meadows at Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $15. Register online. 

Monday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. Putting Your Plants to Bed. Kaleen Salisbury, director of Temple University’s Ambler Arboretum shares what should be happening in the garden now. Lancaster Garden Club at Salem United Church of Christ, 2312 Marietta Ave., Rohrerstown. $5 donation for non-members. 

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 6-7:30 p.m. From Wolf Spiders to Orb Weavers: An Overview of Mid-Atlantic Spiders. In this online class from Mt. Cuba Center, learn natural history, identification, feeding strategies and adaptations of common spiders in the mid-Atlantic region. $24. Register online. 

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Art of Ikebana. This online course from Atlas Obscura (over four sessions) will teach the history and techniques of this centuries-old Japanese floral art. $230. Register online. 

Wednesday, Sept. 15 (starts). Landscape Design 101. This online, course from Longwood Gardens is an eight-session in-depth workshop on landscape design. $249. Register online. 

Monday, Sept. 16, 4 p.m. Potting 101. In this online workshop from The Sill, learn how to pot and re-pot your plants. Free. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 16, 6-7:30 p.m. Seeds: Wild versus Commercial. In this online class from Mt. Cuba Center, explore the impact of seed sourcing on commercially sold seed and how to be an informed buyer native plant seeds. $24. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 16, 6-8 p.m. Women’s Intro to Foraging. Elizabeth Davidson of Forage Culture leads this in-person class at Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $25. Register online. 

Friday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m. Fall Planter in Bushel Basket Workshop. Make a fall planter in a half-peck bushel basket with Ken’s Gardens at Smucker Village, 3526 Old Philadelphia Pike Intercourse. $40. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 18, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Green Thumb Series: Daffodils. This virtual class from Penn State Extension will cover history, care, storage, chipping and propagation of daffodils. $5. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Fall into Gardening. This virtual class from Penn State Extension will share how to develop a natural bird habitat, grow mushrooms and manage spotted lanternfly. $15. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19. The Annual Penn-Jersey District Rose Show at Hershey Gardens. After private judging, the show opens to the public on Saturday at 1 p.m. Rosarians will answer questions about roses and there will be presentations. Free with admission. 

Saturday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-noon. Fall Planter workshop at Tudbinks, 610 Stone Hill Road, Conestoga. $10, includes soil and fertilizer. Bring your own planter or buy one from the business. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 18, 1-4 p.m. Pop-Up Plant Bar with Terrarium Therapy at Fireside Café, East Earl. Build your own arrangement of succulents, cacti and tropical plants ($15-75). Pre-registration is suggested. 

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. Autumn Groundcovers. In this online class from Mt. Cuba Center, learn a variety of attractive, tough and versatile species that look great in the fall and help knit your landscape together. $19. Register online. 

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m. Fall Centerpiece Class with Flourish Flowers in East Earl. Learn how to create a floral centerpiece. $78 includes vase. Register online.  

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 6 p.m. Fall Plant Care workshop. In this online workshop from The Sill, learn seasonal houseplant care tips and tricks. $10. Register online. 

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 7-8 p.m. Attracting Beneficial Insects to Your Garden. This class from Penn State Extension will teach about beneficial insects, how to attract them and how to solve pest problems. $5. At Penn State Extension’s Lebanon campus or watch virtually. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 23, noon-1 p.m. Italianate Garden Design with La Foce. In this online lecture from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, learn about the La Foce estate in southern Tuscany, an UNESCO World Heritage site. $30. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m. Wine Bottle Succulent Workshop. Make a succulent arrangement in a wine bottle with Gallery Grow To Go at Grandview Vineyard, 1489 Grandview Road Mount Joy. $45. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 23, 7-8:30 p.m. Cover Crops for Home Gardeners. This online class from Penn State Extension will show how to use cover crops to benefit soil, next year’s crops and the ecosystem. Free. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 25, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Endless Summer: Fall Garden Seminar. This online class from Penn State Extension will show how to use bulbs in your garden, how to create winter interest and how to create a shade garden. $20. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. York County Parks Native Plant Sale at John C. Rudy County Park, 400 Mundis Race Road, York.

Saturday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m. Botanical Pumpkin Workshop. Deco-podge real leaves and organic elements to a small pumpkin with Ken’s Gardens, 3552 W. Newport Rd. Ronks. $20. Register online. 

Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. DIY Preserved Moss Wall workshop. In this online workshop from The Sill, learn how to make a preserved moss wall. $10. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m.-noon or 2-4 p.m. Dazzling Dahlias. This online course from Longwood Gardens explores growing and arranging dahlias. $129, includes flowers. Register online. 

Thursday, Sept. 30, 6-7:30 p.m. Fall Garden Series: How to Design a Garden Bed. This in-person class (at Olewine Nature Center, Wildwood Park, Harrisburg or watch virtually) from Penn State Extension will show how to design or update garden beds. $5. Register online. 

Ongoing. Floral Design Basics. This self-paced online course from Longwood Gardens covers the foundational skills needed to create floral arrangements. $99. Register online through Oct. 14. 

Ongoing. Beginning Bonsai. This online, self-paced course from Longwood Gardens is an introduction to the world of bonsai. $39. Class continues through Nov. 1. Register online.

And looking into October: 

Saturday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m.-noon. Backyard Composting. Learn how to make your own compost at Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $25. Register online. 

Tuesday, Oct. 5, noon-12:30 p.m. Virtual Lunchtime Tour: September in the Garden. In this virtual talk from Scott Arboretum, explore the blooms of October. Free. Join online. 

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 5:30-7 p.m. Growing Organics: Backyard Botanicals. In this online lecture from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, learn how to make immune support infusions, cocktail bitters, lip balm and herb salts with herbs and flowers. $15. Register online. 

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 6-7:30 p.m. Plants with a Purpose: Late Season Natives. This online course from Longwood Gardens explores plants that add late summer interest. $179, includes 50 plants shipped to your home. Register online. 

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 4-5:30 p.m. Floral Spotlight: In-Season Fall Foraging. This online course from Longwood Gardens shows how to create an arrangement with items found in your backyard. $29. Register online. 

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 6-7 p.m. Birdscaping: Designing your Garden with Birds in Mind. In this virtual talk from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, learn about the role birds play in balancing the natural world and how you can help support them in your garden. $30. Register online. 

Thursday, Oct. 7, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Virtual Pumpkin Succulent Planter workshop with Terrarium Therapy. Create your own succulent arrangement on a white fairytale pumpking. ($54 includes materials and shipping). Register online. 

Friday, Oct. 8-Nov. 6. Bonsai exhibit by the Susquehanna Bonsai Club at Hershey Gardens. Explore the living art of bonsai in the hoop house. The club will have a bonsai plant sale 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 10. Free with admission. 

Saturday, Oct. 9, 2:30-4 p.m. From Weeds to Wildlife Habitat. Learn how to transform a weedy patch into a wildlife habitat at Homefields, 150 Letort Road, Millersville. $22, includes native plant plugs to take home. Register online.