HRT-202 Landscape Construction and Maintenance
This course is open to all interested individuals and emphasizes various hands-on skills of horticulture including soil preparing, planting, pruning, weeding, edging, and mulching. Tours of various horticulture sites will familiarize students on the materials and methods for construction of walls, walks and patios. Achieving a basic understanding of the region’s horticultural history through field trips and hands-on learning at various non-profit institutions is included. Native plant and wholesale plant nursery visits will familiarize students to plant availability. An introduction to business operation is included.
For more detailed course information view the
Course Outline
Department
Environmental Conservation and Horticulture
Course Description
This course is open to all interested individuals and emphasizes various hands-on skills of horticulture including soil preparing, planting, pruning, weeding, edging, and mulching. Tours of various horticulture sites will familiarize students on the materials and methods for construction of walls, walks and patios. Achieving a basic understanding of the region’s horticultural history through field trips and hands-on learning at various non-profit institutions is included. Native plant and wholesale plant nursery visits will familiarize students to plant availability. An introduction to business operation is included.
Credit Hours
3Course Learning Outcomes
- Describe appropriate plant material selection, installation and maintenance as related to corresponding appropriate sites in the landscape.
- Articulate the differences between a historic horticulture site and a contemporary site.
- Apply basic concepts of irrigation systems to landscapes.
Topic Outline
- 1. Basics (classroom)
- a. Interpreting construction plans
- b. Site evaluation: soil testing, microclimates, proper plant placement, and hardiness zones
- c. Tools
- d. Maintenance and installation basics: planting, weeding, pruning, dividing, and watering
- e. Introduction to regional gardens and nurseries (prep for site visits)
- f. Basic irrigation materials and operation
- g. Certifications and licensure
- h. Safety
- 2. Construction materials (site visits to Sensenig, Phelps Cement, etc.)
- a. Retaining walls
- i. Land preparation
- ii. Various materials
- iii. Procedures
- iv. Estimating
- b. Paving
- i. Land preparation
- ii. Various materials
- iii. Procedures
- iv. Estimating
- c. Fences
- i. Land preparation
- ii. Various materials
- iii. Estimating
- 3. Plant materials (site visits to Monica's Native Plant Nursery, Northern Nursery, and Bristol's Nursery)
- a. Selection: woody (trees, shrubs, and vines) and herbaceous (perennials, biennials, and annuals)
- b. Pre-planting care
- c. Soil preparation
- d. Installation
- e. Post-planting care
- 4. Historic and private site visits (experiential)
- a. Parks: Highland, Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua, and Ellwanger & Barry
- b. Estates: Sonnenberg Gardens and George Eastman Museum
- c. Private homes
- 5. Turf and meadows (site visits to a golf course, natural sports turf, and an artificial turf site)
- a. Selecting plant materials
- b. Site preparation
- c. Installation
- d. Maintenance