Dive into a world of wonder at the 77th Annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, taking place March 7th to 9th, 2025. This year’s theme, Exotic Gardens, invites you to explore the vibrant beauty of orchids and their natural habitats.
View event website »Our annual Docent Training is just around the corner and we want you! We are looking for enthusiastic garden lovers who also love people and want to learn the art of leading tours for children and adults in the exploration and observation of one of our community’s greatest treasures, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. If you appreciate the green earth and want to help people of all ages (especially the little ones) develop a deeper connection with the natural world and a genuine excitement for gardens, then we hope you will consider joining the MCBG Docent Team. Help us share our fascination with plant life with the curious public!
View event website »Learn to divide dahlias before they begin to sprout! In this workshop, we will discuss dahlia anatomy and the different types of dahlias before diving into the art of dahlia division. The class will wrap up with tips on storing tubers, tricks for overwintering, and a discussion on how to grow dahlias. You will take a tuber home, watch it grow, and then have the opportunity to practice all you have learned next winter as you get your hands dirty dividing dahlias.
View event website »This is a fun two-day class where you can make a beautiful mosaic pot to take home! All materials, including the 10 inch flowerpot, safety equipment and tools are provided. If you want to bring a dish or object from home to incorporate into your piece, please do!
View event website »Join Victory Gardens for Peace Seed Bank Director, Matt Drewno for a hands-on seed saving workshop. This intensive two-day workshop will focus on all the basics required to grow a wide variety of healthy garden seeds. We will cover planning, propagation, selecting, harvesting, and preserving common and endangered varieties. After completing the workshop you will have the resources, confidence, and support to take the next steps to become a better seed saver and an important part of our seed saving community.
View event website »Fungi inhabit every aspect of the world around us, from our bodies to the land around us. They make partnerships with organisms, parasitize others, and keep the forests from piling high with logs or other plant debris. On this walk, we will survey the Gardens’ grounds for fruiting bodies (mushrooms) and other fungal activity. In the case of mushrooms, we will cover edibility, toxicity, and medicinal uses all while trying to develop an eye for reading the landscape to where they might fruit.
View event website »Get an up-close look at some specimens and explore the Gardens during a brief walk to look for UV fluorescent organisms. You don’t have to travel to the tropics to see organisms that glow at night! California has organisms that are bioluminescent and produce their own light to attract mates, get rid of predators, or to help them find a new place to live. There are also plenty of organisms in California that are UV fluorescent under a black light, the biological function is a bit nebulous, but their glowing beauty is not. This talk will give a wide survey of these glowing organisms, where to find them, how to see them, and how to document them.
View event website »Step into a miniature world of timeless beauty where stones become mountains, and intricately crafted trees evoke ancient forests. Experience the serene beauty of bonsai this winter with 20 works by artisans from the Redwood Empire Bonsai Society and a display of suiseki viewing stones.
View event website »This year we are offering two opportunities to take this in-depth two-day workshop. Each session of Mushroom ID for Beginners consists of an interactive lecture (Sat) with demonstrations and an optional Field ID Walk (Sun) to find mushrooms associated with the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens’ native plant communities. Naturalist and Mycologist, Mario Abreu will teach the basic taxonomic identifying features that distinguish mushrooms from each other, where each unique mushroom species can be found, when they can be found, and the myths associated with them.
The guided walk is optional, class participants can also explore our wild mushroom collection on their own time armed with a list of species commonly found at the Gardens.
This year we are offering two opportunities to take this in-depth two-day workshop. Each session of Mushroom ID for Beginners consists of an interactive lecture (Sat) with demonstrations and an optional Field ID Walk (Sun) to find mushrooms associated with the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens’ native plant communities. Naturalist and Mycologist, Mario Abreu will teach the basic taxonomic identifying features that distinguish mushrooms from each other, where each unique mushroom species can be found, when they can be found, and the myths associated with them.
The guided walk is optional, class participants can also explore our wild mushroom collection on their own time armed with a list of species commonly found at the Gardens.