Native plants of the Eastern Temperate Forest are beautiful, inspiring, and critically important for healthy landscapes. From the subdued colors and fragrances of spring wildflowers to the exuberance of summer perennials and the captivating hues of fall foliage, discover a wealth of plants to satisfy your gardening needs throughout the seasons. Using Mt. Cuba’s stunning gardens, learn to identify 60 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials in each Native Plants course. Examine their key identifying characteristics, preferred growing conditions, overall size, and ecological significance. Students seeking the certificate must pass the onsite exam.
One hour garden tours follow weekly lectures. Tours include walking over rolling terrain and mulched paths. Dress for the weather. Classes are rain or shine.
This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Six Wednesdays: 9/3 through 10/8.
About the Instructors:
Laura Reilly is the trial garden assistant at Mt. Cuba where she evaluates native plants for horticultural and ecological value. She earned Longwood Gardens’ Certificate of Merit I and II and has spent several weeks at symposia at Great Dixter, an iconic British garden where respect for the natural environment goes hand in hand with gardening excellence.
Melissa Starkey, PhD, is the Marketing and Communications Manager at Mt. Cuba Center. She earned her PhD in biology from Northwestern University and an MSc in plant biodiversity and taxonomy from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and University of Edinburgh in Scotland. As part of her studies, she completed a certificate in field botany in Colombia. Melissa serves on the Board of Directors at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center in PA.