Grow your career in the Green Industry:
Advanced Studies in Professional Horticulture
Designed for professionals or students in the horticulture or landscape industry, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Advanced Studies in Professional Horticulture offers career advancement and personal development. From 90-minute lecture/discussions to more in-depth, one-day and multi-day workshop seminars, classes cover a wide variety of topics, including sustainable horticultural practices, native plant propagation and cultivation, water management, erosion control, and landscape design with a lens towards ecology and resilience. Material presented here supports landscape and horticultural professionals in reaching the next level in their business, giving them a competitive edge in the marketplace. From greenhouse growers to flower gardeners, landscape designers to contractors, nursery growers to arborists, there are offerings for all green industry disciplines.
Partners and allied agencies include Maine Landscape and Nursery Association (MELNA), Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA, AOLCP), Association for Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), and the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA).
Resilient Landscapes in Built Environments
Resilient landscape practices are connected to the evolving environment. Incorporating low-maintenance design and high-performance results, resilient landscapes sustain and regenerate under stressful environmental conditions rather than falling victim to stressors. These are aesthetic powerhouse systems providing ecological services, giving the landscape professional the opportunity to evolve their business and adapt to the changing environment.
This in-depth program is offered in two sections: Design and Structural Components, then Plants and Practice. Each section consists of four class-sessions which explore design principles, materials and processes that contribute to resilient landscapes in built environments. If desired, after taking both sections, students can request a certificate of completion. We recommend students who want to take both sections begin with Design and Structural Components.
Each section counts towards recertification credits with the allied agencies listed above. If your affiliate professional network is not listed, please let us know the name of the organization and we’ll confirm if they will accept our classes for recertification.
Green Spotlight Series
The Green Spotlight Series is an online forum for professional plantspeople, landscape practitioners, and land stewards featuring new information and ideas focused on inspiring and pertinent topics.
Offered monthly from 4-5:30 p.m., November through April, specialists in the scheduled topic present for 60-70 minutes, leaving the remaining time open for questions and discussion.
The Green Spotlight Series is produced in partnership with the Maine Landscape and Nursery Association. MELNA members will receive one recertification credit for each live Zoom session.
One–Day Workshops/Seminars
Full-time landscape and horticulture professionals may find it hard to commit to extensive week- or semester-long classes. Therefore, we offer fun, intensive one-day classes featuring specific applied topics that update and deepen a green-industry professional’s range or bolster their career portfolio, inspiring them to pursue further training. Classes like Native Plants for Profit and Productivity, Invasive Plant Management, Irrigatation from Nursery to Landscape, and Business Management for Small Green-Industry Companies are found at the Gardens and taught by industry leaders from throughout New England, all of whom have first-hand familiarity with the local environment and its considerations.
Advanced Studies in Professional Horticulture Classes
It can sometimes take a small tree to solve a big landscape problem. Explore the toughest understory, ornamental, and native trees that can adapt to challenging growing conditions and still provide beauty and ecological function to any garden or landscape. Arborist Chris Roddick will share his over 30 years of experience planting, growing, and caring for trees from compacted contaminated urban soils to rural development sites with stripped-away topsoil. We’ll look at different tree species that can help build back soil health or remediate drainage problems, as well as trees that best provide food and habitat for wildlife while adding beauty to an assortment of garden environments. Level: Intermediate to Advanced
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Climate change impacts both heritage and newly planted tree species. Kristina Bezanson, Master Arborist and professor at UMass Stockbridge, will discuss specialized arboriculture practices, tree selection, and analyses that will help to prevent, protect, or extend the life of our valuable trees. Foresters, arborists, landscapers, or land stewards, will benefit from this vital discussion of how we consider the evolving effects of climate change. Level: Intermediate to Advanced
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Prospective, new and experienced greenhouse growers alike will enjoy this discussion about specific crop considerations, including growing methods, materials and technologies for the best results. Flower farmers, native plant growers, and retail nursery growers will hear which greenhouse systems have shown to be more effective and appropriate for certain growing operations and materials, such as soil media, in-ground, bench systems, flooding benches, overhead irrigation, and more. Get ready for an active discussion, and bring your questions! Class Level: Intermediate to Advanced
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