Cultivate your artistic skills and expand your gardening and natural history knowledge with Callaway Gardens’ Workshop Series!  Local experts and staff facilitate programs that allow you to explore new opportunities.
 
Wildflower Wonders Workshop
Saturday, April 9th | 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Violet Classroom, Callaway Discovery Center
Spend some time with our staff wildflower expert learning what to look for and what wildflowers you can grow in your own woodland garden. After a brief classroom overview, take a guided walk to see what Spring has to offer.  Dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes required
Instructor:  Kathy Crye, Staff Horticulturist
Fee: $8.00/Guest; $7.20/Annual Passholder.  Gardens admission is additional.
 
Archaeology in the Gardens
Saturday, April 23rd | 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Violet Classroom, Callaway Discovery Center
Come hike in a beautiful area with local archaeologists as your guides and discover the collapsed ruins and abandoned artifacts of old farm houses. This hike will take a scenic route through a forest with century old trees, Spring wildflowers, and babbling brooks. This easy, one mile hike is suitable for ages 12 and older. Please wear sturdy walking shoes and bring drinking water and insect repellant.
Instructors: Southern Research Staff
Fee: $35/Guest; $30/Annual Passholder
 
Basket Weaving: Square to Round Catch-All
Saturday, May14th | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Violet Classroom, Callaway Discovery Center
This popular basket’s versatility is its most charming feature! Perfect for magazines, chair side projects, shelf storage, children’s toys, pet toys – you decide!   This basket would be an especially handy accessory by the fireplace for kindling, pine cones, small twigs and other starter material.  Start by weaving a square base that measures 12” x 12” and evolves into a functional round basket as you weave up to a 10” height.   Finished with leather handles, this basket could be the secret to your organization or the first of your holiday projects!
All materials and supplies will be provided.  Suitable for all experience levels of weavers. Attendees should bring heavy shears and an old bath towel.
Class limited to 6 participants
Instructor:  Sharon Hynes
Fee:  $65/Guest; $58.50/Annual Passholder
 
Beginning Geocaching
Saturday, May 7th | 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Lily Classroom, Callaway Discovery Center
Learn the ins and outs of this high-tech scavenger hunt.  Using GPS units and clues you search for hidden treasures.  Fun and challenging at the same time!
Instructor: Robert Cunningham
Fee: $7/Guest; $10/Family of four

Gardening for Butterflies
Saturday, May 21st | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
You’ll spend a fun, informative morning learning about these amazing creatures: their astounding life cycle and flight.  You’ll also learn the perils butterflies are facing in today’s world and how you can help.  Class includes a visit to the Day Butterfly Center outdoor garden for tips on how to attract butterflies to your garden.  You’ll leave with lots of information and a butterfly garden plan.
Instructor: Michael Buckman, Manager, Day Butterfly Center
Fee: $25/Guest; $22.50/Annual Passholder
 
Annual Plant Fair and Sale
Thursday, March 31, 2016 through Sunday, April 3, 2016
Robin Lake Beach Dome
This exceptional shopping opportunity features a wide variety of plants and unique garden items from more than a dozen local and regional vendors. One of the Gardens’ largest fundraising events, proceeds help support the Ida Cason Callaway FoundationTMand its educational and environmental programming.
Free Admission to Plant Fair through Beach Entrance
 
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP SERIES
Year-round opportunities to take great photos coupled with expert instruction from accomplished amateur photographer Jim Henderson make Callaway Gardens the perfect venue for learning digital photography. The majority of the classroom instruction takes place in the Callaway Discovery Center.
 
Henderson brings an encyclopedic knowledge of digital photography’s technical aspects, a mastery of the discipline’s artistic side, and an incredible knack for teaching and inspiring his participants in a fun and enthusiastic manner. He presents each topic in an easy-to-understand fashion.
 
Foundations in DSLR Photography Workshop Series
The Foundations series frees the aspiring photographer from reliance on the automatic exposure mode. The creative photographer uses ISO, aperture and shutter speed like a painter uses paint and brushes. At the end of the series, participants will be able to use their camera’s advanced features and take their photography to a new level of creativity.
 
What to Bring
Bring your digital camera, owner’s manual, charge batteries and storage media. Dress casually in layers for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.
 
Discover your “inner photographer.”  Be transformed from a camera owner to a photographer! These course was designed for anyone who is interested in taking their photography to the next level.  A digital handout is available for all of the classroom materials, so taking notes is not necessary.  Participants are given an opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills in numerous guided photo shoots throughout Callaway Gardens. At the conclusion of the course, the participant will have a thorough understanding of:

·                     how to compose your photos for greatest impact (Can you say WOW?)
·                     the fundamentals of photography (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, etc)
·                     how your camera works (and what to do when it doesn’t)
·                     the function and use of your camera’s many dials, buttons and features
·                     how to make informed lens purchases
·                     how to get your digital images uploaded to your computer
·                     how to back up your digital image library
·                     how to post-process your images in the digital darkroom
·                     how to prepare your digital images for print or publishing on the internet.
 
Mastering 4th of July Fireworks
Monday, July 4th | 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Mountain Creek Conference Center, Room 110
This workshop begins with a two-hour discussion on discovering the possibilities and overcoming the challenges of night photography. Then on to the fireworks display. Tripods and cable releases are required.
Fee: $85/Guest; $75.50/Annual Passholder
Includes digital handout
 
Mastering Night Photography at the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival
Friday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 4th
Mountain Creek Conference Center, Room 110
The photo opportunities are abundant at this event.
Participants begin in the classroom to discuss camera and exposure settings then shoot the balloon glow. Saturday morning includes balloon launch and classroom session. Then, participants will shoot balloon launches on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, followed by a final classroom session on Sunday morning. Tripods and cable releases required.
Fees: $175/Guest; $157.50/Annual Passholder
Includes digital handout