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Class: Sustainable Site Design Basics
Delve into the fundamentals of sustainable landscape design. This course will provide an overview exploration into the fundamentals of landscape design that integrates buildings sustainably into their landscapes and with a view to reducing maintenance needs. Students investigate sustainable design strategies that address the ecological, water, energy and food systems. Topics include: design principles and process, native plant community restoration and maintenance. Students complete a short design assignment. Tom Benjamin is an independent registered Landscape Architect and LEED Accredited Professional…
Find out more »Eco-tour: Groundcovers – Ecological Solutions in Place of Mulch
The ecological garden is a richly layered plant community. At the base of the plant layer we find the herbaceous groundcovers, the plants that help to reduce garden maintenance. Growing in popularity, groundcover plants add beauty from leaf shapes, textures, and colors. As a bonus, they add valuable ecosystem services not offered by mulch alone – including the challenging areas such as the base of trees. Unlike the monotony of mulch, groundcovers offer seasonal interest in both flowers and foliage and…
Find out more »Class: RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Five-Session Class - November 8, 15, 29, December 6, and 13. This multi-session course tackles the different aspects of the landscape design process. Workshop sessions focus on design methods using site analysis techniques and schematic design tools. Participants consult with the instructor and work on projects of their own choosing. Discussions about plants and habitats are interspersed with lectures on design principles, including criteria for making plant choices and determining placement in the landscape. Instructor: Cheryl Salatino is a Landscape…
Find out more »Class: Low Maintenance Gardening
While native plants are said to be well-adapted to New England, that doesn’t mean just any native will do. Though trilliums and lady slippers are beautiful, they rarely thrive in built landscapes without considerable care. The good news for landscape designers and gardeners is that there is a long list of native plants that are strong performers in a designed landscape and perform well. Choosing certain species can produce built landscapes that require little care after they've been established. Join…
Find out more »Class: DESIGN-LESS GARDENING
Traditional gardening methods can result in lovely landscapes but come with a high price in terms of maintenance. In this class, Dan Jaffe invites us to rethink the old rules of gardening so we can spend less time working and more time enjoying our gardens. How many inches of bark mulch is needed between plants? Are there alternatives to bark mulch? Should weeds be pulled or are there other management strategies? Is it necessary to clean the garden every fall…
Find out more »Class: DIVERSIFY YOUR LAWN
According to NASA, in the United States more surface area is covered by lawn than by any other single irrigated crop. Lawns are resource-heavy, requiring irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in our climate and most of us (and the environment) would be better off reducing or eliminating them altogether. Who says lawns need to be monocultures or only made of grasses? Enrich the traditional lawn with other complementary plants that bloom at different times and add intrigue. Learn how…
Find out more »Class: Current Trends in Horticulture: Adapting to a Changing Climate
The horticulture field is constantly evolving to reflect changing tastes in and expectations for the built landscape. Hear from several experts in the field about topics ranging from pollinators to stormwater, and learn how the field is adapting to a changing climate. Instructor: Moderator: Mark Richardson oversees the New England Wildflower Society’s botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, and its native plant nursery operation, Nasami Farm, in Whately, Massachusetts. Mark studied ornamental horticulture at University of Rhode Island and…
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