Check out our January to June 2026 Adult Programs below:
Vegetable Garden Planning Â
Looking forward to warmer, greener days? So are we! Now is a great time to begin planning your vegetable garden for this year. During this workshop, we will go through key elements of a garden plan and create vision boards for your garden. Attendees will leave with information, skills, and resources to plan their 2026 home vegetable garden. Â
Date: 1/24/26Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Time: 10am-noon
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville (South Greenhouse 124)
Cost: $20 M/ $25 N
Poetry Workshop
Join Knoxville’s Poet Laureate at UT Gardens for a morning of inspiration, technique, and growth. Participants will learn about the art of writing poetry and try their hand at nature-inspired writing under the tutelage of Linda Parsons, esteemed poet and former UT professor. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Date: 2/7/2026
Time: 10am-noon
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville (South Greenhouse Room 124)
Cost: $10 M/ $15 N
Daffodils 101- From Growing to Showing
Learn how to tell the difference between daffodil divisions, the secret to color classification as well as growing and showing tips. There will be some hands-on experience and a walk through the UT Gardens looking at selected daffodil collections.
Presenter: Stacey Wilson, BSN, BCRN, BSR, Master Gardner, Master Naturalist, Master Beekeeper, American Daffodil Society Judge, Garden Club of America Horticulture JudgeÂ
Date: 3/18/2026
Time: 5:30-7:00pm
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville (South Greenhouse Room 124)
Cost: $20 M / $25 N
Spring Tree Walk with Trees Knoxville
Walk the UT Gardens, Knoxville, with our team to learn about some of our favorite trees in the Gardens’ collection. This walk will focus primarily on spring-flowering trees, especially natives or cultivars of native plants. Dress comfortably for a stroll through the Gardens. The Spring Tree Walk is a collaboration between UT Gardens and Trees Knoxville. Â
Date: 3/26/2026
Time: 5:30-7:00pm
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville Meet on the Entrance Plaza
Cost: Free
Container Gardening: Edibles
If you lack garden space, have soil concerns, want tropical plants, or just enjoy the look of plants in containers on your patio, join us to learn about growing food in small spaces! We’ll dive into the range of options for container food growing, make mini container gardens to take home, and walk through the UT Kitchen Garden’s Container Display. Sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended.
This program is funded by Getting Rooted in Gardening, which is a project supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award Number 2023-70026-40845.
Date: 5/3/2026
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville (South Greenhouse Room 124)
Cost: Free
Art in the Garden Featured Lecture: Bears
Retired professor, Joe Clark, will join us for a lecture all about black bears. After a career studying these amazing creatures, he will share both stories and information about black bears in East Tennessee. This is the featured lecture for the UT Gardens, Knoxville, Art in the Gardens exhibit, which in 2026 is all about bears. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Date: 6/6/2026
Time: 10:00am-11:00am
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville (South Greenhouse Room 124)
Cost: $5 M /Â $10 N
Photography in the Gardens
One of the best ways to get to know your plants is to observe them at different times of the year, in various lighting, and when paired with other items in the garden. A great way to do this intentionally is to photograph your garden. Professional photographer Elle Colquitt will teach us how to capture images of our gardens and those we visit, blending both science and art as we do so. Dress for both indoor and outdoor activities. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Date: 6/27/2026
Time: 8:00am-10:00am
Location: UT Gardens, Knoxville (South Greenhouse Room 124)
Cost: $25 M / $30 N
Register for all the adult programs listed on this page by clicking the button below. Reach out to our team with any questions and to be added to a wait-list as needed.
Have a great idea for a UT Gardens workshop? Send it to Whitney at whitneyhale@tennessee.edu!
Cancellation Policy
University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville Cancellation & Refund Policy:
Classes may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment. A full refund will be made in the event the UT Gardens cancels a class.
Individual Cancellations:
If you find you cannot attend the class or lecture you’ve registered for, please email Whitney at whitneyhale@tennessee.edu and let us know. A full refund of the registration will be issued for cancellations made at least 30 days prior to the event. A 50% refund will be issued 15 days prior to the event. No refunds will be made for cancellations made fewer than 7 days before the event.
If you are unable to attend a program due to an unforeseen issue, you may transfer the class fee to another class. This class transfer must be redeemed within 6 months of your original class registration. If the class you transfer your fee to is greater than your original registration fee, you will need to pay the difference. If the class you wish to transfer the fee to is less than your original fee you will not be reimbursed the difference. In order to transfer the registration fee, you must email whitneyhale@tennessee.edu within 24 hours of the class starting time.
