Autumn is just around the corner, but Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is far from dormant. Three terrific classes for serious gardeners and inventive cooks will kick off in the month of September. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 5, and Thursday, Sept. 6, the Gardens’ Director of Education and Staff Botanist Melissa Cullina will teach “Introduction to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  The diverse and fascinating graminoids, or grass-like plants, are all around us, and yet these monocots are little known to most people. Cullina will show how to identify the most common species in coastal Maine, and after two days in the field and Education Center classroom, participants will have a whole new appreciation for these intriguing and important plants. The cost is $100 for members and $120 for non-members. 

Before joining the Gardens staff, Cullina was a botanist for the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. She specializes in aquatic and coastal botany, field identification, and rare-species conservation. 

On Saturday, Sept. 8, Neil Lash will bring his expertise to “Selecting Heirloom Varieties and Saving Seeds,” from 9 a.m. to noon in the Education Center. Learn all about these interesting and culturally significant varieties, how to get them and which are appropriate for our climate.  Showing examples from Maine, he’ll describe the importance and benefits of seed saving, with tips and techniques on how to save seeds.  The cost is $30 for members and $37 for non-members. 

Neil Lash teaches horticulture and is the director and co-founder of the Heirloom Seed Project at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro.

Finally, on Thursday, Sept. 13, Kathy Savoie will present “Cooking with Herbs and Spices” from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Kitchen Garden Café at the Gardens. She’ll show how to enliven meals with flavorful herbs and spices, increase taste (and reduce salt intake) by using garden herbs and spices in favorite recipes, and make the most of their herb gardens. She and the class will prepare delicious samples. The cost is $30 for members and $37 for non-members. 

Kathy Savoie is the Food Preservation Specialist of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Cumberland County and directs the Master Food Preserver program. 

Pre-registration is required for all three classes. For more information, or to sign up, call 633-4333, ext. 101, visit www.MaineGardens.org, or stop by the Gardens, off Barters Island Road in Boothbay.