Art courses at the UC Botanical Garden are inspired by the natural world and our diverse plant collection. The Garden offers regular botanical illustration courses, as well as one day workshops in watercolor, brush painting, drawing and other art forms.

The Garden hosts indoor art exhibitions each year, including our annual Plants Illustrated exhibit of Botanical Art. We have also worked with many talented Bay Area artists to present provocative installations. Visit our Exhibitions page to see past and upcoming exhibitions.

October 6, 13, 20, 27 · Blooming-in-Place: an Online Contemplative Photography class with Becky Jaffe
October 9 · Botanical Art: Painting Fall Leaves with Catherine Watters

The Garden loves its budding botanists, and in addition to our beloved summer day camp, Green Stuff Camp, the Garden offers Discovery Stations every first free Wednesday of the month, and monthly family programs uniquely designed for families to learn together.

October 25 · Butterflies of the UC Botanical Garden

At the root of our programming, the Garden offers classes for the plant enthusiast, home gardener and botanist alike. Learn about the people and places that have shaped conservation and landscape design practices, and incorporate new practices in garden design into your landscape.

We offer programs year-round exploring the natural world, including many of our faunal cohabitants. At these seasonal offerings, come learn more about mushrooms, lichen, birds, newts and programs on bats and owls too.

October 25 · Butterflies of the UC Botanical Garden Online

Ethnobotany is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between plants and people. The Garden is ever inspired by the many incredible uses of plants around the world and strives to preserve this knowledge with a series of hands-on programming and cutting edge lectures to teach these skills.

September 26 · An Introduction to Painting with Turmeric, Tea, and Saffron with Saya Benham
October 1 · The Science Behind Forest Restoration in the Sierra Nevada
October 8 · “The Forests of California” Artist talk and book release with Obi Kaufmann

Building on the world-class research that takes place at UC Berkeley, the Garden presents work of UC faculty and scientists, as well as local and international scholars and botanists.

October 1 · The Science Behind Forest Restoration in the Sierra Nevada

Be. Here. Now. In addition to our world-class collection used by researchers and scientists, landscape architects and naturalists, the Garden, put simply, is just a beautiful place to be. To aid in cultivating mindfulness and presence, the Garden offers a new complement of programs that are designed to develop practices that inspire mind/body experiences and encourage you to be present, look more closely, and appreciate the Garden’s effect in new ways. Visit the Redwood Grove Concerts page for our Summer Concert Series.