Join us for an immersive, hands-on workshop exploring the world of native plants, from identifying them in the landscape to successfully propagating them at home.
The day will begin with a guided hike through Wellfield Botanic Gardens' Woodland Conservation Garden, Children's Garden, and, if time allows, the pond shorelines. Led by botanist Scott Namestnik, participants will explore a variety of native plant communities—including woodland, prairie, and wetland habitats—and learn how differences in sunlight, soil, and moisture influence plant growth. Along the way, Scott will demonstrate how to identify native plants using their flowers, fruits, and foliage, distinguish them from similar species, and discuss ways to incorporate native plants into home landscapes.
Following the hike, Mary Wojcik will lead an interactive session on seed collection, storage, stratification, and germination techniques for a variety of plant types. Participants will learn proper collection and storage methods, when to sow seeds, and which species are best propagated vegetatively rather than from seed. Native plants, vegetables, fruits, aquatic plants, and ornamental landscape plants will all be discussed, providing practical knowledge for gardeners of all experience levels.
About the Instructors:
Scott Namestnik is the Botanist for the Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center within the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Fish, Wildlife & Nature Preserves. His work focuses on botanical inventories, habitat assessments, and documenting endangered and threatened plant species. With nearly 30 years of experience studying the flora of the Great Lakes and Midwest, Scott is co-author of Wildflowers of the Midwest and Wildflowers of the Indiana Dunes National Park and serves in leadership roles with several regional conservation organizations.
Mary Wojcik is the City Horticulturist for the City of South Bend's Venues Parks & Arts Department. A Purdue University Horticulture graduate, she has more than 20 years of experience in native plant production, ecological restoration, fruit and vegetable gardening, and ornamental landscaping. She is passionate about helping gardeners confidently grow and propagate a wide variety of plants.
This workshop is intended for ages 16+. All minors should be accompanied by an adult also registered for the class. This workshop will take place on the Garden Trails and in our South Event Room inside the Visitors Center. Registration is required; space is limited! This class is non-refundable. If you aren't able to make it and would like to share your registration with a friend, please contact Wellfield at (574) 266-2006 to let us know!
Wellfield Members: to receive your member discount, you must be registered on our site and logged in (please click the “Sign In” button at the top of your screen to do so). The discount will appear on the second page after you've added the registration to your cart.
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