Native Perennials: Flower Border or Functional Ground Layer

Start Date

05/29/2025

End Date

05/29/2025

Description

Perennials have long been planted for the beauty of their flowers, but in the wild they are a functioning part of virtually every ecological system. Their roots hold soil in place. Their seeds provide food for birds. Their flowers provide crucial nectar for pollinators while their stems and leaves host insect eggs (including declining Monarch butterflies). Finally, when planted as a dense ground layer, they can reduce the most time-consuming aspect of garden maintenance....weeding. In this presentation you will learn how to use seed and live plants to create perennial compositions that enhance the aesthetic, practical, and ecological character of any landscape.

Distance Learning

Yes

Course Equivalency

Subjects

Horticulture / Plants
Residential Design

Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Hours

1.25

Learning Outcomes

1. To learn how the various ecological functions that native perennials play in wild can be translated to designed landscapes.
2. To show how perennial plant compositions can provide practical benefits including soil stabilization and weed suppression.
3. To learn how to create perennial plant compositions that enhance the visual aspects of designed plantings including floral display, textural quality, and landscape continuity.

Instructors

Larry Weaner, FAPLD

Course Codes

Provider

New Directions in the American Landscape

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