Vegetables: Hybrids vs. Heirlooms. Visit Green Spring's Kitchen Garden this summer to see which cultivars are outstanding performers. Thursday mornings from 10-11 a.m. July 6 and 20, and Aug. 10 and 24. Special vegetables, grown during the colonial time period, will be grown in honor of the Jamestown commemoration. Special tasting will be scheduled in the Kitchen Garden throughout the summer. Free. Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria. Call 703-642-5173 or visit www.greenspring.org.
Workshop: Basic Gardening Series. Green Spring's gardeners will share gardening tips and time-saving techniques, clarify simple steps, and debunk horticulture myths. Sign up for the entire series or for individual workshops. Saturdays, July 8 and 22 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Work alongside a gardener as they explain the hows, whens and whys of summer maintenance. Cost is $11 per class. Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria. Call 703-642-5173 or visit www.greenspring.org.
Shade Plants that Dazzle. Brenda Skarphol introduces an array of plants which thrive in the cool environment of a shady garden, Friday, July 21 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria. Cost is $11. Registration and prepayment required. Call 703-642-5173 or visit www.greenspring.org.
Plants That Sizzle, Not Fizzle. Numerous plants thrive in the hot, hazy days of a late Washington summer. Staff horticulturist Mary Frogale will introduce her favorite summer stunners, talk about their idiosyncrasies and design possibilities, and then show examples in the gardens, Friday, July 28 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria. Color combinations, contrasting textures and new plants highlighted. Cost is $11. Registration and prepayment required. Call 703-642-5173 or visit www.greenspring.org.
Ageless and Regal Lavender. Lavender's scent has been used for centuries to ease headaches and lift spirits. Discover its fragrant, culinary and medicinal uses Sunday, July 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria. Cost is $24. Visit www.greenspring.org for information, or call 703-642-5173 to register.