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We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new learning opportunity here at the Morris: The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture will offer the opportunity to gain proficiency in creating and maintaining landscapes that are grounded in ecological principles and practice. Geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management, this classroom and field-based program is a series of 12 courses that are open to the public. The program is self-paced and can be completed in one year of intensive learning or up to several years at a slower pace. The first four courses in the series will be offered in fall 2025.   
  

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What makes this certificate program unique?  

The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture is unique in our ecological systems-based approach to landscape design and maintenance. Our program approaches each garden as a complex living system, where plants, soil, water, animals, climate, human activity, and other elements interact with and influence each other. In hands-on and classroom instruction, our program teaches design and stewardship strategies that address these relationships holistically rather than focusing on individual components in isolation.  

The program will focus on our region here in Southeast Pennsylvania. Drawing from our deep expertise in this region’s ecology, all instruction will speak to our local ecosystems. Here at the Morris we have a long history in the native plants of Pennsylvania—we have literally written THE book on this topic!

Instructors in the certificate program will include Morris staff members as well as other local professionals that are regionally and nationally acclaimed in ecological horticulture.  

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What will I gain in completing this program?  

Students who complete all required coursework will earn a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture awarded by the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. This certificate will represent the knowledge you will have gained in your online, classroom, and hands-on learning. You will be able to highlight your completion of the program on your resume or with clients who are looking for a landscape professional with an understanding of ecological approaches to land care. The program will also offer opportunities to develop relationships with certificate program staff as well as with your peers in the program—relationships you can carry with you into the future.  
  

By the Numbers  

• The program includes 12 required courses (8–10 hours each) and two elective courses, with an anticipated 124 hours of learning in the classroom and in the field (about a 50/50 split).   

• Students can progress through the curriculum at their own pace, completing all requirements over one year or up to three-plus years.   

• Registration in the program involves a $45 initial fee to sign up as a certificate seeker. Each course is priced depending on hours of instruction, averaging $25 per hour. The anticipated total cost for completion of the entire course series is roughly $3,000.   

  
Interested in learning more?   

• Join us at our Virtual Open House on May 8 at 7:00 pm, where you’ll be able to meet some of our certificate program staff and instructors, ask questions, and get answers!    

• Visit the Certificate Program webpage on the Morris website for an introduction to our expert instructors, read course descriptions, and more.