Gardening Certificate

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Gardening Certificate Courses are open to all students who have fulfilled the prerequisite requirements. However, if a student wishes to take a class for Certificate credit, all assignments and a final project or exam must
be completed.

The Certificate curriculum offers a wide variety of courses. Instructors are gardening professionals, including Garden staff, authors, and nursery owners, with extensive field and teaching experience.

What Is a New York Botanical Garden Certificate?

Fundamentals of Gardening I
Certificate Requirement, Classroom Hours: 12
Explore the basic principles underlying good gardening, the structure and physiological processes of plants and their relationships to the environment in which they grow. You learn, not only what to do, but why! Topics include soils and their improvement, seed sowing, vegetative propagation, planting, pruning, watering, weeding, mulching, shading, ventilation, and disease and pest control.
$246 non-members, $221 members
Ralph Snodsmith
SP GAR 301 6 Mondays, April 18-May 23, Section F: 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Rm. 302
Section G: 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 302

Soil Science for Gardeners
Certificate Requirement (GAR & HRT tracks 3 & 4), Classroom Hours: 12
Learn how the nature of soil affects the overall productivity of plants. Topics include soil formation, physical properties of soil, soil-water relationships, and management techniques such as irrigation, drainage, and fertilization. Basic soil sampling, pH, and nutrient testing are introduced. Please note that this course is not the same as Soil Science I-HRT 301.
$246 non-members, $221 members
David Bulpitt
SU GAR 302 4 Thursdays, July 7-28, 6:15-9:15 p.m., Rm. 102

Plant Structures for Naturalists
Certificate Elective (all tracks), Classroom Hours: 7
From mosses to oaks, plants have fascinatingly different adaptations to life on land. Learn basic morphology of plants including bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts), ferns, gymnosperms (plants with cones), and angiosperms (flowering plants) in this hands-on course. This introduction prepares you for taking local flora classes, using plant guide books, or for a curious soul's walking through the woods. Fresh materials for hands-on lab dissection are provided by the instructor.
$152 non-members, $138 members
(Includes a $8 materials fee)
Susan Pell, Ph.D.
SP BOT 306 2 Sundays, May 15 & 22, 12-3:30 p.m., Rm. 315

The Ecologically Concerned Gardener
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 16
This course provides a basic understanding and increased awareness of the individual gardener's impact on the environment. Discussion of alternatives to high-tech, high-chemical garden techniques cover topics from biodiversity and integrated pest management to such mundane and practical aspects of the garden as composting and lawn alternatives. Make choices with a better understanding of the issues, sensible differences in your own backyard with a range of options. Please bring lunch.
$328 non-members, $298 members
Judy Glattstein
SU GAR 307 4 Wednesdays, Sept. 14-Oct. 5, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Rm. 102

Terrace Gardening
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 8
Learn about plant care and how to grow a wide array of container plants, including annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, tropicals, vines, and even fruits and vegetables. Topics include the particular methods for creating a nourishing environment for plants in small spaces. Techniques for coping with extreme conditions, poor soils, and shade from nearby buildings are discussed. Please bring lunch.
$164 non-members, $148 members
Amber Freda
SU GAR 310 2 Saturdays, July 9 & 16, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Rm. 302

Introduction to Plant Propagation and Grafting
Certificate Requirement (GAR and THR), Classroom Hours: 18
Plant propagation is a basic horticultural skill. Survey the theory and practice of propagating woody and herbaceous plants-traditional methods, such as the use of seeds, cuttings, and grafts as well as up-to-date tissue culture techniques. Gain hands-on experience practicing simple propagation methods.
$381 non-members, $351 members
(Includes a $12 materials fee.)
Mobee Weinstein
SP GAR 311 6 Mondays, May 2-June 13 (no class May 30), 6:15-9:15 p.m., Rm. 102

The Language of Fertilizers
Certificate Elective (track 2), Classroom Hours: 6
Yes, fertilizers have a language! Examine the differences between fertilizer formulations. Learn to apply fertilizers correctly, which fertilizers to apply when, and how to get the best results. Discuss how watering habits, lighting, soil conditions, rain and ph affect fertilizer. Understand the power of fertilizers and create better turf. All this and more is covered in this practical approach to learning about fertilizers.
$123 non-members, $111 members
Arnie Linzer
SP HRT 317 3 Saturdays, April 30-May 14, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 232

Pest Identification and Management for Gardeners
Certificate Requirement, Classroom Hours: 12
Explore the practical aspects of recognizing insects as pests or as beneficial to ornamental plants and vegetable crops. Learn to identify diseases and the principles of disease management. Explore the rudiments of IPM and cultural modifications to suppress plant disease epidemics. Please bring samples of insects and diseased plants to class. Please bring lunch.
$246 non-members, $222 members
Jodie Fetzer
SU GAR 320 3 Saturdays, July 9-23, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Rm. 315

Organic Flower Gardening & Pest Control
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 6
You can have the best flower garden in the neighborhood without pesticides, inorganic fertilizers, and endless watering. For over 30 years, Brad Roeller has evaluated thousands of landscape plants and developed an organic system of plant care and landscape maintenance. Learn about these innovative gardening practices as well as organic controls for garden pests and diseases.
$123 non-members, $111 members
Brad Roeller
SU GAR 323 2 Tuesdays, Aug. 9 & 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Rm. 102

Hands-On Pruning Practicum
Certificate Elective (track 2), Classroom Hours: 9
Students embark on real pruning projects back in an unpruned area of the Garden, on both trees and shrubs. All pruning techniques are investigated and performed, including crown reduction, crown raising, thinning, and renovation. During each session, students plan and execute a given project, with the instructor reviewing in detail all pruning with students.
$185 non-members, $167 members
Bill Logan
SP HRT 329 Section A: 3 Saturdays, May 7-21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Rm. P201
Section B: 3 Wednesdays, May 11-25, 2-5 p.m., Rm. P201

Plants for Landscaping
Certificate Requirement (GAR & LAN), Classroom Hours: 16
Examine the use of plants in the landscape, with an emphasis on selecting plants for design qualities and maintenance characteristics. Explore aspects of special landscape value such as size, texture, color, and flowering and fruiting seasons. Slides illustrate trees, shrubs, ground covers, annuals, and perennials available for use in this area. Dress for the weather. Wear comfortable shoes.
$328 non-members, $298 members
Michael Ruggiero
SP GAR 330 8 Tuesdays, April 12-June 7 (no class April 26), Section A: 3:30-5:30 p.m., Rm. 302
Section B: 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 302
Section C: 8 Thursdays, April 14-June 9 (no class April 28), 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Rm. 302
Section D: 8 Thursdays, April 14-June 9 (no class April 28), 6-8 p.m., New Canaan Nature Center, New Canaan, Conn.
Laurel Ariev
SP GAR 330 Section E: 4 Tuesdays & 4 Thursdays, June 14-July 7, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 302
Michael Ruggiero
SU GAR 330 4 Tuesdays & 4 Thursdays, July 5-Aug. 4, (no class July 19 & 21), Section F: 3-5 p.m., Rm. 302
Section G: 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 302

Annuals for the Home Garden
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 6
You could fill an entire garden bed with annuals and include a vast range of colors, shapes, and sizes. These plants perform all season long, from frost to frost, and never complain. Learn how to start your own annuals from seed and cuttings. Explore foliage annuals, annuals we grow for their flowers and scent, annuals you can eat, groundcover annuals, annuals that tower above the head of the average man.
$133 non-members, $121 members
(Includes a $10 materials fee)
Ellen Zachos
SP GAR 332 3 Wednesdays, April 6-20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 302

Herb Gardens: Design and History
Certificate Elective (Gardening and Landscape Design), Classroom Hours: 8
Take an historical journey through herb garden design and use from the Middle Ages to current times. Learn about adaptations of contemporary herb garden design and the use of herbs in the landscape. Students are required to submit a plant list and planting plan for an herb garden of their own design. Please bring lunch.
$164 non-members, $148 members
Deirdre Larkin
SP GAR 338 2 Tuesdays, March 15 & 22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m., Rm. 315

Making Period Gardens: Methods and Resources
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 6
Learn about the resources to recreate authentic period gardens of all kinds-whether a Victorian parterre, or a Colonial kitchen garden-and to find the appropriate seeds, bulbs, plants and trees. Learn how to locate sources and documents, adapt the horticultural principles and practices of the past, identify and reconstruct distinctive historical garden features, and research and obtain heirloom plants. A comprehensive bibliography, and extensive source lists, are provided. Please bring lunch.
$123 non-members, $111 members
Deirdre Larkin
WI GAR 340 Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., Rm. 301

Ornamental Grasses
Certificate Requirement, HRT (track 3 & 4) and Certificate Elective GAR, Classroom Hours: 9
Add depth and texture to the landscape with the careful selection and usage of a variety of ornamental grasses. Be amazed by the wealth of opportunities to create height in the border from as little as 6 inches to 12 feet and more. Learn about design elements in the planning cycle, planting techniques, and long term maintenance.
$185 non-members, $167 members
Ellen Talmage, Jack Weiscott and Kimberly Pastern
SU HRT 340 3 Tuesdays, July 12-26, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Rm. P201

Flower Gardening I
Certificate Requirement, Classroom Hours: 12
For many gardeners, flowers are what gardens are all about. Here is a chance to learn how, when, and where to use bulbs, annuals, biennials, and perennials to create an aesthetically pleasing low-maintenance garden. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Gardening I-GAR 301.
$246 non-members, $221 members
Mobee Weinstein
GAR 341 6 Thursdays, April 28-June 9 (no class June 2), 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 102

Flower Gardening II
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 12
Color, composition, texture, and design principles are presented with an emphasis on combining bulbs, perennials, and annuals to create an aesthetically pleasing herbaceous border. Discuss plant combinations that can form the basis of varied herbaceous borders. Please
bring lunch. Prerequisite: Flower Gardening I-GAR 341, or permission of the Coordinator.
$246 non-members, $221 members
Tolly Beck
SU GAR 342 3 Tuesdays, July 12-26, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Rm. 230

Gardening in the Shade
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 7.5
Most gardens have at least some shade. Learn to analyze the shade you have, whether it is in an urban courtyard, a suburban yard, or a woodland retreat. Discover the many plants that are appropriate for shade, from woody plants to bulbs, annuals, and perennials. These plants can ensure bloom throughout the season, and offer a variety of foliage textures and colors.
$154 non-members, $139 members
Michael Ruggiero
SP GAR 345 3 Wednesdays, May 11-25, 6:15-8:45 p.m., Rm. P201

A World of Ferns
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 6
Join us for a journey through the fantastic world of ferns. Learn the characteristics of ferns and how and where they grow. Visit both the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and outdoor gardens to view and examine tender and hardy ferns for growing indoors and out. Discuss their care and cultivation and how to propagate them. Students sow spores to take home to begin cultivating their own collection.
$138 non-members, $126 members
(Includes a $15 material fee)
Mobee Weinstein
SU GAR 346 2 Saturdays, Aug. 6 & 13, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 315

Water Gardening at Home
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 6
Thinking beyond the traditional backyard pond, this class explores ways to transform containers into water gardens. Learn which plants make good water garden subjects and where to buy them, the pros and cons of adding fish to your pond, and all the ins and outs of the equipment needed for maximum pond health and longevity. This class combines form with function, so that students learn to create water gardens that are both beautiful and well cared for.
$123 non-members, $111 members
Amber Freda
SP GAR 348 2 Sundays, June 5 & 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Rm. 102

Designing with Herbs
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 8
Herbs are the most under-utilized plants in ornamental landscaping. Learn to use their varieties of form, texture, scent, movement, and color to produce stunning plantings with all-season interest. Discover how to introduce herbs in a variety of landscaping situations, incorporate them into existing designs, and use them in difficult environments. Students create a planting plan. There are no prerequisites, but a basic knowledge of gardening with shrubs and trees is suggested.
$164 non-members, $148 members
Cynthia Reed
SP GAR 352 4 Wednesdays, June 15-July 6, 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 230

Trees of the NYBG
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 6
The magnificent trees of the New York Botanical Garden provide a dramatic framework for the Garden's many outdoor displays and create a peaceful refuge for visitors. Stroll though the impressive collections and see mature, historic specimens as well as recent additions to the arboretum. Discover the most valuable characteristics (flowers, foliage, bark) for many different conifers and deciduous trees, and learn about their cultural needs.
$123 non-members, $111 members
Brad Roeller
SP GAR 353 3 Tuesdays, June 8-22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. P201

Principles of Rock Gardening
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 8
Learn the theories and techniques behind creating a successful rock garden and the principles of siting, design, and construction. Special habitats are studied and attention is given to the selection of suitable alpines, bulbs, perennials, shrubs, and other plants. Planting, propagation, maintenance, and design are discussed. A visit to the Garden's Rock Garden is included.
$164 non-members, $148 members
Nancy Mathisen
SP GAR 355 4 Saturdays, May 7-28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 320

Botanical Latin
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 8
Botanical nomenclature can add a new dimension to your gardening by helping you identify and know plants better. For example, we can infer from the name Portulaca that plants of this genus carry a milky sap, because "portu-" means carry (as in portable) and "-laca" refers to milk (as in lactose). Review rules of nomenclature and pronunciation and learn about the history of the binomial system in use today.
$164 non-members, $148 members
Kenneth DiLorenzo
SP GAR 360 4 Wednesdays, April 6-27, 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 102

More Botanical Latin
Certificate Elective GAR and BOT, Classroom Hours: 8
Continue to familiarize yourself with common Latin botanical terms and names. Latin names tell us information about growth habits,
flower color, and special characteristics. A combination of techniques (lecture, in-class exercises and self-study) make learning fun. Prerequisite: Botanical Latin-GAR 360.
$164 non-members, $148 members
Kenneth DiLorenzo
SU GAR 365 4 Wednesdays, Aug. 3-24, 6:15-8:15 p.m., Rm. 302

Hands-On Orchid Care
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 8
Study groups of orchid genera, their shared physical attributes, and learn to deduce the cultural needs of orchids based on physical characteristics like pseudobulbs, cuticles, and velamen roots. Students divide monopodial and sympodial orchids, root prune, and practice pest identification. Experiment with methods of slab mounting on various mediums. Learn to improve in-home growing conditions by adding different types of grow lights, humidifiers, and drywells.
$189 non-members, $173 members
(Includes $25 materials fee)
Ellen Zachos
WI GAR 370 4 Tuesdays, March 8-29, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rm. 102

Fundamentals of Gardening II
Certificate Requirement, Classroom Hours: 12
View demonstrations and practice techniques. Discuss soil structure amendments, composting, planting and transplanting techniques, pruning, summer preparation, tool use and care. Dress for the weather. Please bring lunch. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Gardening I-GAR 301.
$246 non-members, $221 members
Mobee Weinstein
SP GAR 401 3 Saturdays, June 11-25, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Rm. 230

Fruit Gardening
Certificate Requirement, GAR and Certificate Elective, HRT (tracks 1 & 2), Classroom Hours: 10
Grow Mother Nature's original desserts and harvest at their luscious best. Discover fruits that are delectable, free from pest problems and, in some cases, highly ornamental. Learn about pollination, yields, pest problems, pruning, and matching plants to the site. Please bring lunch. Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Gardening I-GAR 301, Soil Science for Gardeners-GAR 302 or Soil Science I-HRT 301, or permission of the Coordinator.
$210 non-members, $189 members
Steven A. McKay
SP GAR 430 Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Rm. 230

Vegetable Gardening
Certificate Requirement, GAR and Certificate Elective, HRT (tracks 1 & 2), Classroom Hours: 12
Examine pre-planting procedures from soil preparation to crop rotation planning. Study planting timing and techniques, pest management, harvest and post-harvest handling. Survey heirloom varieties, new cultivars, and classic selections. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Gardening I-GAR 301 and Soil Science for Gardeners-GAR 302 or Soil Science I-HRT 301 or permission of the coordinator.
$246 non-members, $221 members
Gerard Lordahl
SP GAR 431 4 Tuesdays, May 3-24, 6:15-9:15 p.m., Rm. 230

Advanced Landscape Care and Maintenance
Certificate Elective, Classroom Hours: 12
Learn traditional and cutting edge maintenance considerations in garden and landscape care. Study the latest planting methods, care and maintenance regimens for trees, shrubs, turf, and perennial gardens. Discuss site analysis and plant selection, principles of IPM, organic landscape and garden care, pruning, and a calendar of landscape and garden activity. While this class has no prerequisite, it presumes some knowledge of gardening.
$246 non-members, $221 members
Brad Roeller
SP GAR 440 4 Wednesdays, April 20-May 11, 6-9 p.m., New Canaan Nature Center, New Canaan, Conn.

Maintaining Perennial Gardens
Certificate Elective (GAR and HRT), Classroom Hours: 7.5
Proper maintenance is essential for a beautiful perennial garden. Learn the range of issues critical to maintaining a garden. Discussions include techniques, cultural concerns, design issues, and creative challenges that
allow a gardener to bring a garden ever closer to perfection.
$180 non-members, $162 members
Ellen Zachos
SP GAR 524 3 Wednesdays, June 29-July 13, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Rm. 302