Landscape Institute
Download the Fall/Winter 2009-10 Landscape Institute catalogue here.
Key to course descriptions
Courses by Day
Plants & Horticulture, Fall 2008
A Horticultural Introduction to Green Landscapes
Rogers, Paul
This module offers the student an opportunity to explore the role of the sustainability movement as it impacts horticultural design strategies. The implications of thinking “green” are many and varied and the use of sustainable practices offers opportunities for designers and horticulturalists to modify almost every aspect of the design, installation, and maintenance of a landscape. Students will explore the concept of sustainability; how to introduce the concept to clients; and examine how sustainable landscapes differ from or support native, natural, organic or xeroscape landscapes. In one form or another, sustainability is part of a new awakening of responsibility toward the environment and landscape practitioners will play a key role in its development and integration into common practice.
Tuition: $495
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
627A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 10:00am-12:00pm
2 Credits
Audit Price: $325
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Field Identification of Deciduous Trees & Shrubs
Cardamone, Catherine
Participants in this course study the distinctive characteristics of the trees and shrubs that are most commonly seen in New England, such as maples, members of the rose family (cherries, crabapples), magnolias, oaks, beeches, and hickories. Students examine bark, twigs, buds, flowers, fruit, leaves, outlines, and branching structures of mature specimens, with approximately 30 plants being covered during each class. A sketch or photographic journal and weekly quizzes are required.
Tuition: $980
Note: This course will be held at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
614A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Ground Rules: Soils and the Sustainable Environment
Sherzi, Jr., Chuck
This course will emphasize the importance of soil and of the ecological systems and cycles that are vital to the health of the planted landscape and the urban forest. Soil testing methods, analysis and interpretation of results, and corrective action strategies are thoroughly discussed. It is essential to understand the soil chemistry and the biological activity in the soil in order to develop a sustainable blueprint for any landscape. Students will learn about the composting process, including compost tea brewing and application. Insect and disease life cycles and monitoring techniques such as growing degree days and plant phenology will be studied in depth. There will be a hands-on review of the many cultural practices required in maintenance operations, including fertilization, pruning, mulching, watering, and sanitation; proper planting and transplanting methods will also be covered. Assigned readings, case studies, and site visits will supplement the lecture material. Weekly assignments and a final project are required.
Tuition: $980
624A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 5:30pm-8:30pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Identification and Uses of Evergreens
Cardamone, Catherine
Students in this course learn about the trees and shrubs that coat the winter landscape in green. Hollies, yews, rhododendrons, boxwood, and pines are but a few of the plants that lend stability and weight to created and natural environments. The conifers and broadleaf evergreens hardy in New England are presented by family. Form, leaf and bark texture, and other distinctive features are examined in slides, field trips, and cut specimens.
Tuition: $980
Note: This course will be held at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
610A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Identification and Uses of Shrubs and Vines
Eisener, Laura
This course serves as an introduction to the most commonly planted shrubs and vines in New England, focusing on their distinguishing characteristics and horticultural requirements, and providing suggestions for landscape applications. Species to be studied include old favorites and newly introduced varieties. Students learn to recognize established specimens and to select the most appropriate shrubs and vines for any landscape situation in New England. Height, form, twig and bud characteristics, leaf shape, color, and other significant features are discussed, as well as ways of using these plants in design. Twig samples, slide lectures, and field trips aid in learning to identify plants and provide examples of their use. Requirements include weekly quizzes, two exams, and one design project.
Tuition: $980
612A Fall, Wed
September 10-December 10, 9:30am-12:30pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Landscape Maintenance I
Rogers, Paul
This course stresses the maintenance considerations that should be integrated into the design process. Topics such as soil types, fertilizer formulations, lawns, winterizing, mulching, and plant pathology are studied. Students' horticultural knowledge is expanded so that their design judgments result in effective maintenance and reasonable cost. New products and procedures for maintenance processes such as transplanting, guying, and staking are also evaluated. Site visits and case studies are included.
Tuition: $980
625A Fall, Tue
September 9-December 9, 1:00pm-3:00pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Planting Bed Composition
Koller, Gary
Learn how to select, find, group, and space plants as part of the garden design process. Students will look at creating structure in gardens by using woody plants, infilling with biannuals and perennials, and adding seasonal color with bulbs, annuals, and tender perennials. The main emphasis of this course will be on shaping lawn and woodland spaces, creating planting beds, and devising planting compositions that are spatially and visually attractive year-round.
Tuition: $980
Withdrawal deadline: October 2.
623A Fall, Thu
September 11-November 13, 5:30pm-8:00pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Planting Bed Composition
Koller, Gary
Learn how to select, find, group, and space plants as part of the garden design process. Students will look at creating structure in gardens by using woody plants, infilling with biannuals and perennials, and adding seasonal color with bulbs, annuals, and tender perennials. The main emphasis of this course will be on shaping lawn and woodland spaces, creating planting beds, and devising planting compositions that are spatially and visually attractive year-round.
Tuition: $980
Withdrawal deadline: November 18.
623B Fall, Tuesday
October 14-December 23, 5:30pm-8:00pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
Site Inventory for Sustainable Landscaping
Michener, Marty
Plants are the essence of a landscape, constantly interacting with chemical and physical site parameters. Initial site conditions can be determined by a brief inventory of site layout, vegetation, hydrology, and soil. This course introduces students to skills needed to inventory existing landscapes, beginning with plant identification, native and cultivated. In addition to an examination of the abundance and growth of the plants, elements of hydrology, soils and surficial geology will be introduced. The course will also explore modern digital resources applicable to landscaping, plant identification, controlling weeds and invasive species.
Tuition: $980
654A Fall, Thu
September 11-December 11, 1:30pm-4:30pm
4 Credits
Audit Price: $625
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Trees in the Landscape
Churchill, Richard
The proper use and care of woody plants in residential, commercial, and public landscapes requires knowledge of tree biology. This module relates the physiological and structural nature of a tree to its success in serving as the anchoring element in the landscape. Understanding the structure and biological systems of a tree are essential in making good decisions about its care. Students will develop an understanding of basic tree biology, tracing the development of a tree from seedling to maturity and relating it to the proper design decisions, planting methods, and short- and long-term maintenance requirements.
Tuition: $495
Withdrawal deadline: September 26.
648A Fall, Tue
September 9-October 21, 1:30pm-4:30pm
2 Credits
Audit Price: $325
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