My wife and I are going out to buy new furniture for our living room. You want to make sure what you’re buying will fit in your room, so the only knowledge you need is to know the dimensions of your room and space.
We often compare buying a plant to buying furniture. Because I’ve encountered customers who are only looking for the visual appeal of the plants they want to buy. They are either naive or gleefully overlooking the needs of plants to thrive.
Couches never grow and never need water, but before you choose and buy a plant, you need to know how big it will grow. need to know.
This is why I often recommend shopping from one of the many great independent garden centers in the area. They have knowledgeable employees who can help you choose the best plants. Greater Cincinnati also has many great professional landscape companies that can create designs and install them for you. This is the perfect time to connect to one of them to start the process.
If you’d like to learn more about landscape design for your personal use, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens offers an excellent series of classes known as the Landscape Series for Homeowners. This is his five-week virtual lecture series on all aspects of landscaping for homeowners with Steve Foltz, one of the top horticulturists in the area and the zoo’s director of horticulture.
Different aspects of landscaping are covered each week, including perennial design and tree care. If you’re planning a garden renovation or new installation in your landscape, these classes provide great insight into design, preparation, and plant selection, with a focus on the plants that work best in tri-state areas. To do.
Classes Offered by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
Here’s an overview of what the series has to offer:
February 8: Landscape design
This class provides concepts for choosing suitable plants and their placement within landscapes and gardens. It showcases how different types of plants play different aesthetic and functional roles. It also guides homeowners on how to prioritize projects and plantings for long-term beauty.
February 15: Best Trees and Shrubs for Landscape
Trees and shrubs are landscape anchors and long-term investments in both beauty and function. Choosing them wisely is paramount to enjoying your garden. Steve shares his long experience growing hundreds of seeds and selections, and will quickly guide you on the other side of the learning curve. increase.
February 22: Bring in color, annuals and perennials
Everyone wants to add some color to their garden. This class will give you the knowledge and tools to do just that. Guidance on plant selection, location, planting, care and more will fill you with the ideas and energy of spring.
March 1: Got it, but how do I take care of it?
Too much internet, too much bad information. Bad gardening advice is everywhere. This class cuts through all of them, providing excellent practical knowledge based on science and years of experience.
March 8: Bringing it all together
With a refresher, a wrap-up, an authoritative session, and an opportunity to ask the rest of the questions, this session caps off the series on a high note, leaving you excited to implement all your new ideas.
For more information, register for a class at cincinnatizoo.org/horticulture.