Have brunch on a flower farm, learn how to grow saffron: 68 things for plant fans to try in August (2024)

This August, you can learn about cacti, explore sunflower fields and find workshops to make both living arrangements and ever-lasting plants.

Throughout the month, there are dozens of talks and classes to learn about plants, virtual and in-person in the Lancaster County region. There's a plant swap, a plant sale plus a yoga class on a farm, a meditation session in the woods and a lot more.

Soft Glass Flameworking: Plant Stake Mushrooms.Thursday, Aug. 1, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.Make small mushroom plant stakes for potted plants or fairy gardens with Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Lancaster. $140.Register online.

Thursday Night Nature: Honoring our Past, Protecting Our Future.Thursday, Aug. 1, 7-8 p.m.In this virtual talk from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, learn about the preservation of Faraway Farm and its ecosystem. $15.Register online.

Flameworked Glass Cactus.Friday, Aug. 2, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Make a cactus made of glass withPennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Lancaster. $140.Register online.

44^thAnnual Seed Savers Exchange Conference: Climate.Friday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m.The annual conference meets virtually four times, ending with this session. $75 for the full conference.Register online.

TheWhite House Grounds and Gardens.Friday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.Mike Lawn, White House gardener foreman and chief of maintenance from 1977-2008, gives an overview of his daily responsibilities at Hall of Philosophy, 212 Gettysburg Ave., Mt Gretna. Free.

MCC Nature Fest.Saturday, Aug. 3, 9 a.m.-noon.Tour the Welcoming Place native gardens, learn how to be a back yard scientist plus activities. Free. MCC Welcoming Place, 21 S. 12th St., Akron.

Mt. Gretna Tour of Homes.Saturday, Aug. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Tour 13 homes, gardens and sites. Rain or shine.$20 in advance. $25 the day of the tour.

Flower Collage workshop.Saturday, Aug. 3, 3:30 p.m.Design and create a floral collage work of art at Horst Arts, 17 N. Main St., Manheim. $40.Register online.

Wild Abundance: Mid-Summer Foraging Walk.Sunday, Aug. 4, 10 a.m.-noon.Join a foraging walk atHorn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $25.Register online.

Bonsai Tree Class.Sunday, Aug. 4, noon-3 p.m.Create bonsai tree at The Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. $75.Register online.

Meditating with Nature.Sunday, Aug. 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m.Join an outdoor meditation session with Lancaster County Parks at the Environmental Center. $2 per person.Register onlineor call717-295-2055.

READ:This Mount Gretna home tour takes you from front porches to bedrooms in the trees

Rustic Box Planter Workshop.Wednesday, Aug. 7, 6:30-7:30 p.m.(plus Aug. 14 at Funck’s Restaurant, Leola and Aug. 19 at Funck’s Restaurant, Palmyra) Make a succulent planter in a wooden box with Terrarium Therapy at Schaylor Brewing Co., 2390 Lancaster Pike, Reading. $55-59, depending on location.Register online.

Regenerative Farming.Wednesday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m.Town and Country Garden Club of Lancaster will host a talk about Horn Farm Center’s land stewardship practices. $5 donation for non-members. At Homestead Village’s Bachman Center, 633 Community Way, Lancaster.

Nature Printing.Wednesday, Aug. 7, 8:30-10:30 p.m. (starts).In this online, two-session class from Atlas Obscura, learn the art of nature printing. $140.Register online.

Garden Cover Crops and Green Manures. Thursday, Aug. 8, 5 p.m. Learn the benefits of cover cropping in your home garden in this webinar from Johnny's Selected Seeds. Free. Register online.

Living on a Few Acres: Greenhouse and Hydroponic Production.Thursday,Aug. 8, 6-8 p.m.In this webinar from Penn State Extension, learn greenhouse and hydroponic basics. $5.Register online.

Dried Floral and Moss Art workshop (virtual).Thursday, Aug. 8, 7-8 p.m.with Terrarium Therapy. Make a zero-maintenance work of art. $75 includes materials shipped to your home.Register online.

Thursday Night Nature: Symbiosis in Flight.Thursday, Aug. 8, 7-8 p.m.In this virtual talk from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, learn about the connection between butterflies and host plants. $15.Register online.

Pennsylvania Invasive Species: iMapInvasives.Friday,Aug. 9, 1-2 p.m.In this webinar from Penn State Extension, learn how to ID and track invasive species. Free.Register online.

Stained Glass Garden Stakes class.Saturday, Aug. 10, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.(starts) In this two-day class from Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Lancaster, make a garden stake from stained glass. $145.Register online.

Wild, Edible Plants of Pennsylvania. Saturday, Aug. 10, 10 a.m. Forager Debbie Naha-Koretzky will lead a talk and a foraging walk at Hall of Philosophy, 212 Gettysburg Ave., Mt Gretna. Free.

Brunch and Bloom.Saturday, Aug. 10, 10 a.m.After brunch, cut your own flowers and create an arrangement at Flourish Flowers, East Earl. $65.Register online.

Discovering a Gentleman’s Farm.Saturday, Aug. 10, 10 a.m.Learn about the grounds of Wheatland during James Buchanan’s life at LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. $5 for adults and $3 for children, includes an optional tour of Wheatland grounds.Register onlineor 717-392-4633.

Botanical Gelli Printing class.Saturday, Aug. 10, 1-3 p.m. Make art prints from leaves, feathers or weeds at Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Lancaster. $80.Register online.

Plant Bingo.Saturday, Aug. 10, 4-6 p.m. Join a bingo gameto win plants at The 9 Collective, 3043 Columbia Ave. $10. Buy tickets on-site or email9CollectiveEvents@gmail.com.

Monstera Leaf Mosaic Class.Sunday, Aug. 11, 1-3 p.m.Create glass mosaic leaf at The Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. $55.Register online.

String Art Class.Sunday, Aug. 11, 1-3 p.m.Create string art design of a planter at The Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. $40.Register online.

READ:Tour 12 gardens in Lancaster's southern end, including this spot thriving in a heat wave

Sunflower Fest. Wednesday, Aug. 14-Aug. 25. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon and 4-8 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tickets include entry to the sunflower patch, one sunflower. There are also special events, including a free makers market Aug. 17 and flower arranging class ($24.99), Saturday, Aug. 24.$7 per person. At Oregon Dairy, 2900 Oregon Pike, Lititz.

Know to Grow: A New Garden Ethic.Wednesday, Aug. 14, 5-6 p.m.Benjamin Vogt, author of “Prairie Up” and “A New Garden Ethic” will talk about why urban gardens matter in this webinar from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. $20.Register online.

Landscape for Life.Wednesday, Aug. 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m. (starts).This online three-session class from Native Plant Trust is based on the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the U.S.’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes. $216.Register online.

Outdoor Container Gardening workshop.Wednesday, Aug. 14, 6-7:30 p.m.In this webinar from The Sill, learn how to design and care for plants in containers outdoors. Free.Register online.

For the Love of Sunflowers.Wednesday, Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m.Conestoga Herb Guild hosts a talk about sunflowers. $5 for guests. At Millersville VFW, 219 Walnut Hill Road, Millersville. Register at 717-725-7451 or atkinsateb@aol.com.

A Shore Thing.Wednesday, Aug. 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m.This online class from Longwood Gardens shows how to create a floral arrangement reminiscent of the shore. $29.Register online.

Wine Bottle Succulent workshop.Thursday, Aug.15, 6-7:30 p.m.Create a succulent planter in a wine bottle with Ken’s Gardens at Grandview Vineyard, 1489 Grandview Road, Mount Joy. $45.Register online.

Deer-tolerant Landscapes.Thursday, Aug. 15, 6-8 p.m.This online class from Native Plant Trust focuses on natural strategies for coexisting with deer. $40.Register online.

Wine Bottle Succulent workshop (virtual).Thursday, Aug. 15, 7-8 p.m.with Terrarium Therapy. Make a succulent planter in an upcycled wine bottle. $65 includes materials shipped to your home.Register online.

Thursday Night Nature: Introduction to Phenology, Citizen Science and Nature’s Notebook.Thursday, Aug. 15, 7-8 p.m.In this virtual talk from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, learn about the study of nature’s seasonal changes. $15.Register online.

Bees, Bugs, Blooms and More! Saturday,Aug. 17, 9 a.m.-noon.Learn about plants pollinators prefer from Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Lancaster County at Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1446 Auction Road, Manheim. Free.Register online.

Succulent Fairy Gardens. Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m. Make a succulent fairy garden with Petunia Pebbles at Roots to Wings Studio, Brickerville. $45, includes plants and planter. Register online.

Plant Swap.Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.Bring houseplants, perennials, tools, pots, books and labeled seeds to Manheim Township Library. Free.Register online.

Introduction to Graminoids. Sunday, Aug. 18, 9 a.m.-noon. Learn how to identify grasses, sedges and rushes at Hungry Hook Farm Nursery, 26 Locust Grove Road, Bainbridge. $80. Register online.

Nature Play: A Rewilding Program.Sunday, Aug. 18, 10 a.m.-noon.Join a nature play for adults in the woods at Nolde Forest. Meet at Fire gate 5 on Oregon Road. Free.Register online.

(Sold out) Bio-Active Terrarium Class. Sunday, Aug. 18, 1-3 p.m. Learn how to create and care for a vivarium, a miniature ecosystem for animals, plants and microorganisms. $99, includes materials and plants suitable for geckos and lizards. At That Fish Place That Pet Place, 237 Centerville Road Lancaster. Register online.

READ:Meet the greenhouse cats of Lancaster County

Outdoor Crime Scene Reconstruction and the Influence of Acid Rain.Tuesday, Aug. 20, 10 a.m.This talk is atReading Public Museum's arboretum. $5 for non-members.Register via email.

Virtual Lunchtime Tour: Hydrangea.Tuesday, Aug. 20, noon-12:30 p.m.In this virtual tour from Scott Arboretum, explore the site’s hydrangea collection. Free.Join online.

Tap Talks: Tree Communication. Wednesday,Aug. 21, 6-8 p.m.Learn about tree communication from Penn State Extension Forestry Educator Cat Pugh at Collusion TapWorks, York. Free.Register online.

Restorative Fascial Stretching Yoga.Wednesday, Aug. 21, 7-8 p.m.Take a yoga class outdoors atHorn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $22.Register online.

Summer Native Plant Sale.Thursday, Aug. 22, 5-7:30 p.m.Manada Conservancywill sell late-blooming perennials and grasses at East Hanover Township Nature Park, 328 N. Crawford Road, Grantville.

Potting 101 Online workshop.Thursday, Aug. 22, 6-7:30 p.m.In this webinar from The Sill, learn how to pot and repot houseplants. Free.Register online.

Forest Farming: American Ginseng and Seed Saving.Thursday,Aug. 22, 6:30-8 p.m.In this webinar from Penn State Extension, learn nutritional and medicinal properties of American ginseng. Free.Register online.

Thursday Night Nature: Sent-Sational Connections.Thursday, Aug. 22, 7-8 p.m.In this virtual talk from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, learn about how plants use scent to survive. $15.Register online.

Gardening with Natives. Saturday,Aug. 24, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.Learn about pollinators from Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of York County and tour a pollinator garden. At the York Extension office, 2401 Pleasant Valley Road. $30.Register online.

Knowing Native Plants: Confusing Yellow Composites.Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.In this talk from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve (with a virtual option), learn about plants that bloom in late summer and fall such as goldenrod, sunflowers, coneflowers and beggar-ticks. $25.Register online.

Explore the Native Wildflower Meadow.Saturday, Aug. 24, 3-4 p.m.Take a closer look at the flowers and wildlife in the native wildflower meadow with Lancaster County Parks in County Park. $2 per person.Register onlineor call717-295-2055.

Butterfly Exploration at Kellys Run Nature Preserve. Saturday, Aug. 24, 3-5 p.m. Explore the restored meadows at Kellys Run with Lancaster Conservancy, 9 New Village Road, Holtwood. $5. Register online.

READ:Here's how to use green mulch as a ground cover in your garden, plus top plants for sun and shade

Backyard Stream Repair Series: Evaluating Your Stream.Tuesday,Aug. 27, 2-3:30 p.m. (starts).In this webinar series from Penn State Extension, learn simple and affordable techniques to repair your stream. $30 for the five-session series.Register online.

Cactus 101 Online workshop.Tuesday, Aug. 27, 6-7:30 p.m.In this webinar from The Sill, learn how to care for cacti. Free.Register online.

Growing Saffron: The Red Gold Spice.Tuesday,Aug. 27, 7-8:30 p.m.In this webinar series from Penn State Extension, learn how to grow and harvest saffron. $10.Register online.

Saffron Cultivation in the U.S.: Growing Conditions, Yield and Quality.Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2-3 p.m.Learn about saffron farming in this webinar from Rodale Institute. Free. Register online.

Copper Hanging Orchids Class.Thursday, Aug. 29, 6-8 p.m.Learn how to make a copper orchid at The Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. $60.Register online.

Cupcake Decorating Class: Llama and Succulents.Thursday, Aug. 29, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.Learn how to decorate cupcakes with icing succulents and llamas at The Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. $38.Register online.

Eco-gardening. Thursday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. Elyse Jurgen shares the 5 Es of Ecological Gardening at Hall of Philosophy, 212 Gettysburg Ave., Mt Gretna. Free.

Thursday Night Nature: PokePolinators and What Makes the World Go Round.Thursday, Aug. 29, 7-8 p.m.In this virtual talk from Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, PikaScience talk about the intersection of gaming and science with a focus on plants and pollinators. $15.Register online.

Sunflower Festival.Saturdays, Aug. 31 and Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, 150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks.Explore sunflower fields, zinnia fields, plus music, kids entertainment, craft vendors and more. Festival included with admission to the farm.

Fermenting Garden Veggies.Saturday, Aug. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Learn about the art of brining vegetables atHorn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $55.Register online.

READ:Lancaster County's plant zones changed; What does this mean for your 2024 garden?

Ongoing

Guided walk of Hershey Gardens.Saturdays, 10-11 a.m.Take a one-hourwalkwith biologist Ray Barbehenn.Free with garden admission.

Flower Trials.Daily through Aug. 31, dawn to dusk.Explore the plants atPenn State’s Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1446 Auction Rd, Manheim. Free.

And looking into September:

Late Summer at Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve. Sunday, Sept. 1, 9-11 a.m. Discover wildflowers, pollinators and wildlife with Lancaster Conservancy on a hike at Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve, 857 Green Hill Road, Conestoga. $5. Register online.

Wild Abundance: Late Summer Foraging Walk.Sunday, Sept. 1, 10 a.m.-noon.Join a foraging walk atHorn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $25.Register online.

Preparing Your Floral Exhibit for the Fair.Tuesday, Sept. 3, 6-7 p.m.Learn how to best exhibit your flowers at local fairs in this program at Quarryville Library. Free.Register online.

Master Watershed Steward Native Tree and Shrub Sale.Wednesday, Sept. 4 (or until sold out).Choose from 18 native trees and shrubs with pickup locations around the state, includingOct. 4 at Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road.Order online.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden bus trip. Wednesday, Sept. 4 (deadline to register). Town and Country Garden Club of Lancaster hosts a bus trip to Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, Thursday, Sept. 19. $175, includes entrance fees. Register with Joyce Crider at 717-413-5371.

Pocket Meadows.Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-8:30 p.m. (starts)This online four-session class from Longwood Gardens explores small-scale wild planting. $149.Register online.

Succulent Potting Bar. Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Create a succulent arrangement with Petunia Pebbles Plants at Old Republic Distillery Tavern, 3 Dutchland Ave, Ephrata. $45. Register online.

Copper Sunflower Class.Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-8 p.m.Learn how to make a copper flower at The Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. $55.Register online.

Pennsylvania Invasive Species: Classical Biological Control.Friday,Sept. 6, 1-2 p.m.In this webinar from Penn State Extension, learn how scientists manage invasive species through classical biological control. Free.Register online.

Wine and Cheese and a Walk in the Trees.Friday, Sept. 6, 5-7 p.m.The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum host a stroll through the trees at LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster.

Falling into Winter: Native Plants for Beauty and Wildlife. Saturday,Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-noon.Learn about plants that support wildlife and are beautiful in winter from Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Lancaster County at Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1446 Auction Road, Manheim. Free.Register online.

Fall Container Gardening for Pollinators.Saturday, Sept. 7, 10-11:30 a.m.Learn how to help migrating birds and butterflies with container gardens atHorn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, Hallam. $40, includes three native plants.Register online.

Fall Kokedama workshop.Saturday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m.-noon.Create a fall hanging planter at Ken’s Gardens, 2467 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster. $25.Register online.

Sonifying Nature.Saturday, Sept. 7, 6-7 p.m.In this online talk from Native Plant Trust, sound artist Skooby Laposky talks about his work based in sounds of nature. $20.Register online.

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