Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
We love hosting workshops and special events in The Glassroom, bringing our community together to create, learn, and enjoy the beauty of the nursery.
Children's Plant vs Zombies
Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 3:00pm
The zombies are coming … for the plants! In this action packed class, kids discover the real life “threats” that constantly march toward our gardens: Drought Zombie, Weed Zombie, Invasive Bug & Plant Zombie, Hungry Rabbit & Deer Zombie, Plant Disease Zombie, Heat Wave Zombie, and Pollution Zombie. Each one teaches an important ecological concept and how we can help plants fight back and survive.
Then the creative chaos begins - every child transforms a terracotta pot into a hilariously ugly zombie face using paint and modeling clay (warty skin, bulging eyes, gap-y teeth!). They plant a funky “brain” succulent inside — and can even decorate the leaves with plant safe paint for extra zombie flair. Instant Halloween decoration that actually grows!
Next, we play a fun hopscotch-style game that emphasizes the lessons learned. Fast and full of cheering - the whole group works together to learn how to keep the garden safe from the zombies!
Your child will leave knowing how to defend real plants, and with a one-of-a-kind zombie brain pot to take home and show off. Spots disappear fast like a ghost, so sign up now and let your little plant defender battle zombies this Halloween!
Putting Roses to Bed with Pam Powers
Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 4:00pm
Love Roses? If you don't know the steps to take in order to prepare them for their winter rest, then you don't love them enough!
Join us on October 11th at 4 pm in the Glassroom for a class focused on putting roses to bed for the winter months. The class will be led by Pam Powers, president of the Arlington Rose Foundation and one of the country's most renowned rose experts. So, bring your biggest questions so that all of your rose mysteries can be solved!
Just like we adjust our routines as the seasons change, roses need a little seasonal care, too!
During this info-packed workshop, you’ll learn the essential steps - and the right timing - to prepare your roses for their winter rest so they can come back healthy, strong, and ready to bloom when spring arrives.
We’ll cover what to do, what not to do, and when to do it.
- Learn the steps to winterize your roses
- Discover the best timing for each task
- Bring your questions and get expert advice
Stay until the end for door prizes!
If you really love your roses, you’ll tuck them in properly before winter, so come and learn with us and secure your ticket today - spots are limited!
Already a member of the Arlington Rose Foundation-
Tickets are only $10/person
Not a member yet? Your $38 ticket includes your new membership in addition to your workshop ticket
Historical Tour of Abernethy & Spencer with Susan & Johnny
Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 am
and Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 am
Join Susan & Johnny at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, as part of the Loudoun County Farm Tour, for a special historical tour of Abernethy & Spencer, our beloved nursery with more than 100 years of history.
Susan, daughter of founder Holmes Gregg, will share stories of growing up at the nursery and how her father expanded the property, relocating greenhouses as Hilltop Gardens grew into one of the largest pansy producers on the East Coast in the early 1940s.
Johnny, who worked for Holmes as a teenager, will share the fascinating story of relocating the historic conservatory. Originally located over a swimming pool at an estate in The Plains, Virginia, Johnny helped dismantle it and rebuild it here at the nursery in Lincoln.
Come hear the stories of the people, plants, buildings, and traditions that have made Abernethy & Spencer so special for generations.
Fall Bulb Planting Workshop
Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 5:00pm
It’s not too late to get your fall bulbs in the ground!
Not sure where to start? Join Abernethy & Spencer at 5:00pm on October 17, 2026 for our Fall Bulb Planting Workshop in our Glassroom.
We’ll guide you through creating a layered bulb planter filled with tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, hyacinths, and other favorite spring bloomers. You’ll learn why timing is crucial when planting fall bulbs, the proper depth for each variety, and how to care for, cut back, and divide bulbous plants throughout the seasons. We’ll also cover how to incorporate bulbs into larger garden designs for year-round impact.
Discover the best planting techniques, gather expert tips, and leave with a beautifully prepared container that will reward you with vibrant color when spring arrives!
Two Ticket Options:
Class Only Ticket- $35/person.
Come enjoy the talk, participate in a hands on bulb planting demonstration and go home with your potted spring bulbs!
Class AND Bulbs Ticket- $65/person.
Come enjoy the talk, participate in a hands on bulb planting demonstration, go home with your potted spring bulbs AND go home with a wide selection of bulbs to plant!
Garlic Planting Workshop
Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 4:00pm
Join us in the Glassroom on October 18, 2026 at 4:00pm for a workshop All About Garlic!
Garlic is one of the most rewarding - and remarkably useful - plants you can grow at home. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll focus on hardneck garlic, a type particularly well suited to our region, and explore what makes it thrive.
Learn how and when to plant, why timing is critical to developing large, healthy bulbs, how garlic responds to winter, and what you can do now to set your crop up for success next summer. We’ll also dig into garlic’s fascinating history and its long-standing reputation as one of the garden’s most celebrated medicinal plants.
You’ll leave with the knowledge to grow your own garlic successfully, and perhaps a newfound appreciation for this humble bulb that packs so much into such a small, easy package.
Plant this fall. Harvest next summer. Grow your own garlic like a pro!
Two Ticket Options:
Class Only Ticket- $10/person.
Come, listen and learn, and go home with the garlic bulb that we handle during the class for planting
Class AND Extra Garlic Ticket- $40/person.
Come, listen and learn, and go home with the garlic bulb that we handle during the class for planting AND go home with a bag of a nice hardneck garlic selection
Perennial Seed Sowing Workshop
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 5:00pm
Join us in the Glassroom on October 24, 2026 at 5:00pm for a course on perennial seed starting!
Fall is the perfect time to sow many perennial seeds, and there’s fascinating biology behind why! In this hands on workshop, we’ll explore cold stratification, dormancy, and the natural cues that tell a seed when it’s time to wake up and grow.
You’ll sow your own flat of perennial seeds to take home, along with the knowledge to care for it through the winter and encourage a whole new crop of perennials to emerge next spring and plant in your garden!
Come get your hands in the soil and discover how a little fall preparation can turn into a garden full of new plants come spring!
Two Ticket Options:
Class Only Ticket- $20/person.
Come, listen and learn and go home with a tray of freshly potted perennial seeds and the knowledge of how to care for them over winter to start the spring with healthy new plants for your garden
Class AND Extra Seeds Ticket- $40/person.
Come, listen and learn and go home with a tray of freshly potted perennial seeds and the knowledge of how to care for them over winter to start the spring with healthy new plants for your garden AND go home with a great selection of native perennial seeds
Holiday Wreath Making Workshop
Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 11:00AM
Sunday, November 29, 2026 at 2:00PM
Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 2:00PM
Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 11:00AM
Celebrate the season with a cozy, hands-on, homemade wreath-making workshop led by Abernethy & Spencer’s own Desi Lee.
You’ll be guided step-by-step as you design and tie together a lush, custom holiday wreath onto a 14 inch ring made from premium, locally sourced greenery and festive accents.
Whether you’re a first-time crafter or a seasoned maker, you’ll head home with a beautiful, one-of-a-kind wreath to brighten your door or home—and the know-how to create more all season long!