Program Overview

Program Overview

The Ecological Gardening program is an online, self-paced course that provides students with the opportunity to develop their plant identification skills and learn about the creation of a "new prairie landscape." The course is offered by the Faculty of Agriculture, Extended Learning, and is designed to help students understand the ecology and creation of a landscape influenced by the prairie biome, supportive of wildlife.

Course Description

The course covers various topics, including:

• Plant identification and use of plants suited for creation of gardens in the New Prairie Landscape style
• Perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, trees, and shrubs
• Introduction to garden innovation and history, garden ecology, and designing in the Prairie Landscape Style
• Planning the garden layout, grade changes, plant associations, and creating structure in landscapes
• Block planting versus filtered planting, architectural plants, and covering ground

Course Outline

The course is divided into two modules:

Module 1: Plant Identification

• Identification and use of plants suited for creation of gardens in the New Prairie Landscape style
• Perennials
• Bulbs
• Ornamental Grasses
• Trees and Shrubs

Module 2: Creating Gardens in a New Way

• Introduction
• Garden innovation and History
• Garden ecology
• Designing in the Prairie Landscape Style
• Planning the Garden Layout
• Grade Changes
• Plant associations
• Creating structure in landscapes
• Block planting versus filtered planting
• Architectural plants
• Covering ground

Program Details

• The course is an independent study program, and students have up to nine months to complete it.
• A suggested study plan is provided to help students keep on track.
• Students who are self-directed and self-disciplined are most successful with this approach to learning.
• It is recommended that students plan to study the material at least three to four hours per week.

Recommended For

This course is an optional module within the Master Gardener Training Program and is not part of the Master Gardener Training Program.

Instructor

The instructor for this course is Carol Goodwin, who is the faculty advisor for the Master Gardener program and has recently retired as an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture.

Course Format

• The course is online and self-paced.
• Content is provided in various formats, including print, videos, and/or podcasts.
• Assessments and assignments may have deadlines within the posted course offering schedule, but learners can choose when to work on their assignments and participate in online discussion.

Tuition Fee

• The tuition fee for the course is $488.00.
• Tuition is refunded if a course is cancelled by Extended Learning.
• Learners are also eligible for a refund if they formally withdraw within two weeks after registering for a course.

Section Notes

• Registration deadline is January 31st, 2026.
• There are no course refunds after the two-week period following registration.