The NYBG Gardening Certificate Program provides in depth courses on sustainable gardening techniques, soil science, plant propagation, and garden maintenance design for the home gardener. Regional experts guide you through the art and science of plant selection and care for home or small-scale residential/urban/community gardens and greening projects.
Students who are pursuing a Certificate must complete 187 total course hours (164 required + 23 elective). Browse this page to discover what required courses are currently scheduled.
This class introduces basic garden design principles using the interplay of structural features, plant characteristics, and site assessment. Learn to creatively combine trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and bulbs based on color, shape, texture, and size.
This user-friendly intro course surveys the major plant groups-flowering plants, conifers, ferns, and bryophytes-focusing on their form and structure. Become botanically literate and gain practical experience in dissecting and analyzing plant structures.
Understand
how
the
qualities
of
soil
affect
the
overall
productivity
of
plants
and
make
sustainable
gardening
practices
possible.
Practical
application
of
theory
is
stressed.
Topics
include
soil
formation,
physical
properties
of
soil,
soil-water
relationships,
and
management
techniques
such
as
irrigation,
more...
Learn principles and techniques of plant propagation by seed and cuttings. Explore basic sexual and asexual propagation, focusing on fruit development, seedling production, root initiation, stem and leaf cuttings, and layering.
Explore the basics of successful, environmentally friendly gardening. Topics include soils and their improvement, seed sowing, vegetative propagation, planting, pruning, watering, weeding, mulching, and disease and pest control. This course is also required for the Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate.
Through
classwork
and
hands-on
practice,
develop
pruning
tools
and
techniques
to
help
shrubs,
conifers,
broadleaves,
evergreens,
and
deciduous
plants
thrive.
Explore
how
woody
plant
structure
and
physiology
influence
pruning.
Learn
how
to
create
and
maintain
hedges
and
explore
authentic
pollarding
more...