About this Event
Please join us for the first class in our ecological gardening series, focusing on seed sowing and propagation techniques. In this class, we will walk through specific processes and techniques for sowing a variety of plants, including vegetables, herbs, annual flowers, native perennials, and more.
We will start indoors with a brief overview, followed by hands-on seed starting at our seed buffet and sowing station. Feel free to bring extra seeds for an informal seed swap. Then we will head outside to tour the spring gardens and see firsthand the many different ways we grow during the season. Learn how to cut scion wood, direct sow seeds, and take part in other hands-on demonstrations throughout Spiral House Park. There is no better way to learn than by experiencing gardening yourself, so get ready to get your hands dirty.
Please bring:
April weather can be unpredictable, so please dress accordingly with slip-resistant shoes, garden gloves, and rain gear or sunscreen. We will have some light refreshments, but please bring any water or food you may need. Feel free to bring seeds to share if you have an abundance of something.
Date:
Saturday, April 11, 1–4 PM
Rain date: Sunday, April 12, 1–4 PM
Meet Your Instructors:
Lorien McCabe and Wren Waddington are the gardeners here at Spiral House Park. Endlessly fascinated and informed by the natural world, they see themselves as stewards of this land, in intimate connection to all the life that is sustained within the garden. In ecological gardening, they see a path to preserving biodiversity, to preventing ecological collapse, and ultimately, which could save the world.
With decades of diverse experience and knowledge in a range of gardening disciplines between the two of them, they are excited to bring their knowledge to the Park and assist in transitioning it to an ecological landscape. They share their knowledge and process through a regular series of ecological gardening workshops during our open season.
About Spiral House Park
Located in the Hudson Valley between Woodstock and Saugerties, the Park is home to Tom Gottsleben's stone and crystal glass sculpture and a house that spirals five stories to form a bluestone nautilus with magnificent views of the Catskill range. The site features extensive mixed native and traditional ornamental gardens and trails that wind through woodlands and abandoned stone quarries.
Gottsleben's art was inspired by nature's art, the fundamental patterns of life. The intersection of art and nature that informed the creation of the property also informs the mission of our nonprofit organization: to enable visitors to experience a sense of wonder in art and nature, and to create programming that supports and transforms the way we see and care for the Earth.
Woodland Trails
Our 1.7 miles of family-friendly trails are designed as interconnected loops, allowing visitors to create walks of varying length and difficulty. These paths lead through the former quarries where stone was gathered to build the sculptures and the Spiral House, past notable geological features, through varied forest habitats, and to scenic overlooks that invite you to pause and enjoy the beauty of the landscape.
For the 2026 season, our trails are open Saturdays and Sundays (hours vary by season, and are always noted on our home page). Entry is free to SHP members.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
185 Fish Creek Rd, 185 Fish Creek Road, Saugerties, United States
USD 33.85 to USD 39.19
