The Garden Ecosystem

This three-week course is designed to strengthen your understanding of the natural systems that shape successful gardens. It is for gardeners of all experience levels who want to better understand how plants interact with their environment and how ecological factors influence growth, productivity, and resilience. Throughout the course, you’ll explore three core areas: the garden as an ecosystem, soil health, and climate and site conditions. You’ll learn how biodiversity supports a more balanced garden system and how plant classification and beneficial insects fit into that system. You’ll examine soil as a living system by identifying its physical, biological, and chemical components, understanding how each supports plant growth, and reviewing basic soil test results to assess soil quality. You’ll also study how climate, weather, temperature, sunlight, hardiness zones, and microclimates influence plant selection, placement, and timing in the garden. While developed for northern climates, the principles in this course are broadly applicable and can be adapted to a wide range of growing conditions.