Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival – Make & Take

Presented by Parks Tacoma

June 7 - 8, 2025

Learn different techniques for assembling "flowers to wear" for any special event. Take your exquisite creation home with you along with materials to make another one for a future celebration! A great activity for young kids, families, and anyone who loves flowers!

Class details

All classes are $85 per person.

Sessions are 90 minutes and include admission for one, art supplies, and instruction.

Availability is limited. If classes are not available to purchase below, that class is sold out.

Check in 5 minutes before the scheduled start time at the Point Defiance Pagoda.

Classes

Make in the shade: how to garden in the dark side

Saturday, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Learn to enjoy life on the dark side with this made for the shade container garden. You will learn about the plants that do best in a pot, especially near the front door or patio, where you want color year-round. A mix of perennials, evergreens, and annuals will be used in the provided container to create a Mini Garden that will look good year-round. You will also learn how to care for and properly plant a shade garden in a container. Plants, soil, and pot provided. You make you take with coaching as we all plant. There will be plant options, so each creation will be unique.

Marianne Binetti is a Northwest horticultural expert: Marianne has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and writes a syndicated gardening column that runs in over a dozen newspapers each week, including in the Tacoma News Tribune(Sundays) and The Daily Olympian(Saturdays). She has also written or co-written 10 gardening books, including “Easy Answers for Great Gardens” and her latest book, “Edible Gardening for Washington and Oregon." She lectures and gives seminars on a variety of topics, has appeared on HGT,V and hosts radio and TV programs. She lives and gardens on two acres in Enumclaw, near Seattle, WA.

Tiny Terrarium

Saturday at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Using locally grown terrarium loving plants, quirky adornments, decorative wood and rock elements, you will be guided in designing your own jungle under glass, while learning the tips and tricks to keep it all thriving.

Scott McSwain is from West Tennessee, where he learned to take care of plants and animals on his grandparents’ farm. He’s currently a public-school dual language Spanish teacher and a board member of the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, where he helped plant the carnivorous plant bog, living wall and aroids in the tropical room. He finished the Pierce County Master Gardener program in 2022 and tries to eat something from is garden every day of the year.

The Art of Pot-et-Fleur

Sunday at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Learn the Victorian art of Pot-et-Fleur, by combining houseplants with cut flowers, which gives the lasting quality of plants with colorful impact of seasonal cut flowers.

Influenced in France and made popular in the Victorian Era, these artful living, botanical designs graced many homes, thus creating a sustainable, long-lasting arrangement for every season.
Enjoy the revival of this floral art form with Teresa Rao, owner and founder of Belle Petale as she will guide you in creating your very own beautiful and sustainable Pot-et-Fleur!

Teresa Rao: Owner, Founder, and Creative Director:
As a very young girl I have always admired flowers and it wasn’t until I became an official Flower Girl(many times over for family and friends’ weddings), that I began to closely study the petals in my basket. The shapes, the scent, the colors that punctuated the aisle as I dropped the petals on the floor as an announcement to the bride’s anticipated entrance.

From that moment on, it is always the petal that attracts me to the flower!

Inspiration My Spirit is American~ My Heart is Mexican~My soul is French!
Childhood summers consisted of yearly trips to Guadalajara, Mexico, where my family is originally from and where the Spanish and French influences are profoundly evident in the Mexican cuisine, architecture, and traditions- here is where I fell in love with the old-world style! Now as an ardent gardener, homemaker, and creative, I continue to find my inspiration through my Mexican heritage, romantic gardens, and my old-world European art and home interiors to create classic, seasonal, French-inspired floral designs.

Succulent Wreath

Sunday at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Craft a stunning, one-of-a-kind living succulent wreath at this workshop using real plants. Discover how to create, plant, and maintain your wreath throughout the changing seasons in Washington. With proper care, your wreath can thrive for a year or more. This workshop is perfect for newbies and seasoned gardeners alike, offering a fun and artistic way to add greenery to your home.

All materials will be provided, including an 18" grapevine wreath form and 10-12 succulent plants of varying sizes. If desired, bring your own gardening gloves

Sarah Smith (Dream Maker Creative) is a Gig Harbor-based business specializing in DIY kits, hands-on workshops, and community events. Owner and Creative Director, Sara Smith, is a jill-of-all-trades when it comes to crafting and excels in helping others discover and learn the basics for a wide variety of creative mediums. Sara also makes handmade home decor under her brand, Warmth + Wonder, and is an independent web designer specializing in e-commerce and user experience design.

All ages | Tickets are non-refundable