Learn to Garden with UW Extension

Posted on: July 21, 2022

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW-Madison Division of Extension Horticulture Program.

This fall UW-Madison Division of Extension Horticulture Program is offering the online course, Growing and
Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening. This is a twelve week online course that runs from
September 11 through December 10, 2022.

Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening (Foundations in Gardening) teaches
participants university research based methods to successfully grow their plants and manage common pests. The
course introduces a decision-making framework used by gardeners that focuses on understanding how plants best
grow, why pests and problems happen, and how to keep plant problems from happening.

The Foundations in Gardening course is divided into three units. The first set of topics is the basics: general
gardening, botany, soils and decision-making strategies for pest management. The next set of topics helps
participants understand how to identify and manage pests they might encounter. Finally, the last group focuses on
specific types of gardening such as vegetables, fruits, lawn and houseplants. As part of the learning experience,
Foundations in Gardening participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of UW-Madison horticulture
experts at live webinars. The webinars are scheduled so that each expert will be taking questions about the material
currently being covered. The webinars are also an opportunity to ask questions participants may have long had but
did not know whom to ask. Q & As with the Experts will be recorded for future viewing in case the live broadcasts
are inconvenient with participants’ schedules.

In addition to the Q & As with the Experts, participants receive a complete electronic (PDF) copy of the
Foundations in Gardening training manual. A bound hardcopy of the manual is available at an additional cost. This
is a valuable reference tool to have on the bookshelf. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and earn
up to four continuing education credits (CEU) for certain professional organizations. For participants wanting a
deeper dive into the learning experience, there are optional live lab webinars to reinforce the material covered in the
course. These give participants the opportunity to work in large and small groups with Extension educators to
answer more in-depth gardening scenarios.

If you are interested in becoming a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener, this course is considered an approved
learning opportunity from the Wisconsin Extension Horticulture Program. Visit
https://mastergardener.extension.wisc.edu/get-started/ for more information.

Registration is July 18th-August 15th for this fully online, learn-at-your-own pace course. Course fee: $299, includes year-long course access and PDF version of course manual. Whether you are a beginner, avid gardener or professional, you and your plants will benefit from this course. For more information and to register for Foundations in Gardening, visit: https://bit.ly/3aBUGBe