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.

January 10 · Pine Tree: Brushpainting with Karen LeGault
January 17 – February 5 · Plants Illustrated: Rare and Endangered Plants of the World
January 23 – 24 · Introduction to Botanical Art Class with Catherine Watters
February 1 · The History of Botanical Art Lecture by Catherine Watters
February 8 – 22 · The Book of Life: A Photographic Bibliography
February 10 · Contemplating Gratitude: Photography Workshop
February 20 · Gallery Talk with Becky Jaffe

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.

January 26 · Kids and Spices
February 9 · A Botanical Valentine Tea

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.

First Saturday of every month · Sick Plant Clinic
February 15 · Spiny Succulents with author Jeff Moore

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.

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.

January 30 · Making Elderberry Syrup for the Winter
February 23 · Barrel-Aged Whiskey Tasting with Wright and Brown

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.

February 15 · Spiny Succulents with author Jeff Moore

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.

January 10, February 14  · Integral Taiji and Qigong
January 30 · Making Elderberry Syrup for the Winter