Plant propagation is one of the most rewarding skills a habitat gardener can learn. In these hands-on classes, participants explore practical techniques for growing new plants from seeds, cuttings, and divisions while working directly in the gardens and nursery at Home Ground Habitats.
Students learn how to recognize the best times to collect plant material, how to handle and prepare cuttings and seeds, and how to create the conditions that help young plants thrive. Classes combine garden walks, demonstrations, and practical work so participants leave with both knowledge and new plants to grow at home.
Home Ground Habitats has been featured in publications that highlight the importance of native plants, pollinator habitat, and ecological gardening.
Participants also gain insight into how propagation supports
habitat gardening and ecological restoration.
Classes are led by Home Ground founder Charlotte Torgovitsky, who often jokingly describes herself as a “compulsive plant propagator and seed collector.”
Charlotte has spent decades working with native plants and habitat gardening. Through careful observation and experimentation in the demonstration gardens, she shares practical knowledge that helps gardeners successfully grow and propagate plants at home, fostering resilience and biodiversity.
Gardeners often love to share their favorite plants by taking and giving cuttings—a simple form of cloning that comes with both benefits and challenges. In this class, we’ll explore the gardens to study mother plants, learn when and how to take cuttings, and practice techniques for handling and potting them successfully.
We’ll also discuss which plant families are easier or more difficult to clone, explore the use of cloning aids, and learn how to choose the right mediums and “life support systems” to create ideal conditions for strong, successful rooting.
Class Fee: $60
Limit of 12 students
Dividing plants is one of the easiest ways to propagate certain species, and understanding their phenology is key to success. In this class, students will practice division techniques that also revitalize parent plants, while reviewing plant families, identification tips, and the importance of timing in propagation. The session will also revisit propagation methods, mediums, containers, and the “life support systems” that help ensure strong plant growth.
Class Fee: $60
Limit of 12 students
Join us for a day of rewarding, hands-on plant propagation! We’ll explore gardens full of thriving “Mother Plants,” and you’ll head home with beautiful new additions for your own habitat garden.
The day begins with a quick review of core propagation methods—starting from seeds, cloning, and dividing plants—before we tour the gardens to study each mother plant’s phenology and decide what’s ready to share. Under the work canopy, we’ll clean and package seeds, strike fresh cuttings, pot up rooted ones, and divide selected species. Home Ground provides all tools, materials, and refreshments, including coffee, tea, and a buffet-style lunch.
Class Fee: $60
Limit of 12 students