Join us for monthly nature journaling - a relaxing activity that encourages slowing down to notice details, explore with curiosity, and connect with the natural world by recording observations in a sketchbook. No experience required! We’ll share ideas for connecting with nature to help you capture the garden’s beauty and the wonders of the outdoors.

Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors

Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)

Class offered by Karen Houlding.  

Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.

Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.

Basic Botany Series (Part Two)
Build on your skills as we continue exploring unique plant families! In this session, we will press flowers and leaves to create beautiful, lasting additions to our nature journals.

• What to bring: An unlined journal or sketchbook, a pencil, colored pencils or watercolors, a water bottle, and weather-appropriate clothing.

• Note: Perfect for learners of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

• Bonus: Don’t miss our outdoor outreach box located in the Heritage Garden for sketch samples, prompts, and more!

Basic Botany Series (Part One)
Find out how botanists observe, describe, and identify plants! During this lesson, we will compare and contrast two plant families found in the garden to discover what makes them unique. We will also create color swatches to kick off our session, then dive into our journals to capture a beautiful memory. [1, 2]

• What to bring: An unlined journal or sketchbook, a pencil, colored pencils or watercolors, a water bottle, and weather-appropriate clothing.

• Note: Perfect for learners of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

• Bonus: Don’t miss our outdoor outreach box located in the Heritage Garden for sketch samples, prompts, and more!

Botanical Ink from Flowers: Explore the colors of the garden as we turn fresh flowers into richly pigmented botanical inks. We'll paint color swatches using simple modifiers like lemon juice and baking soda to shift the hues, creating samples to use in cards, tags, or your sketchbook. Once you learn the method, you can experiment at home with blooms from your garden- or even kitchen favorites like onion skins, beets, and berries.

Join us for monthly nature journaling - a relaxing activity that encourages slowing down to notice details, explore with curiosity, and connect with the natural world by recording observations in a sketchbook. No experience required! We’ll share ideas for connecting with nature to help you capture the garden’s beauty and the wonders of the outdoors.

Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors

Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)

Class offered by Karen Houlding.  

Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.

Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.

Join us for monthly nature journaling - a relaxing activity that encourages slowing down to notice details, explore with curiosity, and connect with the natural world by recording observations in a sketchbook. No experience required! We’ll share ideas for connecting with nature to help you capture the garden’s beauty and the wonders of the outdoors.

Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors

Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)

Class offered by Karen Houlding.  

Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.

Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.

Drawing Group: Pollinators in the Garden

This month, join us in exploring the beauty of our heritage garden in full bloom! We’ll focus our sketches on the pollinators- bees, butterflies, beetles, and birds- that bring the garden to life. It’s a wonderful opportunity to observe the pollination cycle up close while practicing how to capture movement and nature in real time.

What to bring: Notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, or watercolors.

Come gather with us for this family friendly event and record nature at its finest!

Join us for monthly nature journaling - a relaxing activity that encourages slowing down to notice details, explore with curiosity, and connect with the natural world by recording observations in a sketchbook. No experience required! We’ll share ideas for connecting with nature to help you capture the garden’s beauty and the wonders of the outdoors.

Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors

Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)

Class offered by Karen Houlding.  

Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.

Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.