About Us

“Blended” means that class sessions will take place online via Zoom and in-person. The in-person portion takes place entirely outside on NYBG grounds. Blended classes are currently offered for select Botany, Urban Naturalist, and Horticulture classes. Class details and times will vary; please visit our registration website for details.

We feel that it is crucial for Horticulture, Botany, and Naturalist students in particular to be able to see plants growing in order to identify them and best understand their culture, ecology, and maintenance requirements.

Classes will meet outside at select areas of NYBG, rain or shine. There will be no indoor class instruction. The exact location will be determined by the instructor and communicated to students prior to the class start date.

We are currently limiting blended classes to 15 students.

The safety of our students, instructors, and staff remains our top priority, and as of August 3, 2021, NYBG has made the following protocol adjustments:

• Face coverings are required indoors, at the Edible Academy, and at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, regardless of vaccination status. NYBG will continue to monitor CDC, state, and local guidelines. This applies to everyone at the Garden—staff, students, instructors, and visitors.
• Our committed team of engineers continues to work diligently to maintain the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems throughout the Garden, and to increase ventilation with outdoor air to the greatest extent possible.
• Our dedicated custodial team routinely cleans and sanitizes shared areas and frequently-touched surfaces.

• As a general practice, please do not come to the Garden for class if you are not feeling well.

No, you must be able to attend the in-person classes. The instruction is live and will not be recorded and PowerPoints will not be available for the in-person classes.

An inherent risk of exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19) exists in any public space where people are present. People visiting The New York Botanical Garden do so at their own risk as to such exposure as well as other risks inherent to outdoor public spaces. We will continue to monitor state and city guidelines to inform the Garden’s operations.

Online classes offered through NYBG Continuing Education are taught by professional instructors through Zoom — the video & audio communication platform. We use Zoom because it allows for the interactivity between instructors and students that we believe is important for authentic learning. We also continue to have small class sizes to facilitate active engagement.

All classes are held in Eastern Time (ET).

For accommodation requests related to a disability, questions, comments, or more information about the accessibility of Adult Education programming, please contact Lisa Whitmer by emailing access@nybg.org or calling 718.817.8765.

No. Once you register for a class, you will receive a Zoom log-in link in your confirmation email. To join the class, simply click on the link provided which will open up to your internet browser.

You’ll receive the Zoom log-in link a total of 3 times prior to the class start date:

1. In your confirmation email sent after you register
2. In an instructional email sent approximately 3 days before the class start date
3. In a reminder email sent one day prior to the class start date

If you join the class a few minutes early, you may be placed in a virtual Waiting Room until the official start time.

If you are a few minutes late to class, the instructor will make their best effort to admit you into the class with minimal delay.

Yes, you will use this same log-in link for each session of the class unless your instructor says otherwise. Please keep this link handy!

All online classes require an internet connection. Class instruction will occur within the virtual classroom on Zoom where you can interact with the instructor and other students through video, audio, and/or chat functions. You can use Zoom on computers, tablets, and phones. Tablets and phones are somewhat limited in what they allow you to do, but you will still be able to see and hear the class.

All other requirements vary based on the class. Requirements and materials are outlined on the course description pages of our website.

We recommend taking some time to familiarize yourself with Zoom before your class begins, so you know the basics. Please see Zoom’s Getting Started page for more information. If you still have difficulty, please email adulted@nybg.org as soon as you can and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Select online class sessions are recorded.

Yes! Any certificate-level requirement or elective course made available online qualifies toward your certificate completion.

Program Coordinators are available for student counseling as it relates to course work. Program Coordinators are experts who are experienced instructors and working professionals in their respective areas. You can get in touch with a Program Coordinator through email. See below for contact list based on area of study:

Botanical Art & Illustration: Robin Jess at bilcoordinator@nybg.org

Botany: Jamie Boyer at jboyer@nybg.org

Floral Design: Thomas Cawley at fdncoordinator@nybg.org

Gardening: Daryl Beyers at garcoordinator@nybg.org

Horticulture: Richard Smith at hrtcoordinator@nybg.org

Therapeutic Horticulture: Phyllis D’Amico at thrcoordinator@nybg.org

Landscape Design: Susan Cohen at lancoordinator@nybg.org

Urban Naturalist: Nancy Slowik at natcoordinator@nybg.org

Classes are offered at the Garden, in Midtown Manhattan, and at the New Canaan Nature Center. Click on the links below to get the class list for each location.

• The New York Botanical Garden
• Midtown Education Center
• New Canaan Nature Center

The New York Botanical Garden
2950 Southern Blvd.
Bronx, NY 10458-5126
718.817.8720

When coming to class, please enter via Mosholu Entrance, located at 2950 Southern Boulevard, at all times. And ask for the Watson Building.
See map of path from the gate to the Watson Building.

Midtown Education Center (MDTN)
20 West 44th Street
New York, New York 10036 (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

New Canaan Nature Center (NCNC)
144 Oenoke Ridge (Route 124)
New Canaan, Connecticut 06840

If you are on the wait list for a class and a space opens up you will be contacted by the NYBG Registration staff by phone and/or email. Students are contacted in the order in which they appear on the wait list. If demand for a class is high, we will occasionally create a new section to accommodate students. If you are on the wait list and a new section for a class is created, you will be contacted.

If a class is canceled because it does not meet minimum enrollment, you will be called and/or emailed approximately one week prior to the class start date. Please make sure that we have your most current contact information on file so we can reach you in the event of cancellation.

In case of inclement weather, an announcement will be posted on the Adult Education home page. You can also call 718.817.8720 (prompt 2) for information on class postponements. It is the student’s responsibility to call to learn if a class is postponed due to weather. Students are to call the Registration Office for a voice-mail message on class status recorded by:

• 7:30 a.m. for classes beginning 9–11:45 a.m.
• 10:30 a.m. for classes beginning 12–3 p.m.
• 1 p.m. for classes beginning 3:15–8 p.m.

Refunds and Withdrawals

No discounts or refunds will be granted for missed classes. If you decide to withdraw from a course before it begins, you must notify the Registration Office 10 full business days before the first session; we will issue a refund minus a $25 processing fee. We will not issue refunds or credits if you withdraw after the deadline, no exceptions.

Note that there is no refund for any materials fees if you withdraw after the deadline of 10 full business days before the first session.

In the rare case of course cancellation by NYBG, a full refund will be issued to you.

You can download a catalog or call 718.817.8720 to receive a free catalog in the mail.

Summer Intensives allow you to take multiple required Certificate classes in a condensed period of time. Summer intensive programs are offered in Floral Design, Landscape Design, Gardening, and Therapeutic Horticulture.

None of the NYBG Certificate programs are full time. Rather, they are designed to be flexible, and taken over time at the student’s own pace. However, the NYBG School of Professional Horticulture does offer a full-time, two year diploma program. Please visit the SOPH website for detailed information.

Returning students should log in with the email address and password provided to them by the Registration Office. If you did not receive this, please call us at 718.817.8720.

New students should begin by creating an account.

Please contact the Registration Office at 718.817.8720 for further assistance.

Yes. Among other benefits, the Garden members receive 10% off all Adult Education classes. Visit the membership page to learn more about becoming a member and saving on classes. Select NYBG Corporate Members are eligible for course discounts.

Yes. A limited number of work-study opportunities are available for students who wish to gain class credit by working in the NYBG Education Department. Computer skills are required. Email adulted@nybg.org for details.

Contact the Registration Office at 718.817.8720 to discuss specific needs. 

All NYBG Adult Education students have full access to the Garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library – the most comprehensive botanical and horticultural library in the world. Students can register for a library card which will provide offsite access to all of the Library’s electronic journals and databases and a 4,000 volume circulating collection for home reference use. Librarians are available to assist students during opening hours or you may also e-mail your questions to libref@nybg.org.

Visit the instructor page to read the instructor bios and search classes by instructor.

To inquire about becoming an NYBG instructor, please contact NYBG Adult Education at adulted@nybg.org.

NYBG has two alumni groups that current students or alumni can join for professional advice, networking and friendship: The Landscape Design Students and Alumni Association (LDSA) and the Floral Design Alumni Group. For information about LDSA contact Ellen Yellen at 914.723.4090. To join the Floral Design alumni group e-mail nybgfloralalumni@yahoo.com.

A Certificate signifies that a student has successfully fulfilled all the requirements of a prescribed series of courses. Several Certificates offer students a choice among areas of concentration.

The Garden offers Certificates in Botanical Art and Illustration, Floral Design, Horticulture, Botany, Gardening, Therapeutic Horticulture, and Landscape Design. Certificates are awarded each spring and have been used by many recipients to investigate plant-related pursuits or to qualify for salary increases and/or increased responsibilities in their current positions.

Please note: You have six (6) years to complete a Certificate. The catalog from which you start your Certificate program contains the requirements you must fulfill for the completion of your Certificate. See each section for the Certificate requirements.

We offer Certificates in the following disciplines:

• Botanical Art and Illustration
• Botany
• Floral Design
• Gardening
• Horticulture
• Therapeutic Horticulture
• Landscape Design
• Urban Naturalist

Students generally complete our Certificate Programs in 1 to 2 years. However, you are free to complete the requirements at your own pace and credits do not expire for a full six years, from the start date of your first Certificate class. Certificate requirements are based on the program of courses stated in the catalog from which you started. You can accelerate your Certificate program through Summer Intensives.

Yes, Summer Intensives allow you to take multiple required Certificate classes in a condensed period of time. Summer Intensive programs are offered in Floral Design, Landscape Design, Gardening, Botanical Art and Illustration, and Therapeutic Horticulture.

Can I enroll for more than one NYBG Certificate at a time?

You may register for as many classes and Certificate Programs as you wish as long as you have completed the prerequisites, if any are required.

Can I take an NYBG Certificate class without doing the entire program?

Yes! You may are welcome to register for any course that does not have a prerequisite, including those labeled “Certificate Requirement” or “Elective”. You may also register for classes that require a prerequisite, as long as you have completed the prerequisite(s) required. You do not have to be working toward a Certificate to register for Certificate-level courses.

Can I get an exemption from prerequisite classes?

In rare cases, students may qualify for exemptions based on:

• College courses from an accredited college or university
• Evaluated non-collegiate sponsored instruction
• or proficiency exams.

Note: if you are exempt from a course, you must make up the hours through elective classes.

Can I get help with an internship placement?

The NYBG Adult Education Department has relationships with multiple institutions and companies in the New York metro area that have accepted NYBG students as interns in the past. NYBG instructors are working professionals in their field and may also be able to assist with internship connections. Contact the registration office at 718.817.8720 for further assistance.

What do I need to do when I’m ready to graduate?

Students who expect to complete their Certificate requirements by June must inform the Registration Office in writing of their candidacy. Contact the Registration Office at 718.817.8720 for further assistance.

The annual Certificate Award Ceremony is held the first weekend in June. This year’s ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 4, 2023. If you expect to complete your Certificate requirements or enroll in all remaining classes by June, you must complete and submit this Application for Graduation by April 7.

Call the Registration Office at 718.817.8720 or email graduation@nybg.org with any questions.

Select Landscape Design courses are available for CEU’s for American Society of Landcape Architects (ASLA) and Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) members. CEU’s are also offered in select Horticulture, Gardening and Botany courses for International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA).

While our Certificate Programs are not accredited by the US Department of Education, the School of Horticulture and Landscape Design is licensed with the New York State Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS), a division of the New York State Department of Education. Licensure under the state recognizes the Certificate Programs in Horticulture and Landscape Design as high quality and career oriented.

The School of Professional Horticulture has a two-year full-time accredited Title IV program.