Long, dark days and chilly weather needn’t dampen a gardener’s spirits. Just because winter is approaching doesn’t mean you have to hide inside and yearn for spring. Go back to school: Take advantage of all the workshops, classes and outings geared toward central Ohio’s nature lovers.
Columbus’ Metro Parks and many other groups have programs for children and adults alike, said Char Steelman, public gardens manager at Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville. The park organizes programs on everything from container gardening to animal pollination, and it organizes volunteers to help with the Audubon Society’s Christmas bird count.
Through these sorts of events, “You can be part of something greater, and you can learn so much more about what you’re already doing in the garden.”The list of classes and workshops is always growing, but here are some planned events. For other ideas, check the websites of parks, plant nurseries, craft and arts centers ,and more.
Holiday cheer
The Ohio State University Extension-Licking County in Newark will offer “Christmas Decor From the Garden,” in which participants learn how to harvest items from their landscape then turn them into holiday decorations, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The class, which costs $25, includes a cooking lesson. For more information, call 740-670-5315.
Baker’s Village Garden Center in Powell is holding trim-a-tree classes from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Participants will learn how to incorporate color trends into their Christmas decorations, how to decorate a mantel, and how to make your Christmas tree look like a designer showpiece. The class costs $15. Call 614-889-9407.
The OSU Extension-Clark County in Springfield will teach how to make a wreath or table decoration from live greenery, holly, boxwood and berries from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3. The class costs $45 and includes lunch. Call 937-521-3860.
The Franklin Park Conservatory will offer two holiday-themed workshops on Dec. 3: “Make Your Own Winter Centerpiece” from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and “Make Your Own Winter Wreath” from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Both classes will teach how to choose and use natural plant materials and holiday decorations to complete the project. The cost is $70 to $80, or $63 to $72 for members. Call 614-645-5923.
Nature exploration
Becoming better acquainted with Ohio’s plants and animals can be a fun winter pursuit.
To learn more about the birds arriving at your feeder this winter, attend one of the many free bird-watching events in central Ohio, such as the backyard birding class from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 26 at Blendon Woods Metro Park in Westerville (visit www.metroparks.net to register and see a full list of events).
The Greater Mohican Audubon Society hosts bird-watching walks at the Secrest Arboretum in Wooster. The next walk is from 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 11. Visit www.secrest. osu. Blacklick Woods Metro Park in Reynoldsburg will offer a free wildlife watch program from 8 to 10 a.m. Nov. 26. Participants can sip coffee at the nature center and look out the windows for wildlife.
If you’re ready to learn more about plants, sign up for the central Ohio Perennial School, offered annually by the OSU Extension-Clark County in Springfield, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 1. The class costs $50 and includes lectures by perennials experts. Call 937-521-3860.
Inniswood Garden Society in Westerville will host a series of garden lectures and workshops on Feb. 18 and 25. Call 614-895-6216.
The Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will offer two courses — how to identify tropical plants and how to start your own school or community garden — from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 3. The cost is $20, or $15 for members. Call 614-645-5923.
Garden arts
Nature lovers can turn that passion into tangible works of art with the help of workshops led by central Ohio artisans.
Metalworkers Tom and Linda Bland help people craft metal garden sculptures at their workshop in Mount Vernon, offering daylong sculpture workshops on how to make sun, moon or dragonfly trellises, metal butterflies and garden gates. Workshops costing $225 to $350 are offered on Saturdays from January to May. Visit www.hammersongfarm.com for more information.
Shutterbugs can participate in a free “Photoprowl” at Blendon Woods Metro Park in Westerville at 9 a.m. Saturday. You can meet other photographers at the nature center and head out on the trails looking for photogenic flora and fauna. Visit www.metroparks.net.
Or you can make a handblown glass flower at Glass Axis, 1341 Norton Ave., Suite B. In the “first experience” pulled-glass flower-making class, beginners learn how to use tools to turn hot glass into ornate flowers. The class costs $50, and will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 4 p.m. next Sunday.