Courtesy Fotolia/Jo Ann Snover
With the first flash of fall around the bend, it’s essential to plan, prepare, and perfect the artsy autumn decor that will be sure to dress up your home, add a touch of cool comfort to your garden, and give festive flair to your landscape. These 10 classes, led by local landscape professionals, provide all the tools, tips, and techniques you could ever need to successfully conquer it all.
Create Your Own Fall Container
Dig into the design, preparation, and management for fashioning fall planting containers like a seasoned pro. Grab a pretty pot and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum will take care of the rest—including fall favorites like flowering kale, snapdragons, herbs, sedge, and more.
- When: Sept. 8, 2-4 p.m.
- Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska
- How much: $65 members/$80 non-members
Dress Your Doorstep for Fall
Plant it yourself, or let the stress fall away as a professional plants it for you. For two days, Tangletown Garden delivers delightful (and dirt-filled) demonstrations along with complimentary planting and design services to perk up your porch or patio.
- When: Sept. 15 & 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapolis
- How much: Free, items available for purchase
Fall Yard & Garden Care
Boast the best yard on the block. Master the must-do’s of a gorgeous, fall-inspired garden, including Gertens Greenhouse’s best tips for yard clean-up, plant care, and composting.
- When: Sept. 15, noon to 1 p.m.
- Where: Gertens Greenhouse, 5500 Blaine Ave. E., Inver Grove Heights
- How much: Free
Create Your Own Kokedama: A Drop-in Mini Workshop
Roll up your sleeves and dig in deep at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for a 30-minute kokedama how-to. Whether you suspend it above your dining room table or display it in your living room as a seasonal centerpiece, it doesn’t matter—kokedama (a Japanese bonsai variant) will act as a lovely, easy to care for, live-moss container.
- When: Sept. 15, 2-4 p.m. (with sessions starting every 30 minutes)
- Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska
- How much: $15 per kokedama
Autumn Reimagined Floral Design Workshop
Fix up your front porch with a fresh arrangement of fall flowers. Bachman’s inspires and excites landscape lovers with a reimagined and renewed fall look full of non-traditional burgundy, cream, and grey-green shades.
- When: Sept. 15, 2-4 p.m.
- Where: Bachman’s, 6010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
- How much: $59
Sips and Succulents at Back Channel Brewing
The stowed-away secret to becoming a green thumb: 1) free beer and 2) a love for learning. Create your own trendy succulent planter and sip a complimentary beverage with Tonkadale Greenhouse.
- When: Sept. 16, 10-11:30 a.m.
- Where: Back Channel Brewing, 4787 Shoreline Dr., Spring Lake
- How much: $45
Fall Container Workshop
Join an expert designer in crafting a container full of fine flowers and foliage. With step-by-step guidance, tips, and techniques from Bachman’s, you’ll head home with a brag-worthy focal point for your front porch.
- When: Sept. 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Where: Bachman’s, 770 Prairie Center Dr., Eden Prairie
- How much: $50
Hey Plant People!
That shelf in the bathroom corner? Far too empty. Your bedside table? Yeah, it’s looking a little lonely. Not for long, though—Tonkadale Greenhouse has a simple solution to spice up your small spaces—with decorative plants such as low-light succulents and cacti.
- When: Sept. 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Where: Tonkadale Greenhouse, 3739 Tonkawood Rd., Minnetonka
- How much: Starting at $29.99
Installing an Outdoor Fire Pit
Wrangle the right tools, matching materials, and premier products to install your own outdoor fire pit. Warm up to this free workshop hosted by Gertens Greenhouse.
- When: Sept. 22, 11 a.m. to noon
- Where: Gertens Greenhouse, 5500 Blaine Ave. E., Inver Grove Heights
- How much: Free
Gather & Plant: Fall Grapevine Wreath Workshop
Take home a ready-to-hang, customizable, door-sized wreath to welcome your neighbors, friends, and guests. With the tips of Tangletown Garden designers, you’ll receive hands-on instructions and how-to help in mixing dried botanicals with authentic, autumnal add-ons.
- When: Sept. 22, 1 p.m.
- Where: Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis
- How much: $59
