Bard Arboretum Program and New York Botanical Garden Offer Continuing Education Classes in March

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—For the first time ever, the Landscape and Arboretum Program at Bard and the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) are offering non-credit continuing education classes at Bard College. These classes are open to the public. “We are very excited about our new classes at Bard College,” says Sabine Stezenbach, NYBG’s director of continuing education. “The college’s 550-acre site along the Hudson River, with its existing Landscape and Arboretum Program that engages its students, faculty, and the public in the preservation of Bard’s horticultural assets, makes this an extremely complementary satellite location for NYBG’s Continuing Education program.”

On Saturday, March 7, the Landscape and Arboretum Program at Bard and NYBG will offer The How, When, and Where of Pruning. Participants will learn the elements of pruning evergreens, deciduous trees, and shrubs, and how to maintain the woody plants in their gardens. All are encouraged to bring their pruners for a discussion of proper tool selection and maintenance. The afternoon will be spent outside analyzing pruning techniques. Class will be held rain or shine from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Olin Humanities Building. Please dress for the weather and bring lunch. While this class has no prerequisite, some knowledge of gardening is helpful. The cost is $62 for non-members and $56 for members. The instructor, Steven McKay, MS, works with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia County as an agriculture extension educator specializing in fruit production.

On Saturday, March 21, the Landscape and Arboretum Program at Bard and NYBG will offer Designing Dazzling Borders! This class is designed to jump-start the gardening season with design tips and plant recommendations for borders, meadows, and containers. Participants will learn how to use and site exuberant native and exotic flowering, fruiting, and foliage shrubs for four-season interest; bold architectural perennials and ornamental grasses for drama, color, and movement; shade plants with variegation and unusual foliage color; and cheerful annuals and tender perennials for seasonal pizzazz. The class will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Olin Humanities Building. The cost is $47 for non-members and $42 for members. The instructor, Robert Hyland, is a nurseryman, garden writer, and consultant. He owns and operates Loomis Creek Nursery in Hudson, New York, which specializes in great performing perennials, grasses, shrubs, and tender plants for northeastern mixed borders.

Upcoming classes include: The Deer Resistant Landscape, Native Perennials for Landscaping, Native Shrubs for Landscaping, The Independent Garden, Plant Drawing: Quick & Simple! and Gardening with Ornamental Grasses.

NYBG is an advocate for the plant kingdom. The garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its 250-acre National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and throughout the wide-ranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center.

Headquartered in the Bronx, NYBG’s Continuing Education program has helped people achieve their horticultural education goals for more than 80 years. NYBG offers over 500 different courses each year comprising seven certificate programs: Botanical Art and Illustration, Botany, Floral Design, Gardening, Horticulture, Landscape Design, and Horticultural Therapy. Classes are held during the day, evenings, and weekends to fit any busy schedule. Other satellite centers are located in New York City, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

For further information about the new class offerings at Bard College, visit www.nybg.org/bard or contact Amy Foster at [email protected], or (845) 758-6822, ext. 7179. To register for classes and to download a registration form, go to www.nybg.org/edu. You can also call 718-817-8747; fax 718-817-8666; or mail a completed registration form with check or money order to: Registration Office, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458-5126. Courses will not be reserved without payment.
###

This event was last updated on 02-16-2009

Back to Top