Learn to Garden: Gardening Resources

Allandale Farm offers seasonal weekly events and summer camp programming for children. “Story Time on the Hill” is their free, family-friendly event every Wednesday from July to October. Also, Allandale Farm hosts short hands-on summer camps for children aged 4-13, with financial aid available

The Arnold Arboretum has occasional gardening workshops and events. The Arboretum holds a variety of free events every day from July to October. Past events include Great Horned Owl walks, family-friendly hikes, workshops on how to propagate plants, and lectures on Tree Equity in Boston. 

Bootstrap Compost offers workshops on composting and waste management. Anyone can take a workshop, as staff host many classes. Students and office workers alike can take workshops.

Boston Area Gleaners hosts an apprenticeship program from July to November. Apprentices gain real world farm experience and take classes on Boston's food system.

Boston Food Forest Coalition holds free workshops and events each month around the city. Go to a garden workday or talk on local Boston ecology or composting.

The City of Boston’s Public Works Department has a beginner's compost program every summer. Attendees go to classes and get to do  hands-on composting activities.

City Sprouts runs a leadership after school program for middle schoolers. Students learn about harvesting and how to garden.

The Food Project runs a program to give low-income families raised garden beds.  They provide residents with a garden box, seedlings, and ongoing support. Also, staff teach workshops on how to garden, garden planning, and planting. Residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan are eligible.

Green City Growers hosts gardening workshops and pop-up events for schools and businesses. They teach classes on urban farming technology, organic food, and gardening.

The Loring-Greenough House hosts a summer event series. It includes a walking garden tour, plant sales, and personalized gardening help. Some events are free of charge, and some have small fees $25 and under. 

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom holds free workshops for educators. Workshops include how to start a school garden, best funding sources, and planting strategies. Workshops are in person in the summer and hybrid in the winter.

Mass Audubon hosts many summer camps for children across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The camps teach campers about the local ecosystem. The camps range in price, with some offering financial aid.

Massachusetts Farm to School holds free virtual and in person webinars for schools. Webinars cover growing food, composting, and starting school gardens.

The Massachusetts Horticulture Society has a "Book a Garden Speaker" program to teach different gardening topics to groups. They offer in-person and virtual speaker appointments starting at $300 each.

NUBIA offers in-person and virtual classes taught by NUBIA staff on subjects such as urban agriculture, healthy cooking and eating, and Nubian culture.

The Trustees of Reservations offer workshops and tours of local farms and preserved land. Event topics include floral arranging, basics of gardening, composting, and winter garden management. The price of each event varies. They also host an annual Master Urban Gardener (MUG) program for gardeners of all skill levels to improve their gardening skills. Learn more about the MUG program here.