Opening on May 1 for the 2024 season.
In orienting students to the Certicificate in Native Plants and Ecological Horticulture, we welcome both new and continuing students. Classes are open to those not pursuing the certificate, though priority will be given to program enrollees.
Monday, April 11 and Saturday, April 16 | Soil is alive, and a fundamental understanding of soil science is critical when selecting well-adapted native plants or choosing amendments needed by native plant communities. A two-day class for the ecologically-minded grower, students will gain an understanding of soil's dynamic relationship with a plant's health.
Friday, April 29 and Friday, May 6 | Learn how plants adapt, compete, and depend on surrounding living and nonliving influences, and get familiar with concepts like parasitism, pollination, and dispersal. After day one’s online session, spend day two in the living classroom of the Gardens.
Friday, May 13 and Sunday, May 22 | Learn how Maine’s native plants behave in their natural habitats. Guided by ecologist Ted Elliman, this comprehensive, two-day course will introduce students to several plant communities, the native plants living in them, and the natural processes affecting them.
Friday, May 27 and Saturday, June 4 | With a core understanding of plant biology, working with nature takes on a whole new depth. Beginning with basic plant anatomy, students will learn how every aspect of the organism works together to sustain photosynthesis, respiration, and water and mineral uptake.
Mondays, June 13 and July 11, and Saturday, August 27 | Native plant expert Dan Robarts will introduce students to a wide variety of native perennials for use in a number of garden settings. Class begins with an overview of the extensive range of perennials available and how to select the right plant for the right place in the right combination.
Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 25 | Ecosystem balance and soil and water quality are all influenced by our landscape practices. This extensive, two-day study of sustainable horticulture will help students apply the principles of ecologically safe gardening practices to their existing garden or landscape.
Fridays, August 5 and 12 and Saturday, August 13 | The first step to gardening with Maine’s native plants is meeting them in their wild habitats. Over this two-day class, CMBG’s Research Botanist, Melissa Cullina, will help students recognize 50 or more frequent coastal species.
Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 17 | Learn how native woody plants enhance both our landscapes and local biodiversity. Over two days, study these plants, from identification to habitat to their role as host plants for the insects and pollinators critical for plant management and reproduction.
Habitat loss is the primary cause of declining wildlife populations. This interactive course teaches students how to incorporate select native plants and mechanical practices into their own landscapes to create a welcoming habitat that attracts wildlife, conserves natural resources, and encourages biodiversity.
Mondays, September 19, 26, and October 3 | Invasive species are considered highly undesirable by botany, ecology, horticulture, and conservation professionals—and for good reason. In this two-day course, Amanda Devine, Regional Land Steward for Maine Coast Heritage Land Trust, will identify the basic ecological problems surrounding these aggressive, tenacious plants; the complicated (and sometimes political) issues surrounding them; and how a plant becomes labeled “invasive.”
Fridays, October 21 and 28 and Saturday, October 29 | To design landscapes inspired by—and inclusive of—nature, study essential design principles through the lens of natural systems. In this three-day course led by landscape architect Lisa Cowan and landscape designer and horticulturist Irene Barber, students will learn to identify and incorporate the components of ecological landscape design.
New and ongoing students in the Certificate in Native Plants and Ecological Horticulture will attend this online session. Learn about this comprehensive program, its curriculum, the core courses, the elective courses, and the instructors. The extensive program welcomes experienced gardeners, hobbyists, and professional gardeners interested in building their proficiency about New England native plants and the horticulture practices that support ecology in the landscape.
Friday, April 14 & Saturday, April 22 | Soil is a living matrix of chemical and biological interactions, and a fundamental understanding of soil science is critical when selecting well-adapted native plants or choosing amendments needed by native plant communities. This two-day, hybrid class for the ecologically-minded grower, will discuss soil texture, chemistry, water-holding capacity, the biologically diverse life in the soil, and how these dynamic relationships can affect a plant’s health.
Plants interact with their garden environments, from abiotic influences like temperature, pH, humidity, and sunlight, to biotic influences like other plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and even humans. In this two-day hybrid class, learn how plants adapt, compete, and depend on these influences, and get familiar with concepts like parasitism, pollination, plant adaptation, and dispersal.
Friday, May 12 & Saturday, May 20 | With a core understanding of plant biology, working with plants takes on a whole new meaning and helps the gardener answer so many questions. Through discussion, lecture, and hands-on lab work, this class begins with basic plant anatomy, exploring how every aspect of the organism works together to sustain photosynthesis, respiration, and water and mineral uptake.
Wednesday, May 17, Saturday, July 8, & Wednesday, September 13 | Presented in three parts, native plant expert Dan Jaffe-Wilder will introduce students to a wide variety of native perennials to use in a number of garden settings. Class sessions during May, July, and September will feature native plants and an overview of an extensive range of seasonally-relevant perennials. Discussion during online lecture and in-person field-study will include how to select the right plant for the right place in the right combination, cultivation variables, choosing plants for their ecological role, specialized garden communities, aesthetics, propagation, and proper plant procurement.
Friday, May 26 & Saturday, June 3 | Learn how Maine’s native plants behave in their natural habitats. Guided by ecologist Ted Elliman, this comprehensive, two-day hybrid course will introduce students to Maine's plant communities, their defining physical environments, the plants living in them, and the natural processes affecting them. Online discussion and hands-on field work will evaluate the variety of plant communities throughout Maine and how this information influences your gardening choices.
Friday, June 16 & Saturday, June 24 | Ecosystem balance, soil, and water quality are all influenced by our landscape practices. This extensive, two-day sustainable horticulture class will help students apply the principles of ecologically safe gardening practices to their garden or landscape. Through online and in-person sessions, we’ll examine composting, techniques for eco-friendly soil amendments, alternatives to pesticide and herbicides, responsible native plant acquisition, erosion control methods, plant forms for function, and so much more.
Wednesday-Friday, August 16-18, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | The first step to gardening with Maine’s native plants is meeting them in their wild habitats. Over this three-day in-person class, Melissa Cullina, the Gardens’ Director of Plant Science & Collections, will help students recognize 50 or more frequent coastal species. She will cover basic plant identification skills, terminology, and botanical etymology. Guided walks, both at the Gardens and a Boothbay Region Land Trust property, will help students practice skills and collect samples for identification and botanizing native species.
Friday, September 1 & Saturday, September 9 | Over two days, online and in-person, learn about native woody plants that contribute so much to our landscapes and local biodiversity. Andy Brand, Director of Horticulture at the Gardens, will discuss identification, habitat, and the role woody plants play in plant reproduction and management as hosts for insects, birds, and other wildlife. Online and in the field, Andy will recommend native species and cultivars, and explain cultivation, landscape uses, and soil and light considerations.
Friday, September 8 & Saturday, September 16 | Habitat loss is the primary cause of declining wildlife populations, and learning how vital native plants are to wildlife and how much our landscape choices matter is one of the most vital steps we can take to divert such loss. Combined with a short online lecture followed by an interactive workshop and field-study at the Gardens, students will learn how and what to manage in the landscape and how to incorporate certain native plants to create welcoming habitats that attract wildlife, conserve natural resources, and encourage biodiversity.
Tuesday, September 26, Tuesday, October 3, & Friday, October 13 | Invasive species are considered highly undesirable by botany, ecology, horticulture, and conservation professionals—and for good reason. In this three-part course, Amanda Devine, Regional Land Steward for Maine Coast Heritage Land Trust, will identify the basic ecological problems surrounding these aggressive, tenacious plants; the complicated (and sometimes political) issues surrounding them; and how a plant becomes labeled “invasive.”
Friday, October 20, Friday-Saturday, October 27 & 28 | To design landscapes inspired by—and inclusive of—nature, study essential design principles through the lens of natural systems. In this three-day course led by landscape architect Lisa Cowan and landscape designer and horticulturist Irene Barber, students will learn to identify and incorporate the components of ecological landscape design. Online and onsite, examine the systems influencing design decisions, practice environmental site analysis, and design conceptual plot plans for a selected site.
For prospective and current students of the Certificate in Native Plants and Ecological Horticulture course. This session initiates a student's enrollment and provides a detailed overview of the comprehensive curriculum. We will explain the different tracks for completing the program, including specific information about core and elective courses, the instructors, and the schedule that can be adapted to students' budgets and availability. Experienced hobbyist gardeners or professional gardeners interested in building their proficiency in New England native plants and horticulture practices that support ecology are encouraged to attend the orientation session to learn more about the entire program.
Class Level: Intermediate
This class is sold out, but please click "Learn More" to join our waitlist. | Soil is a living matrix of chemical and biological interactions, and a fundamental understanding of soil science is critical when selecting well-adapted native plants or choosing amendments needed by native plant communities. This two-day hybrid class for the ecologically-minded grower will discuss soil texture, chemistry, water-holding capacity, the biologically diverse life in the soil, and how these dynamic relationships can affect a plant’s health. Class Level: Intermediate
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education, and research.
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