Classes

Class Time: 1 pm The importance of our native 'solitary' bee species to the pollination of our crops, flowers, and native plants is receiving increased attention. For over 30 years, Tom Theobald of Niwot Honey Farm has been propagating one of the most 'useful' species, Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees), and will teach how to attract and care for these gentle native pollinators. Mason Bees are not a replacement for honey bees, but they are excellent pollinators of the early fruits – cherries, apples, etc. They stay close to home, don't sting, don’t require the year-round commitment of a colony of honey bees and provide a great way to introduce children to the world of pollinators. Harlequin’s will have filled straws (containing male and female adult bees in hibernation) for sale for $12. IMPORTANT: You must RESERVE and PRE-PAY for your Mason Bee straws IN ADVANCE by calling Harlequin’s Gardens at 303-939-9403. This class also offered 3/15, 3/21 and 3/22

Class Time: 1 pm Free - No Registration FREE CLASS Limited to First 20 people who arrive Amy Scanes-Wolfe spent seven years farming on the East Coast before returning to her Colorado roots. After two years working at Harlequin's and with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, she now runs a micro-farming/landscaping business, Left Hand Landscaping, and helps facilitate the Boulder Permaculture Design Course. PermaCulture is a design science that uses nature as a model for building resilient systems. Join us to learn about the core principles of PermaCulture and how we can use them to create abundance in our backyards and communities. We will touch on designing perennial polycultures, techniques for storing water in our landscape, integrating animals, and working with our high, dry, unpredictable climate.

Class Time: 10 am The importance of our native 'solitary' bee species to the pollination of our crops, flowers, and native plants is receiving increased attention. For over 30 years, Tom Theobald of Niwot Honey Farm has been propagating one of the most 'useful' species, Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees), and will teach how to attract and care for these gentle native pollinators. Mason Bees are not a replacement for honey bees, but they are excellent pollinators of the early fruits – cherries, apples, etc. They stay close to home, don't sting, don’t require the year-round commitment of a colony of honey bees and provide a great way to introduce children to the world of pollinators. Harlequin’s will have filled straws (containing male and female adult bees in hibernation) for sale for $12. IMPORTANT: You must RESERVE and Pre-Pay for your Mason Bee straws IN ADVANCE by calling Harlequin’s Gardens at 303-939-9403.

Class Time 1pm Free Class for beginning and established beekeepers, alike! Come join us in the Bee Barn and learn how to build and crosswire your frames and take a tour of our beekeeping supplies. Harlequin's is upgrading frames and foundation to be as strong as they can be and still use beeswax. Our resident entomologist and Bee Barn Manager, Kristina Williams, will share her vast knowledge with you in a fun and informal setting!

CANCELLED The importance of our native 'solitary' bee species to the pollination of our crops, flowers, and native plants is receiving increased attention. For over 30 years, Tom Theobald of Niwot Honey Farm has been propagating one of the most 'useful' species, Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees), and will teach how to attract and care for these gentle native pollinators. Mason Bees are not a replacement for honey bees, but they are excellent pollinators of the early fruits – cherries, apples, etc. They stay close to home, don't sting, don’t require the year-round commitment of a colony of honey bees and provide a great way to introduce children to the world of pollinators. Harlequin’s will have filled straws (containing male and female adult bees in hibernation) for sale for $12. IMPORTANT: You must RESERVE and PRE-PAY for your Mason Bee straws IN ADVANCE by calling Harlequin’s Gardens at 303-939-9403.

CANCELLED! We are proud to present acclaimed Colorado horticulturist Kelly Grummons, director of Prairie Storm Nursery, a business that includes ColdHardyCactus.com and dogtuffgrass.com. An expert in selection and propagation of rare and unique plants for our region, Kelly will discuss a variety of exceptional new winter hardy cacti, agaves, yuccas, and outdoor succulents, and include choosing appropriate sites, soil prep, fertilizing, and ongoing care.

CANCELLED! The importance of our native 'solitary' bee species to the pollination of our crops, flowers, and native plants is receiving increased attention. For over 30 years, Tom Theobald of Niwot Honey Farm has been propagating one of the most 'useful' species, Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees), and will teach how to attract and care for these gentle native pollinators. Mason Bees are not a replacement for honey bees, but they are excellent pollinators of the early fruits – cherries, apples, etc. They stay close to home, don't sting, don’t require the year-round commitment of a colony of honey bees and provide a great way to introduce children to the world of pollinators. Harlequin’s will have filled straws (containing male and female adult bees in hibernation) for sale for $12. IMPORTANT: You must RESERVE and PRE-PAY for your Mason Bee straws IN ADVANCE by calling Harlequin’s Gardens at 303-939-9403.

CANCELLED! Mimi Yanus was growing flowers and vegetables for Farmers’ Markets and a CSA before we were lucky enough to get her to come work in our retail operations. She still loves to garden and has plans for another big garden this year, if you do too then this class is for you.  If you are new to Colorado, new to vegetable gardening, or just want to improve the results of your earlier attempts please join us. Learn what you need to know to make your organic vegetable garden successful and bountiful, even in Colorado’s sometimes bizarre and challenging conditions! This class will be offered twice more in April but the early bird gets the organic worm.

CANCELLED! David Montgomery, geologist at U. of Washington, estimates "we are now losing about 1 percent of our topsoil every year to erosion, most of this caused by (industrial) agriculture." In this class Mikl Brawner will teach how home gardens can counter that trend and, with organic methods, add fertility to our gardens instead of problematically adding to the problem. He will discuss how to support soil life, enrich poor soils, and improve plant health and nutrition from the bottom up: composts, fertilizers, mulching, worms, deficiencies, and tilth. Mikl Brawner, Co-Owner and Founder of Harlequin's Gardens, has devoted much of his life to understanding natural systems and promoting ecological practices.

Class Time 1 pm You can have a successful lawn without using toxic chemicals! Mikl Brawner, Founder and Co-Owner of Harlequin’s Gardens, has been dedicated to an organic, non-toxic approach to relating with the natural world for more than 5 decades of research and experimentation. In the 28 years since he opened Harlequin’s Gardens Sustainable Nursery, his dedication has been unwavering. In this class Mikl brings his insights and knowledge to that all-American icon, The Lawn. You will learn how to support healthy soil and soil life using compost, organic fertilizers, aeration, proper watering, and mowing, and how to minimize and deal with weeds.  

Class Time 10 am If you are new to Colorado, new to vegetable gardening, or you’ve been unhappy with the results of your earlier attempts, this class is for you! Learn how to make your new organic veggie garden successful and bountiful, even in Colorado’s often challenging conditions! Mimi Yanus was growing flowers and vegetables for Farmers’ Markets and a CSA before we were lucky enough to get her to come work at Harlequin’s Gardens. Past students of this class rave about their success!

Class Time: 1 pm Where do nurseries get their plants? How can I propagate that native plant I love? Gary Meis with over 20 years of professional propagation experience will share some of his tricks of the trade in this insightful seed propagation class. He’ll cover some of Harlequin’s favorite plants, teaching when and how to collect, clean, and store your seeds for long term viability. We will look at how to break the dormancy of stored seeds through scarification, stratification, and other techniques to help speed up the germination process. We will also cover legume inoculants and mycorrhizal mushroom spores and the symbiotic relationship they have with plants. We’ll examine controlling damping off in seedlings, along with the best natural soil additives that can be used for growing the seedlings in their new landscape home! Gary was Head Propagator at Country Lane Wholesale nursery before coming to help start and run Harlequin’s Wholesale operation. He has a special interest in and is extremely knowledgeable about edible and medicinal native plants.

Class Time: 1 pm Kelly Grummons, director of Prairie Storm Nursery, is one of the region’s preeminent horticulturists, and an expert in natural plant nutrition and pest control. His excellent Gardening Q&A column has been featured in the Colorado Gardener magazine for more than 20 years. This class will answer those oft-asked gardening questions such as: when do I prune my roses, start tomato seeds, seed grass, put down sod, cut back ornamental grasses, prune lilacs and clematis, apply soil microbes, when to fertilize, transplant perennials, divide iris, etc., etc. Get the picture? Answers provided. This class will focus on Spring and Summer and at the end of August he'll finish out the year. 

Class Time: 10 am   In this very popular and practical class, Alison Peck teaches that drip irrigation can be almost effortless! Come learn a simple, easy way to design and install a system that can be connected to an outside hose bib with a battery-operated timer, giving you an inexpensive automatic watering system.  She will also discuss how to convert an existing sprinkler system to drip irrigation. Alison, landscape designer, founded the award-winning Matrix Gardens in 1984, creating a landscape design/build company inspired by permaculture and edible landscapes.  A pioneer in xeriscapes/water conserving landscapes, she has designed a wide variety of abundant, resource conserving landscapes: from homes to subdivisions.  Alison teaches, writes and talks about the wide world of sustainable landscaping, while currently developing carbon sequestering and resilient landscapes.

Join us to learn which food plants thrive in Colorado and how to arrange them in "guilds" to create resilient, edible landscapes in your backyard. Amy Scanes-Wolfe spent seven years farming on the East Coast before returning to her Colorado roots. After two years working at Harlequin's and with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, she is now embarking on a micro-farming/landscaping venture, Left Hand Landscaping. Amy also helps facilitate the Boulder PermaCulture Design Course.

Class Time: 1pm There is no need for poisons if we support our plants with good nutrition, and grow them in a diverse ecosystem. And there are non-toxic methods and products in case of emergencies. Learn how to be successful with this approach and how to judge when to do something and when to trust Nature to manage the pests. Mikl Brawner has been researching alternatives to toxic pesticides for 45 years. Harlequin's Gardens has never used poisons in our 28 years of professional plant care. Wild Ones, Front Range hosts this class open to the general public.

Class Time 1 pm Roses don’t grow or behave in the same way as most other shrubs, and to many gardeners they are puzzling and mysterious. Don’t let them intimidate you! In this class Eve Reshetnik-Brawner will demonstrate and explain why and how to fearlessly and confidently prune roses that are grown on their own roots (the kinds we offer at Harlequin’s). She will also discuss feeding, watering, and other aspects of organic rose care to maximize your success with growing roses. Eve, Co-Owner of Harlequin’s Gardens, has always had a passion for studying, growing and drawing plants. She has a degree and professional experience in landscape architecture. She has a special love and knowledge of roses and designed the rose garden at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House. This is an outdoor, hands-on class so please wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves, and a hat. In the event of extreme weather, the Rain-Date is Saturday April 25^th at 1:00pm 

Class Time 10 am If you are new to Colorado, new to vegetable gardening, or you’ve been unhappy with the results of your earlier attempts, this class is for you! Learn how to make your new organic veggie garden successful and bountiful, even in Colorado’s often challenging conditions! Mimi Yanus was growing flowers and vegetables for Farmers’ Markets and a CSA before we were lucky enough to get her to come work at Harlequin’s Gardens. Past students of this class rave about their success!

Class Time: 1 pm Before he founded Harlequin’s Gardens, Mikl Brawner spent more than three decades up in trees running a tree care business and studying pruning. He has always had an appetite to learn about biological processes through books and first-hand experience. After over five decades with pruners in his hands he has much wisdom to share while humbly knowing there is always more to learn. In this class he offers advice on which woody plants should be pruned in spring for strength, beauty, and production of fruit and flowers, as well as when, why and how to prune them. This class and our fall Pruning for Strength, Health & Beauty complement each other. Join Eve for Fearless Rose Pruning for the complete trifecta.

Class Time: 10 am Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is a curse, but once we get it into our landscapes it is a blessing. Carbon can be sequestered in forests, farms, grasslands, cities and gardens! Explore how to sequester carbon in our home landscapes: in soil, plants, mulch and more. Can we do enough that it matters? Yes! Alison Peck, landscape designer, founded Matrix Gardens in 1984, creating a landscape design/build company inspired by permaculture and edible landscapes. A pioneer in xeriscapes/water conserving landscapes, she has designed a wide variety of abundant, resource conserving landscapes: from homes to subdivisions. Alison teaches, writes and talks about the wide world of sustainable landscaping, while currently developing carbon sequestering and resilient landscapes.

Class Time: 1 pm This class takes the mystery out of growing good tomatoes in our area. You always hear “It’s a good tomato year” or “It’s a bad tomato year”. Learn how to make EVERY year a “good tomato year”! Kelly will discuss garden soil preparation, culture in the ground and in pots, nutrition, tomato pests and diseases. Learn about the best varieties to grow here and how to maximize your harvest. Kelly Grummons, director of Prairie Storm Nursery, is one of the region’s preeminent horticulturists, an expert in natural plant nutrition, pest control, and a tomato aficionado.