There are 53 upcoming classes.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/05/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 07/07/25Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/07/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Howard County Seed Library
Date: 07/09/25Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
The Howard County Seed Library provides a space to share free seeds to allow everyone to build their own garden or greenspaces. Anyone can take part in the Seed Library by visiting the lobby at the Miller Branch. Drop in; no registration required.
Do you have seeds that you would like to donate? Donations are accepted anytime at Miller Branch and Elkridge Branch DIY Center.
For more information, visit https://hclibrary.org/seed-drive/
Explore Shark Week! [1st-4th grade] TK
Date: 07/09/25Time: 6:30pm - 7:15pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Children
Program type: Tech Skills or STEAM
Description:
1st-4th grade. 45 min. Ticket required.
Learn all about these fearsome creatures and discover fascinating ocean facts. Includes stories, activities, and a craft.
Tickets will be available at the children's desk 15 minutes before class.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/12/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 07/12/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Using Citizen Science to Guide Your Gardening Practices
Date: 07/12/25Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Teens, Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Do you love butterflies? Learn from Master Gardeners use the data from Citizen Science projects to increase the pollinators and beneficial insects in your yard. We’ll talk about gardening for birds and frogs too. Citizen science programs such as Monarch Watch, Project Bud Burst, and Project Feeder Watch can bring the kinetic energy of life to your yard.
Little Learners: Sharks! [ages 3-5 with adult] TK
Date: 07/14/25Time: 10:15am - 10:45am
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Children
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Today's theme is Sharks!
Little Learners: Sharks! [ages 3-5 with adult] TK
Date: 07/14/25Time: 11:30am - 12:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Children
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Today's theme is Sharks!
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/14/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 07/16/25Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Identifying & Foraging Edible Plants
Date: 07/19/25Time: 10:15am - 12:00pm
Branch: Central Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn to safely and respectfully forage edible plants, including helpful tips for plant identification.
Weather permitting, practice identifying plants in the "wild" on a walk to the Lakefront and back. The path is wide and smoothly paved, with a steep downward incline in the first half.
Note: This class will not address mushrooms or other fungi.
Ask a Master Gardener
Date: 07/19/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Ask Maryland Master Gardeners questions and receive useful tips and practical advice.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/19/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/19/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 07/21/25Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/21/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Read with a Ranger (Ages 2-10 w/adult) TK
Date: 07/23/25Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Branch: Central Branch
Age group: Children
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Explore the natural world through stories and activities with a Howard County Park Ranger. Learn how to spot the signs of wild animals and see their tracks up close, or silently glide into the world of owls and make a craft.
Ages 2-10 with adult. Free tickets will be available at the Children's Desk 15 minutes before class. Class capacity will determine the availability of tickets.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/26/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 07/26/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Howard County Seed Library
Date: 07/26/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
The Howard County Seed Library provides a space to share free seeds to allow everyone to build their own garden or greenspaces. Anyone can take part in the Seed Library by visiting the lobby at the Miller Branch. Drop in; no registration required.
Do you have seeds that you would like to donate? Donations are accepted anytime at Miller Branch and Elkridge Branch DIY Center.
For more information, visit https://hclibrary.org/seed-drive/
The Living Art of Bonsai (July 2025)
Date: 07/27/25Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the art on Bonsai through a presentation. This presentation will discuss types of plants, pots, tools and other resources to get started with bonsai.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 07/28/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Author Works: The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue
Date: 07/29/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: History & Genealogy
Description:
“Powerful … Tidwell is an excellent reporter whose hyperlocal focus shines light on how the climate crisis shapes the lives of ordinary individuals. This will stick with readers long after they finish the last page.”
― Publishers Weekly, starred review
Join us for an evening with author Mike Tidwell as he discusses his new book, The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue.
A riveting and elegant story of climate change on one city street, full of surprises and true stories of human struggle and dying local trees – all against the national backdrop of 2023's record heat domes and raging wildfires and, simultaneously, rising hopes for clean energy.
In 2023, author and activist Mike Tidwell decided to keep a record for a full year of the growing impacts of climate change on his one urban block right on the border with Washington, DC. A love letter to the magnificent oaks and other trees dying from record heat waves and bizarre rain, Tidwell's story depicts the neighborhood's battle to save the trees and combat climate change: The midwife who builds a geothermal energy system on the block, the Congressman who battles cancer and climate change at the same time, and the Chinese-American climate scientist who wants to bury billions of the world's dying trees to store their carbon and help stabilize the atmosphere.
No book has told the story of climate change this hyper local, full of surprises, full of true stories of life and death in one neighborhood. The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue is a harrowing and hopeful proxy for every street in America and every place on Earth.
Mike Tidwell is a journalist, author, and climate activist living in Takoma Park, MD. His most recent book is a detailed examination of the dramatic impacts of global warming in his own front yard, called The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A story of Climate and Hope on One American Street. Mike’s previous six books include Bayou Farewell (2003) about the disappearing wetlands of south Louisiana and The Ponds of Kalambayi (1990), a Peace Corps memoir. As a past contributing writer for The Washington Post, he won four Lowell Thomas Awards, the highest prize in American travel journalism. He is a former National Endowment for the Arts fellow whose work has been published in Audubon, National Geographic Traveler, Orion, Washingtonian, and elsewhere. A passionate conservationist, he founded the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in 2002, where he has led local and national campaigns for clean energy. He lives on Willow Avenue in Takoma Park, MD with his wife Beth and their cat Macy Gray.
Books sales and signing follow the conversation.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 07/30/25Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/02/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/02/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/02/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/04/25Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/04/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/09/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Preventing and Solving Vegetable Growing Problems
Date: 08/09/25Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Teens, Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Growing vegetables can require a lot of time and money and yield minimal results. This Master Gardener presentation provides methods and skills to avoid common problems, and how you can establish a productive vegetable plot with less effort than you are currently expending. It also discusses soil health, proper fertilization, adequate moisture, recommended vegetable varieties and less competition from weeds to attain maximum harvest.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/11/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Dog Lovers Club [grades 3rd-5th] TK
Date: 08/12/25Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Children
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Grades 3rd-5th. 60 min. Ticket required.
Get ready for tail-wagging tales and paw-some facts! Join the Dog Lovers Club where we'll sniff out the best fiction and non-fiction books all about our four-legged friends. We'll dig into exciting stories and uncover fascinating facts about dogs, including their wild wolf ancestors!
Tickets are available at the children's desk 15 minutes before the class begins.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/13/25Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Ask a Master Gardener
Date: 08/16/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Ask Maryland Master Gardeners questions and receive useful tips and practical advice.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/16/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/16/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/16/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/18/25Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/18/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Inconvenient Book Club
Date: 08/19/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Join the Inconvenient Book Club on Aug. 19, 7 to 8 p.m., to discuss Leave the World Behind, by Rumaan Alam. This novel focuses on a menacing end of the world as we know it, as seen by two rich New York families who converge on an isolated vacation house. The New York Times' review, when this novel came out in 2020, read, "Alam doesn’t dwell in the specificity of apocalypse, which has been the obsession of writers since the Flood. Instead he lobs a prescient accusation: Faced with the end of the world, you wouldn’t do a damn thing." We'll discuss the book, the climate crisis, and whether we would do a damn thing.
Ask at the customer service desk for a copy of the book, beginning 4 weeks before the discussion date.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/23/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 08/25/25Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/27/25Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Compost Demonstration (In-Person)
Date: 08/30/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Adults, Everyone
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Learn the basics of composting. Composting reduces pressure on our landfills and recycles organic waste material into helpful soil supplements for gardens, container plants, and lawns. Free compost bins will be available to Howard County residents.
Drop in; no registration required.
In the event of inclement or severe weather, this session may be canceled. Check this page for updates, or call the Miller Branch at 410-313-1950 to confirm before heading to the branch.
Read with a Ranger [families] TK
Date: 09/03/25Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Children, Everyone
Program type: Tech Skills or STEAM
Description:
Families (Recommended for ages 2-10); 45 - 60 min. Ticket required.
Explore the natural world through stories and activities with a Howard County Park Ranger. Learn how to spot the signs of wild animals and see their tracks up close, or silently glide into the world of owls and make a craft.
Tickets are available at the children's desk 15 minutes before class.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 09/06/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
Introduction to Microscopes: Spiderwebs (ages 8-10) TK
Date: 09/06/25Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Children
Program type: Tech Skills or STEAM
Description:
Ages 8-10. 1 hour. Ticket required.
Do you like science? How about spiders? Come learn about spiders in this fun class! We will explore what makes spiders special and look at their webs up close using microscopes.
Tickets available 15 minutes before class.
Master Gardener:Autumn Gardening and Putting Your Flower Garden to Rest
Date: 09/10/25Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Come learn about late blooming flowers, herbaceous plants, ornamental grasses, bulbs/tubers and
ferns that can keep your garden colorful in autumn. Although gardening season will be winding down
there are still things to be done to prepare for that most glorious season: Spring! This talk addresses
the clean-up of annual beds, dividing perennials, planting bulbs, storing summer tubers for the winter,
preparing roses for winter, preparing new beds for spring planting, and fall lawn care
Ask a Master Gardener
Date: 09/20/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Ask Maryland Master Gardeners questions and receive useful tips and practical advice.
Ask A Master Gardener
Date: 09/20/25Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Branch: Glenwood Branch
Age group: Adults
Program type: Gardening & Nature
Description:
Find the answers to gardening questions by talking with a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener. Drop in; no registration required.
