Cultivate Your Gardening Knowledge Outside the Back Yard

There are so many lectures, seminars and workshops at botanical and estate gardens, arboretums and parks in the Washington area that there's not room for me to list them all. However, here's a rundown of places that conduct classes without requiring that participants be part of a degree program. Several of the university programs do require an application for admission.

These are most of the gardens and institutions with educational programs in the gardening and landscape fields. The programs are applicable for hobbyists, home gardeners, those surveying the field and individuals interested in changing careers who wish to attain a certificate or degree. You can also find county nature centers and their schedules on county Web sites. Some of the most active are listed here.

Place yourself on these facilities' mailing or e-mail lists and bookmark links. I am not aware of one unified listing for horticulture and landscape-related information offered in this region, so this is the best way to keep up to date on educational offerings.

In the District

Hillwood Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, 202-686-5807, http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org.

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW, 202-965-0400, http://www.tudorplace.org.

U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE, 202-245-4521, http://www.usna.usda.gov.

U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-225-8333, http://www.usbg.gov.

In Maryland

Audubon Naturalist Society Woodend Sanctuary, 8940 Jones Mill Rd., Chevy Chase, 301-652-9188, http://www.audubonnaturalist.org.

Black Hill Visitor Center, Black Hill Regional Park, 20926 Lake Ridge Dr., Boyds, 301-916-0220, http://www.blackhillnature.org.

Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, 301-962-1400, http://www.brooksidegardens.org.

Cylburn Arboretum Association, 4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, 410-367-2217, http://www.cylburnassociation.org.