Sustainable Horticultural Practices

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.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Irene Barber
Price: $130 / $155

Selecting Native Woody Plants

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.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Brand
Price: $130 / $155

Landscaping for Wildlife

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.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Deb Perkins
Price: $72 / $85

Invasive Plants: Issues, Identification and Ecology

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.”

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Amanda Devine
Price: $130 / $155

Ecological Landscape Design

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.

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Location: Online / at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Multiple Instructors
Price: $155 / $180