How long is the workshop?

The workshop runs about 1.5 hours (ninety minutes).

What is the meeting location?

Meet at 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, FL 33133; check booking materials for exact check-in details.

Is this suitable for beginners?

Yes—this class suits beginners through intermediate gardeners and focuses on practical, supervised practice.

Tools are often provided; bring your preferred hand pruners if you have them and want to practice with your own tools.

What plants will we work on?

Expect to practice on typical South Florida yard plants such as mango trees, palms, bougainvillea, hibiscus, and small ornamentals.

How many participants are allowed?

Group size is capped at twelve to ensure hands-on instruction and individualized feedback.

Pruning and Trimming Workshop in Miami — Hands-on Horticulture Class | Workshop

Hands-on Horticulture: Pruning and Trimming takes place in Miami, Florida, at 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, FL 33133. This focused ninety-minute workshop turns yard uncertainty into confident action with hands-on practice and expert instruction. In small groups capped at twelve, instructors cover tool selection, pruning cuts, seasonal timing, and plant health so you leave ready to prune ornamental shrubs and tropical fruit trees. The class pairs a concise classroom primer on growth habit and wound response with outdoor demonstrations in an urban garden setting. Expect to practice on common South Florida plants such as young mango trees, palms, bougainvillea, hibiscus, and small specimen ornamentals. Sessions teach safe angles and sanitation, removing dead or diseased wood, thinning for air circulation, and shaping for visual impact or higher fruit yield. You will handle hand pruners, loppers, and pruning saws, and instructors demonstrate when each tool is appropriate and how to maintain blades. Because Miami’s subtropical climate supports near year-round growth, the workshop focuses on adapting pruning calendars to local rainfall and pest cycles rather than strict temperate-season rules. The meeting point at 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, FL 33133 situates the class amid a planted urban parcel where specimen trees and dense beds illustrate real problems and practical fixes. Group size is intentionally small—maximum twelve—so every participant receives individual feedback and supervised practice with tools rather than just watching a demonstration. Practical outcomes include a pruning plan for immediate and future cuts, guidance on monitoring recovery, and the confidence to tackle hedges, fruit trees, and overgrown ornamentals. The session runs about one and a half hours (1.5 hours) and suits beginner to intermediate gardeners; closed-toe shoes, sun protection, and gloves are recommended. Tools may be provided but bring your preferred pruners if you have them; the meeting address is listed on booking materials so arrive a few minutes early to check in. Whether you want healthier fruit production, cleaner sightlines, or simply less maintenance, this practical, hands-on workshop equips you with repeatable skills that pay dividends across Miami’s fast-growing yards. Participants also learn basic plant identification cues that inform pruning strategy—recognizing suckers, water sprouts, and deadwood, and deciding when to thin versus cut back hard. Instructors discuss post-prune care: mulching, targeted feeding, and monitoring for fungal or pest issues common in humid neighborhoods. A brief cultural note frames pruning within Miami’s gardening history—tropical introductions and decades of backyard cultivation have produced a unique urban plant palette that benefits from place-specific techniques. Total group capacity is limited to twelve; the session’s short duration and hands-on format make it a high-value stop for gardeners visiting the city, homeowners wanting sustainable yard practices, or anyone who prefers learning by doing instead of watching slides and getting results.

About The Kampong - National Tropical Botanical Gardens

The Kampong — part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens — is a historic tropical garden located in Miami, Florida on the shores of Biscayne Bay. The site preserves the Fairchild-Sweeney House and showcases the legacy of plant explorer David Fairchild through extensive exotic fruit trees, rare tropical species, and curated collections. Visitors can choose docent-led guided tours that highlight the estate’s history and plant collections, or self-guided tours that allow leisurely exploration with a provided map.

The Kampong hosts a rotating schedule of hands-on workshops and classes set in the garden landscape. Offerings include cyanotype printing for fabric, community indigo dip workshops teaching Shibori resist dyeing, edible gardening programming presented with UF/IFAS (recommended for ages 12 and up), watercolor courses led by local artist Eileen Seitz, and all-levels yoga with Sam Reynolds. Forest bathing sessions guided by neuroscientist Karina Del Punta focus on sensory practices grounded in science; evening Moonrise Forest Bathing is offered under the full moon.

Several specialty experiences such as macrophotography, ikebana, functional movement, and seasonal events invite creative engagement with plants and place. Cyanotype workshops note limited spaces to encourage advance booking. The Kampong combines plant conservation, education, and cultural programming on a historic estate, offering both structured interpretation and independent discovery for visitors interested in botany, art, sustainability, and Miami’s tropical landscape.

Public programs emphasize hands-on learning, conservation-minded practices, seasonal plant highlights, and the site supports research, education, and community engagement for residents and visitors from Miami and beyond, with year-round programming and volunteer opportunities available.