The University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville

Home Grown

Enhance your home school program with our hands-on fun and educational classes.

All programs require preregistration. Click the links below to register online, or contact Derrick Stowell, Director of Education, at dstowell@utk.edu, (865) 974-7151.

Photo of Beth Willis

Growing in the Greenhouse

What happens at the gardens in Winter? Well, we begin preparing for spring in the greenhouse. Join us to learn how to plan and prepare for early spring cool season gardens and warm season late spring gardening. We learn how to sow seeds for various spring flowers and vegetables, how greenhouses work, the supplies, care and maintenance required for success. Weather permitting, we may also explore the gardens to find a few surprise plants that bloom and put on a show in the cold, late winter landscape. Join us for this fun and educational field trip.

Pre-registration is required.

January 11, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructors: David Pease, UT Gardens educator
Cost: $10 per child

Photo of Holly Jones

Nutrients and Compost

Ever wonder where plants go when they need vitamins? And what happens when they die? In this class we will explore the cycles of nutrients in nature and the garden. We will learn how nature recycles itself through composting with the F.B.I. (fungus, bacteria, and invertebrates). We will learn different methods for composting, managing compost, what can go wrong when compost isn’t properly managed and go on a scavenger hunt for F.B.I. around the gardens!

Pre-registration is required.

February 8, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructors: David Pease, UT Gardens educator
Cost: $10 per child

Photo of Bobby Cook

Aquaponics, Nitrogen Cycle and pH

Can you grow plants in water? Yes, you can with the right ingredients! In this lesson, we will learn the basics of aquaponics – that is growing plants in in water and using fish to provide the nutrients and fertilizer needed for plants. This practice is growing in popularity as people in urban and suburban areas look for innovative ways to grow food that are sustainable and reduce environmental/carbon impacts. Come join us on this aquatic adventure!

Pre-registration is required.

March 8, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructors: David Pease, UT Gardens educator
Cost: $10 per child

Photo of Ben Cordes

Springtime in the Kitchen Garden

Ever wonder how vegetable and fruits make their way to our kitchen. In this class, we’ll find out what happens in the UT Kitchen garden each spring to help prepare for bountiful summer harvest. We’ll learn how to harvest and care for early spring veggies, transplant young starts from the January class, learn how to amend and prepare soil, mulch and how to conduct integrated pest management (IPM) to keep our gardens safe from pest and disease. Join us for this fun and educational field trip.

Pre-registration is required.

April 5, 2018

Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructors: UT Gardens education staff
Cost: $10 per child

Photo of Alex Smith

What’s in a Name + Plant Identification

“Is that poison ivy?” Ever been unsure what a plant is in the garden? In this lesson, we will learn the basics of plant classification and taxonomy. We’ll look at how plants are name and categorized. From trees, to shrubs, grasses, perennials, annuals, fungi and bacteria, we’ll explore the garden looking for all sorts organisms and what the most important identifying morphological characteristics are to tell one plant from another. This will include close looks at things like leaves, needles, fascicles, bark, flowers, seeds and fruits.

Pre-registration is required.

May 3, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructors: UT Gardens education staff
Cost: $10 per child