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We love hosting workshops and special events in The Glassroom, bringing our community together to create, learn, and enjoy the beauty of the nursery.
Plant Propagation - Stem Cuttings
Saturday - September 19, 2026
Join us in the Glassroom on September 19, 2026 at 5:00pm to learn how to multiply plants in our Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings course!
In this hands-on class, we’ll explore the fascinating world of plant propagation by stem cuttings - learning the basic techniques and, just as importantly, the biology that explains why they work.
We’ll cover the principles that apply across a wide range of plants, including how plants form new roots, what makes a cutting successful, when to take different types of cuttings, and how light, moisture, temperature, and hormones influence the process.
Our focus will be on fall propagation of perennials, with plenty of practical guidance on taking cuttings, preparing them for winter, and caring for them until they are ready to plant in the garden the following year.
Come learn how to turn a small piece of a plant into an entirely new one, discover just how remarkable plants really are at making more of themselves, and go home with a tray of cuttings you take during the class! Reserve your spot today!
2 Ticket Tiers
Tier 1 - $20/person
Come listen, learn, and go home with s tray of perennial cuttings that you take during the class and the knowledge to propagate plants with confidence.
Tier 2- $75/person
Come listen, learn, go home with s tray of perennial cuttings that you take during the class and the knowledge to propagate plants with confidence- PLUS go home with a cutting kit, a pair of Niwaki snips, a small bottle of hormone and a bag of media.
Seed Saving
Sunday - September 20, 2026
Capture Next Year’s Garden Before It Disappears!
Join us in the Glassroom on September 20, 2026 at 5:00pm for a class all about seed saving!
Most of the plants are finished performing. Now comes the what might be the most exciting work in gardening - the work of collecting what they spent all year working so beautifully to form ... their offsprings - their seeds!
This practical class explores saving viable seed from perennials, native plants, and annual flowers. We’ll cover best timing, how to recognize true ripeness, which seeds stay true to type, the critical steps of cleaning and drying, and the simple storage methods that keep germination rates high. You’ll leave knowing how to turn this season’s best performers into reliable plants for years to come, without buying another packet.
The garden is offering free plants. Learn how to harvest them successfully - a great skill to carry through life - and go home with a bag of freshly harvested seeds!
Children's Spooky Spiders
Monday - September 21, 2026
Spooky Spiders:
The Creepy, Crawly, 8-Legged Members of our Gardens
Join us in the Glassroom on September 21, 2026 at 10:00 am for the kick off of our Halloween Nature Courses for Kids!
Spiders are not the villains they are made out to be. They help protect the ecosystem & thus our gardens. In this hands-on class, kids discover why these 8-legged garden helpers are actually the good guys — they protect our plants by eating pests, keep the ecosystem balanced, and they’re not that scary because most of them want nothing to do with us. We’ll learn the common spiders that live right in our backyards, how they help the garden, and how to spot the very few that need extra caution.
Then, every child crafts their own terracotta spider planter complete with googly eyes, pipe-cleaner legs, and a real spider plant planted in the pot to take home - just in time for holiday decorating!
After this workshop, you will never look at spiders the same way again!
Spots are limited and these sell out fast. Grab your ticket and let your child become a spider-smart nature hero this Halloween season!
Book Signing with Linda Jane Holden
Saturday - September 26, 2026
We are delighted to invite you to
Abernethy & Spencer’s first-ever book signing.
Join us in the Conservatory on
Saturday, September 26th, from 11 AM–2 PM
to meet renowned garden historian and author Linda Jane Holden. Discover the stories behind her celebrated books, "The Gardens of Bunny Mellon," "Garden Secrets of Bunny Mellon,"
and the "Bunny Mellon Garden Journal."
Linda’s love of gardens began here in Virginia, where she spent her childhood exploring the gardens of Mount Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg, and Washington, DC. Her work at the White House during the Reagan administration later introduced her to the remarkable legacy of Bunny Mellon and her influence on American landscape design.
Linda's books draw upon extensive interviews with Mrs. Mellon and the gardeners who cared for Oak Spring and other Mellon family properties. A gardener herself, Linda has a deep appreciation for creating gardens that invite people to experience beauty effortlessly.
Linda is also one of Abernethy & Spencer’s favorite customers, making this first-ever signing especially meaningful to us. We are thrilled to welcome her into our Conservatory and share her passion for gardens, history, and beauty with our community.
Come meet Linda, browse her beautiful books, have a copy signed, and linger awhile in the Conservatory.
We hope you’ll join us!
Succulent Pumpkin Arrangement
Saturday - October 3, 2026
Come create a living fall centerpiece during the
Succulent Pumpkin Arrangement workshop in the Glassroom on October 3, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
Discover the surprising biology that makes succulents such wonderfully versatile plants, and learn how to use them in a beautiful new way this fall.
In this hands-on class, arrange your own selection of colorful & uniquely shaped succulents around the top of a pumpkin after learning about the remarkable adaptations of these plants.
Take home both a beautiful fall masterpiece that can last for MONTHS, and the knowledge to keep your succulents thriving long after the pumpkins have gone. Make it a date, come ready to get creative and have fun while learning something new with a friend, a sister, a spouse, your kids & more! Get your tickets today!
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 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.
Historical Tour with Susan & Johnny
Saturday, October 17 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.