Skip to content
Mal Condon Programs
Join Mal Condon, Heritage’s Curator of Hydrangeas, for one – or all – of these in person, informative, and fun programs. Mal’s engaging and passionate approach to hydrangea care has proven to be a popular formula. These classes fill up quick!
Please note: this program will take place rain or shine. In good weather, much of it will take place outdoors in the gardens. In the event of inclement weather, the total program will be held indoors inside the Heald Center.
Program fees fund Heritage’s mission to inspire people of all ages to explore, discover, and learn together. Thank you for your support.
A lifelong gardener, Mal is locally known as “The Hydrangea Guy” and has been collecting, propagating, and growing hydrangeas for nearly 50 years. He and his wife Mary Kay owned and operated Hydrangea Farm Nursery on Nantucket Island for many years. Early in 2014 they “retired” to Yarmouth Port on Cape Cod and now continue to refine another significant garden creation which is open during the annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival. Mal joined Heritage in 2016, and as the “hydrangea whisperer” on the property, he’s especially devoted to the continuing expansion and evolution of the Hydrangea Display Garden and the North American Hydrangea Test Garden. He also loves to teach and regularly shares his wisdom through a variety of workshops at Heritage.
Installing Drip Irrigation
Join expert gardener and Heritage’s Curator of Hydrangeas Mal Condon to learn why the irrigation system he calls “LEGOs for Gardeners” is essential for keeping our hydrangeas happy during our often too dry summers – and how you can install drip irrigation in your home garden. Successful irrigation for hydrangeas (and all the other woody ornamentals in your garden) is all about surface irrigation via low-flow drip emitters to gradually apply water to the base of the plant on a defined schedule. The installation techniques demonstrated during this program are well within the capabilities of most gardeners, and DIY-ers will love it!
During this small group workshop, you’ll see exactly how it’s done, be introduced to the needed tools and supplies, and learn where to obtain them. Even if you’re not interested in doing the installation work yourself, you’ll become knowledgeable enough to better interact with your chosen irrigation contractor. There will be plenty of ongoing time for questions and discussion, and following the program you’ll receive a PDF file containing presentation content via email for your reference.
This program will be held indoors at the Heald Center inside the J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery. Advance registration is required, and we expect this popular program to sell out.
Location: Check in at the Ticketing Pavilion
Program fees fund Heritage’s mission to inspire people of all ages to explore, discover, and learn together. Thank you for your support.
Program Registration Fee: $30 Members, $40 Non-Members
Making More Plants: Division, Propagation, and Seeding
Thursday, July 30
5:30-7:30 pm
This small-group workshop session is geared toward home gardeners who wish to learn practical techniques for making more plants using several methods, including division, propagation, and seeding. Mal Condon, Heritage’s Curator of Hydrangeas, will lead this program and while hydrangeas will be the focus of this demonstration, these practices can be applied to many other woody ornamentals you would plant on Cape Cod. There will be plenty of ongoing time for questions and discussion and following the program you’ll receive a PDF file containing presentation content via email for your reference.
This program will be held indoors at the Heald Center inside the J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery. Advance registration is required, and we expect this popular program to sell out.
Program Registration Fee: Adult Member $30, Non-Member Adult $40
Program fees fund Heritage’s mission to inspire people of all ages to explore, discover, and learn together. Thank you for your support.
Location: Check in at the Ticketing Pavilion
Raised Beds and Composting
Tuesday, September 15
5:30-7:30 pm
Raised bed planting and composting are a great gardening combo for growing vegetables and flowers. Gardeners have been building raised beds and creating compost for at least a lifetime, and the benefits in terms of growing success are well-known and well-practiced. And however small the scope of these endeavors, there is much satisfaction for the gardener in knowing your practices are contributing to a better environment – be it growing your own food or utilizing our resources more favorably.
Much has been written and shared about raised beds and composting. Rather than a detailed historical review, Heritage’s Curator of Hydrangeas Mal Condon will share the best practices that have evolved over his considerable experience, always with an emphasis on practicality, simplicity, economics, and – above all – best results. There will be plenty of ongoing time for questions and discussion and following the program you’ll receive a PDF file containing presentation content via email for your reference.
This program will be held indoors at the Heald Center inside the J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery. Advance registration is required, and we expect this popular program to sell out.
Program Registration Fee: Adult Member $30, Non-Member Adult $40
Program fees fund Heritage’s mission to inspire people of all ages to explore, discover, and learn together. Thank you for your support.
Location: Check in at the Ticketing Pavilion
