For 2025: Cultivate your horticulture knowledge
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu
Gardeners are learners, and our landscapes are outdoor laboratories full of questions that keep us looking for answers. We are always searching for ways to broaden our horticulture knowledge base. How can I improve my soil? What insect is this, and is it a pest? What flowers can I plant to help pollinators? Could these leaf spots be a disease? Is this the right plant for this location?
Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) is one of the plants ProHort students learn about when studying pollinator habitats.
Enter ProHort, an online horticulture foundation course offered by University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It has the same class content provided to Extension Master Gardener interns without the volunteer obligation.
It’s an ideal program for industry pros, educators, lifelong gardeners and beginning gardeners seeking to expand their horticulture knowledge.
Jump-start your garden journey
Siana Goodwin, a participant in the 2024 ProHort cohort, found that the program was exactly what she was looking for to jump-start her journey in her own garden. “I wanted to learn more about plants, gardening and soils, and this was a very convenient way to do it.”
ProHort ignited a passion in Goodwin to create a pollinator sanctuary in her yard. She also learned about selecting plants that will perform best in her garden’s growing conditions, including the soil. “Lately, I’ve become much more interested in the soil. Because of my experience with ProHort, I'm actually thinking about going back to school for soil science.”
Connect with Extension educators and faculty
The ProHort program offers easy-to-follow content suited to various learning styles, including weekly Q&As with Extension educators and faculty to help ProHort cohort students connect with people beyond the online content.
"The Horticulture Core Course Companion Guide" is an extensive text included with ProHort registration. It’s a supplemental guide to all topics covered in the comprehensive ProHort class. Photo: Lily Smith
According to Goodwin, “It is very thorough and has a lot of information. There were texts, movies and articles, and the Q&As were great. In fact, the Q&As were my favorite part!”
There are also opportunities for ProHort cohort hands-on learning with field trips to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and access to mentors to help deepen the learning experience.
New this year, ProHort students receive a printed copy in addition to the digital copy of "The Horticulture Core Course Companion Guide" with their registration.
Registration is open through Jan. 12.
