The depths of winter are a time for gardeners to take a much-deserved break, but it is also a great opportunity to sharpen your skills and explore new ideas—or just daydream about garden possibilities. Today there is a profusion of online gardening classes, webinars, and lectures, ranging from beginner lessons to advanced niche topics. But how do you go about finding the right one for you? Below, we’ve put together a list of places where you can find high-quality gardening classes online.
Featured photograph above by Deborah Grace, courtesy of Create Academy.
Online Learning Platforms
If you’re looking for a high dose of visual inspiration along with your learning, we’ll point you directly to Create Academy. Founded by a British television producer, the gardening and floristry classes offered through Create Academy get rave reviews from pro gardeners and amateurs alike. Naturalistic landscape designer Dan Pearsons’s two courses, in particular, received high praises. Masterclass, the most well-known online learning platform, offers only one online gardening class, which is taught by Ron Finley; it’s geared towards growing your own food, with an emphasis on small and unusual spaces.
Colleges and Universities
To find a class that addresses your region or garden type, start your search locally. Nearby universities that have a horticulture program and your state’s cooperative extension may offer online classes that are better tailored to your specific bioregion than classes that are designed to appeal to a broad range of gardeners. Oregon State University, for instance, offers its Master Gardener classes online as one-off learning opportunities (these do not lead to Master Gardener certification). And don’t forget community colleges that may have online classes—like SUNY Westchester Community College, which has courses on native plant communities and bird friendly gardening. Search institutions in your city, state, and nearby states to find the content most relevant to your region
Public Gardens
Most of the larger public and botanical gardens offer classes and many have started offering online classes as well. Last year NYBG’s Continuing Education program launched a series of evergreen, non-credit online classes that they are calling Plant Studio. Out west, you can take Denver Botanic Garden’s live online classes with topics ranging from pruning to kitchen gardening. And in the midwest, Chicago Botanic Garden has a nice variety of online classes, all taught live.
Nonprofits
Plenty of nonprofits have online course offerings. In the Northeast, The Native Plant Trust, which is based in Massachusetts, has more than a dozen online classes offered this winter. Wild Ones, a national nonprofit promoting environmentally-sound gardening, hosts most of their classes and events in-person through local chapters, but their webinars are worth seeking out. Simply sign up for these organizations’s newsletters to hear about what’s coming up.
Societies
Member-based plant and horticultural societies may also offer online classes appropriate for your region. For most of these, you will have to become a dues-paying member of the society first (the fees are usually nominal). For example, if you’re a pro or a gardener who wants to go deep, becoming a member of the American Society of Horticultural Science gives you access to the organization’s library of over 100 recorded webinars and future live ones. The Native Plant Society of Texas offers many of their Native Landscape Certification classes online (spring courses will be posted at the end of January).
Individual Teachers
You’ve probably already noticed some of your favorite garden content creators offer classes. While the quality and prices of these classes can vary wildly, they can be just as valuable as anything taught by an institution. Garden writer and podcaster Margaret Roach and writer/photographer Ken Druse run a five-class Virtual Garden Club quarterly that gardeners rave about. Aspiring cut flower farmers will need to get on the waitlist for Floret’s beloved Online Workshop. Registration is open for just one week each fall for the following year. In the meantime, you can sign up for a free mini-course in seed starting. And Bungalow Blooms classes have a reputation for being especially good (she’s a former teacher).
See also:
- Your First Garden: What You Need to Know Before You Grow Plants from Seeds
- City Sidewalks: A Garden Visit with Ron Finley in South Los Angeles
- A Master Class with Dan Pearson: Advice for Anyone Creating a Garden from Scratch
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