Start Date
03/08/2018
End Date
03/08/2018
Description
Why are we so attached to mulch? Yes, it is helpful in suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion, but it's costly, time consuming, difficult to spread, and frankly, drab and boring. You know what works better than mulch? Plants! Mr. Jaffe and Mr. Richards will discuss a variety of native plants, from mat forming herbaceous perennials to low growing shrubs, which can be used to eliminate the need for yearly applications of mulch in our landscapes. These plants not only provide ecosystem services, but also make our landscapes less costly to maintain and more attractive.
Location
Amherst, MA
Distance Learning
No
Course Equivalency
No
Subjects
Design-Build
Horticulture / Plants
Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Hours
1.50
Learning Outcomes
1. Participants will learn the basic principles behind the concept of replacing mulch in the landscape with functional native plant species.
2. Participants will glean a list of perennials, ferns, grasses, and woody plants that function well as mulch replacements.
3. Participants will gain an understanding for the ecosystem services provided by native plants.
Instructors
Mark Richardson oversees the New England Wildflower Society’s botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, and its native plant nursery operation, Nasami Farm in Whately, Massachusetts. He studied ornamental horticulture at University of Rhode Island and helped ru
Course Codes
Provider
Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA)