2019 ASHS Annual Conference

In partnership with Longwood Gardens, we offer three distance education classes on Plant Identification. Each class focuses on a different group of plants: Edibles, Bulbs and Houseplants; Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers; and Trees, Shrubs, and Conifers. The classes are proctored for six weeks and students have access to the site for an additional six months. Each class is broken into 3 segments with each segment containing a video introduction to the material, additional information including vocabulary, plant profiles, and a pronunciation guide; activities, including flashcards, drag and drop exercises and vocabulary games; assignments including forums to post photographs, and vocabulary exercises; and plant identification and plant cultivation quizzes. There is an optional final exam.

Many of the quizzes and most of the final are graded online, the rest, as well as the weekly homework assignments, are hand graded.

The course is offered through the Moodle platform and both NC State and Longwood Gardens provide content and marketing for the program. Enrollment is increasing over time. The fee is $195 for the public $98 for Extension Volunteers, and $50 for Extension professionals.