Discover everything you need to make trees and shrubs a manageable investment. A horticulturist and certified arborist takes you through different landscapes, climates, and seasons to reveal strategies for shopping, planting, and caring for trees and shrubs.
How to Grow Anything: Make Your Trees and Shrubs Thrive
Why throw shade when you can grow shade? We'll show you how to cultivate your very own trees and shrubs.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Danjameson from
Thorough, full of information, and really useful .
As a UK resident buying courses like this is always potentially risky but like other botanical subject courses by Great Courses the information in this course is pretty much universal in application - one advantage of the USA having such a broad range of habitats and climatic conditions. I normally run through courses like this from start to finish, getting a good general understanding of the subject but this course would/will repay a more detailed 'dipping into' on specific lectures over many years. Overall, Ms Meyers is engaging, genuinely knowledgeable, and dedicated to detail - this really is a Great Course. Thank you.
Date published: 2024-09-13
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Dr Mac from
Solid information for home landscaping
This is a well presented and organized course to better prepare a homeowner on how to initiate and maintain the plants on his/her property. She provides useable information that you can take right to your home's yards.
Date published: 2022-11-17
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Mountain gardener from
There are some nuggets
I found that it contained information that will help me in my gardening efforts. In general it covered a lot of ground. I specifically was interested in the instructions on pruning and plant care, although would be interested in more specific instructions on plant species. I would also like to see a more directed course to at planting associated with various climates and zones. Hopefully the instructions to get hydrangeas to bloom in Colorado will bear flowers.
Date published: 2022-06-10
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Hatchet1 from
Great cliis
We have not watched it all but what we have seen have enjoyed it.
Date published: 2022-04-01
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Garden Lover from
Packed with information
I've enjoyed every minute of these lectures. Amazed at the way Melinda Myers easily explains various ways to think about and take care of shrubs and trees. I can hardly wait until spring in Michigan to put better gardening practices to work and to enjoy my garden even more.
Date published: 2022-03-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Mojica from
Learned a lot!
I am working on a new landscape and wanted to get exposed to what I need to consider to
make good decisions. Instructor was excellent. I highly recommend course if you know very little about planting trees and shrubs.
Date published: 2022-03-16
Rated 2 out of
5
by
truckstrains from
too much talking and not enough showing ...
she talks way too much and does not show enough of exactly what to do ..
Date published: 2021-05-13
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Vano Loco from
Blooming like Candide
Voltaire concludes Candide with the very practical advice that "we must cultivate our garden". So with philosophical approvals in mind, this offering for "budding" and "blooming" gardners and landscapers comes just in time for my wife and I.
I would normally invoke cruel invectives at a TGC course that does not have closed captioning, especially with enjoyably precious but deliberately difficult plant names and species. However, this offering presents ongoing names and phrases in text, as a part of the presentation. Also, the instructor is unusually well- spoken and clear. So be not deterred, those of age, imbibe.
I've constructively used information from the offering already. I got improved understanding and great advice on how and when to prune trees and shrubs, wintering grass, landscaping around air conditioners and outside fixed items.
The buying tips included shade considerations, and proximity and watering needs.
I tried my best to binge watch, but many of the chapters are detailed and extensive, so binging best worked when broken out into topics. My wife and I watched the pruning and shrub care, and had to review so our binging efforts were necessarily thwarted. We also need to review Chapter 11 "Restoring..", and Chapter 12 "Expanding.." in order to plan for next spring. I intend to review the seasonal care sections as needed.
The resources at The Great Courses web site was very good, had auto links to Amazon for the books. Beware however, we purchased the Horticultural Society's "A-Z of Garden Plants" and got an older edition.
I've noticed that Instructor Myers has other offerings from The Great Courses, and I intend to revisit my travails as a Candide wannabe this spring.
Date published: 2019-12-30
Overview
About
Melinda Myers is a horticulturist, certified arborist, gardening expert, television/radio host, columnist, and author with more than 30 years of horticulture experience. She earned her B.S. in Horticulture from The Ohio State University and her M.S. in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Before launching her own business in 2006, she was a tenured associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Extension Service and a tenured horticulture instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Her numerous awards include two Garden Media Awards from the Garden Writers Association, the Garden Communicator of the Year Award from the American Nursery & Landscape Association, the Gold Leaf Award from the International Society of Arboriculture, the Perennial Plant Association Garden Media Promoter Award, and the American Horticultural Society's B. Y. Morrison Communication Award for effective and inspirational communication. Ms. Myers is the author and coauthor of more than 20 gardening books, including Can't Miss Small Space Gardening and Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide. She is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gardening How-To, and Wisconsin Gardening. A seasoned media presence, Ms. Myers hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment and appears regularly on various national and local shows. For more than 20 years, she hosted The Plant Doctor radio program, seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS, and the nationally syndicated YardWorks!
Trailer
01: A Framework for Your Landscape
Discover the many possibilities for framing your landscape with trees and shrubs. Ms. Myers provides you with ideas for landscapes of different sizes, and also shows you the importance of taking into consideration everything from flowers and fruit to texture and mature size when choosing trees and shrubs for your unique patch of land....
30 min
02: Form and Function in the Landscape
When used in the right way, trees and shrubs can perform a variety of useful functions. Learn how to tap into the power of this living framework to help you conserve energy, manage storm water, reduce pollution, create privacy, and mark your property lines-all while providing a rich, visually interesting landscape....
30 min
03: Trees and Shrubs for Challenging Conditions
Many of us don't live under ideal growing conditions. Here, Ms. Myers shows you ways to adapt your trees and shrubs to compensate for challenging conditions. First, explore the different types of shade and learn some ideal plantings for each. Then, learn how to recognize and deal with both flooding challenges and drought challenges....
32 min
04: Shopping for the Best Trees and Shrubs
Once you've got an idea for your landscape, it's time to shop! Where are the best places to buy trees and shrubs? How do you spot a healthy and structurally sound tree? How should you care for your new purchases until it's planting time? Get all the answers here....
27 min
05: Planting Your Trees and Shrubs
Just as important as choosing the right tree or shrub is planting it correctly. Here, Ms. Myers takes you step by step through the planting process. Learn how to dig the best holes, whether or not to stake your trees, when to fertilize (the answer may surprise you), proper watering methods, and more....
29 min
06: Spring and Summer Care of Trees and Shrubs
Now, focus on how to maintain the health of your plantings in spring and summer. First, explore the science behind water's impact on new plantings and ways to water more effectively. Then, get insider tips on mulching techniques that can protect trunks and stems. Finally, learn how to properly transplant trees or shrubs that have outgrown their space....
35 min
07: Fall and Winter Care of Trees and Shrubs
Using evergreens, new plantings, and borderline hardy plants, explore how to manage leaves with less stress; how to insulate plantings for winter with mulch, cloth, and more; how to make repellents to protect plants from animals; and how to mitigate the effects of salt damage....
29 min
08: Pruning Old and Young Trees
Pruning is an important part of keeping young trees beautiful and healthy. View many live demonstrations of this essential (and often overlooked) gardening task. By the end of this lecture, you will know the tools, timing, techniques and tips for effective tree pruning for all times of the year....
32 min
09: Pruning Shrubs
Turn now to the art of pruning shrubs. Watching Ms. Myers demonstrate in the field and the studio, you'll learn the best times to prune different types of shrubs; different pruning methods, including thinning cuts and rejuvenation pruning; why shearing isn't always the best option for shrubs; and answers to commonly asked pruning questions....
29 min
10: When Trees and Shrubs Fail to Thrive
What happens when your trees and shrubs fail to flourish? Welcome to the world of plant diagnostics. Ms. Myers shows you how to diagnose common growth problems with popular types of plants-just like an expert gardener. Along the way, you'll learn how to spot symptoms for everything from blight and dieback to chlorosis and invasive pests....
29 min
11: Restoring a Landscape to Health
Learn how to implement a recovery plan to bring your landscape back to health from various threats. Is the problem actually worth treating? What kinds of insect traps should you use (and avoid)? How can adjusting the surrounding environment help? And why are black walnut trees often such a big problem?...
28 min
12: Expanding Your Landscape's Framework
Conclude this series with a look at some fun (and challenging) ways to enhance the ornamental appeal and space efficiency of trees and shrubs. Learn pruning methods that help create tunnels or help plantings grow flat against walls or fences; tips for shearing plants into interesting shapes; and growing trees and shrubs in containers, or from cuttings and seeds....
33 min
