By Joel M. Lerner
Saturday, November 22, 2008

Here are some upcoming holiday and horticultural events for November, December and January. They're free unless otherwise noted. Call ahead to see whether registration is needed.

· Through Jan. 4: Windows to Wonderland celebrates the human imagination with all things in miniature. Include a trip to the garden train exhibit. One of Washington's largest indoor holiday trees provides the setting for Tuesday and Thursday evening performances of seasonal music amid blooming poinsettias and other holiday plants. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 8 p.m. evenings of performances. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-225-8333, http://www.usbg.gov. United States Botanic Garden.

· Nov. 30: Sunday Afternoon Oasis. Explore the late-fall gardens. 1-5 p.m. Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, 202-686-5807, http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org.

· Dec. 4, 6: Wreath workshops. Learn from horticulturist Bill Johnson how to create a spectacular wreath of fresh greens. Supplies included. Limited to 15 people. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m. $40. Hillwood.

· Dec. 5, 6, 12: Wreath workshops. Use cedar boughs, magnolia leaves, holly, pine cones and boxwood. Supplies included. Dec. 5 and 12, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Dec. 6, 10 a.m. $35. Registration required. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW, 202-965-0400, http://www.tudorplace.org.

· Dec. 6: Creating Buildings from Natural Materials. Tour the Windows to Wonderland exhibit and craft your own miniature building using dried plant materials. Supplies included. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. $25; friends of the garden pay $20. Preregistration required. U.S. Botanic Garden.

· Dec. 6, 7: Wreath workshop. Instruction and techniques taught by arboretum staff. Supplies included. Dec. 6, 9 a.m.-noon; Dec. 7, 1-4 p.m. $59. Registration required. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE, 202-245-4523, http://www.usna.usda.gov.

· Dec. 6-14: Winter silhouette bonsai. Exhibition of deciduous trees from permanent collection showing structure and beauty of bonsai. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. National Arboretum.

· Dec. 11, 12, 13: Full moon hike. Join a five-mile hike with a staff member as your guide. Dress appropriately and wear walking shoes. 7-9 p.m. $19. Registration required. National Arboretum.

· Dec. 13: Wreath workshop. Make a fragrant wreath for inside or outside. Supplies included. Bring additional decorations and pruners. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. $40. Preregistration required. U.S. Botanic Garden.

· Jan. 9, 10, 11: Full moon hike. Join a five-mile hike with a staff member as your guide. Dress appropriately and wear walking shoes. 7-9 p.m. $19. Registration required. National Arboretum.

· Nov. 28-Jan. 4: Garden of Lights, Seasons of Light. More than 700,000 lights in displays of giant sunflowers, autumn leaves, snowflakes, flowers, rain showers and more, representing the four seasons. 5:30-9 p.m. $15 per car (cash only). Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, 301-962-1400, http://www.brooksidegardens.org.

· Nov. 28-29; Dec. 5-6: Holiday wreath and centerpiece sale. Sponsored by the Friends of Brookside Gardens. 4-8:30 p.m. Visitors Center Atrium, Brookside Gardens.

· Nov. 29: Invasive plant removal with the Anacostia Watershed Society. The day includes identifying native plants and removing invasives to allow natives to grow back. Gloves and tools provided. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Little Paint Branch Park and Cherry Hill Road Community Park, Beltsville. Contact Kyle Watts http://kyle@mannaheim.org, 301-476-0627, or Marc Imlay, http://marc@anacostiaws.org, 301-283-0808.

· Dec. 6: Winter birding at Black Hill. Winter can be an ideal time to learn more about birds and birding. Black Hill Regional Park in upper Montgomery County is an ideal outdoor classroom. Join Mark England in a search for waterfowl, sparrows, raptors, and resident and overwintering species. For beginning to mid-level birders. Join for one walk or a series of three, offered in December, January and February. 8:30-11 a.m. $23 per walk. Audubon Naturalist Society, 301- 652-9188, http://www.audubonnaturalist.org.

· Dec. 6-Jan. 4: Winter Display: Colors of the Season. The Washington Virginia & Maryland Garden Railroad Society will return for its fourth year with a garden railway in the south conservatory at Brookside Gardens. Flowering plants and evergreens provide a colorful landscape through which the trains travel. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

· Dec. 14: Natural History of Galls. Naturalist Edwin Way Teale called galls edible homes. Discover the occasionally bizarre world of these abnormal outgrowths on plant tissue, what creates them, and their associates. Lecture and field exploration, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Registration required. Audubon Naturalist Society, Woodend Sanctuary, 8940 Jones Mill Rd., Chevy Chase, 301-652-9188, http://www.audubonnaturalist.org.

· Jan. 4: Winter hike on Sugarloaf. Join Stephanie Mason for a full-day 5.5-mile hike to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain (1,282 feet in elevation), which offers a rich community of plants and animals. Discuss adaptations of plants and animals for surviving the stresses of winter, while looking for birds and other wildlife. Practice winter plant identification. Hike includes uphill and downhill rocky trails. $41. Audubon Naturalist Society.

· Dec. 6: Wreaths With Individuality. Make your own. Supplies included. Bring special decorations, pruners and wire cutters. 2-4 p.m. $48. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, 703-642-5173, http://www.greenspring.org.

· Dec. 7: Park cleanup. Join fellow volunteers to help with cleaning trash and removing invasive plants in Lacey Woods Park in Arlington. 1-3 p.m. More info and volunteer, call 703-228-6406.

· Dec. 7: Holiday crafts workshop. Make your own wreath or centerpiece from local greens, pine cones and other natural materials. 1 p.m. $10. Reservations required. Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2845 North Marcey Rd., Arlington, 703-528-5406.

· Dec. 11: Invasive weed control. Work with the Nature Conservancy to control invasive plant species on National Park Service lands in the Potomac Gorge at Turkey Run Park. Wear work gloves and sturdy shoes; bring water, snacks and pruning tools. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Call Alan Ford at 703-732-5291 for meeting time and location.

· Jan. 10, 17, 24: Landscape Design Series for Homeowners. This series helps you design a garden, develop its framework and produce a plan, using site analysis, style notebooks and drawing skills. It includes individual attention during afternoon workshops. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Bring lunch. $160 includes lectures and workshops, or $15 per lecture. Green Spring.

· Jan. 16: The How-To's of Herb Gardening. Herbs add fragrance and flavor to our lives, and practical beauty to landscapes. This basic herb overview teaches how to choose, plan, prepare a site and care for it. The master gardeners recommend herbs for beginners. 1:30-2:30 p.m. $12. Green Spring.

· Jan. 17: Hardscaping. A garden isn't just plants but also walkways, walls and other elements that create a pleasant space for entertaining and enjoyment. 9:30-11 a.m. $15. Green Spring.

· Jan. 18: History and Horticulture at Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. Dean Norton, horticulturalist for Mount Vernon, discusses Mount Vernon estate and the horticultural impact of its success and failures. 1:30-3 p.m. $10. Green Spring.

· Jan. 24: Soil Preparation and Plant Selection. Soil preparation is critical to the overall design. Plant selection and installation will be discussed. 9:30-11 a.m. $15. Green Spring.

· Jan. 30: Basic Pruning. Overgrown shrubs are unsightly and can be hazardous, blocking views and providing hiding places for unwanted visitors. Flowering shrubs need to be pruned regularly. Learn how, when and where to prune to create healthy, shapely shrubs. 1:30-2:30 p.m. $12. Green Spring.

· Jan. 31: Winter botany. The winter forest may appear bleak, but to careful observers it holds many discoveries. Join Stanwyn Shetler, curator of botany emeritus at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, for an exploration of Great Falls Park, Va. Join discussions of winter ecology of plant communities, identification of evergreen trees and shrubs, and wildlife uses of plants in winter. Inclement weather date, Feb. 7. 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Registration required. Audubon Naturalist Society.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. E-mail or contact him through his Web site, http://www.gardenlerner.com.