We offer a variety of workshops throughout the year, both in person and online. These are in-depth classes offered as paid programs, all with exceptional instructors. Details on upcoming programs follow.
Seed Series: Cleaning TechniquesInstructor: Freddie Gillespie, Biodiversity Through Pollination
Where: 7 Harrington Road, Lexington, MA Fee: Member: $15 / Non-member: $25 / Sponsor: $100 Part two of our three-part Seed Series!
Join Freddie Gillespie for a hands-on seed cleaning workshop. Seeds come in all shapes and sizes; some will fall easily from a brittle capsule, others are encased in a hard-to-break pod, or coated in flyaway-fluff. Freddie will go over the various techniques and equipment needed to clean different types of seeds. We will be cleaning the seeds collected during part one of our Seed Series on October 4, all from native species that support at-risk pollinators. While we work, we will chat, share tips, and dream of next year’s gardens! The bulk of the cleaned seeds from this workshop will be saved for part three of our Seed Series, Winter Seed Sowing, and for distribution to community groups, but participants will be able to take some samples home. Freddie Gillespie is a member of Biodiversity Through Pollination and Southborough's Stewardship Committee. For the past decade she has worked with Robert Gegear to establish the Beecology Research Garden at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land. Using this garden as a source, she has developed a seed distribution program which resulted in the distribution of over 2,000 packets of 63 species of native plants from Dr. Gegear’s plant list for at-risk pollinators last year. Learn more about the other workshops in our Seed Series:
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Seed Series: Winter SowingInstructor: Freddie Gillespie, Biodiversity Through Pollination
Where: 7 Harrington Road, Lexington, MA Fee: Member: $15 / Non-member: $25 / Sponsor: $100 Part three of our three-part Seed Series!
Native plants in New England have co-evolved with local weather patterns, and most native plant seeds require alternating periods of freezing and thawing to break their dormancy and germinate. At this winter seed-sowing workshop, Freddie Gillespie will show us how to plant seeds in milk jugs to start them for the spring season. All of Freddie's seeds are from plants on Dr. Robert Gegear’s recommended plant list, a curated list of local native plants that will preserve and enhance biodiversity in your garden and support local insects, bees, and butterflies. No gardening experience is necessary, make a 2027 resolution to start your native plant journey from seed, learn a new skill, or enjoy the process with a group! Using this simple method of planting in milk jugs that are then placed outside over the winter, you will be amazed by the bounty of native plants you will have come spring and summer. This program will be hands-on and key materials (seeds, soil, tools, etc) will be provided, with participants asked to help crowdsource supplies like jugs. Freddie Gillespie has been hosting winter sow workshops in Southborough since 2020. For the past decade she has worked with Robert Gegear to establish the Beecology Research Garden at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land. Using this garden as a source, she has also developed a seed distribution program which resulted in the distribution of over 2,000 packets of 63 species of native plants from Dr. Gegear’s plant list for at-risk pollinators last year. Learn more about the other workshops in our Seed Series:
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