Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening
Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin:
FOUNDATIONS IN GARDENING
An online, complete-at-your-own-pace introductory course where you learn key concepts for selecting, growing, and maintaining plants – from trees to houseplants to vegetables (and everything in between!)
2025 Registration dates: Early Bird July 16-August 11, 2025; Regular August 12-28, 2025.
2025 Course dates: September 7-December 6, 2025. Course is self-study and highly flexible. Course material accessible through August 2026. Course has limited capacity, please register early.
2025 Course fee:
Early Bird: $299, includes electronic version of manual (PDF)
Regular: $325, includes electronic version of manual (PDF).
Green Industry commercial or horticultural professionals: Want to send a group through the course? Ask us about our group deals! Email gardening.class@extension.wisc.edu to set up a time to meet to see if this course is right for your team and to learn about group discounts.
2025 optional add-ons:
Manual Hard Copy (recommended): $35 Register during Early Bird registration and receive your manual prior to the course start date!
Online Labs: $40
What will I learn in this course?
At the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
Link gardening practices and biology to preventing plant problems.
Explain how to select, grow, and maintain the health of different kinds of plants.
Identify strategies to manage plant problems.
Explain what Integrated Pest Management is and how it benefits you and the environment.
Learn about growing plants in a way that helps you plan for gardening success, prevent plant problems before they start, and manage issues when they happen. You’ll leave the course with a combination of practical gardening skills to try plus the knowledge of why they work.
Course overview
Past participants said:
“Enjoyed the ability to learn online and pace my learning in concert with my personal life.”
“I learned a lot. All of the information presented in the readings and videos was useful…”
"THANK YOU for an excellent course! I was impressed with the useful information! I really enjoyed the flexibility of the course; I listened to the videos with GREAT interest when it fit my schedule. The course gets a ‘2 thumbs up’ from me! The quizzes were excellent!"
“I have been talking about taking this class for at least 8 years and am so gratified that I have done it. I love gardens and gardening and now I know more! I improved!”
What: Online, complete-at-your-own pace gardening course. Includes 14 modules with online videos, readings, activities, and additional resources. Hear directly from Extension experts through videos and live Q & A with the Experts webinars! The course includes an electronic (PDF) copy of the course training manual, available when the course begins.
When: September 7-December 6, 2025. Early Bird registration for the 2025 course will begin in July 2025.
Participants have access to course material through August 31, 2026. We provide a suggested calendar to help you complete the course by December 6th. Go through the course at your own pace when you have time.
Who: Foundations in Gardening is open to everyone! This course is considered an approved learning opportunity for the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program in preparation to become a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener. Visit the Wisconsin Master Gardener Website for more information.
How: This is an online course that uses Canvas, our online classroom, and Zoom.
Course topics: You’ll cover a wide variety of topics to build a strong gardening knowledge foundation.
General Gardening Practices
Integrated Pest Management
Soils
Botany
Insects
Plant Diseases
Wildlife
Weeds
Herbaceous & Woody Ornamentals
Houseplants & Containers
Fruits
Vegetables
Lawns
Course Features
Q&A with the Experts
Q & A with the Experts webinars take place live in Zoom with our UW-Madison Division of Extension specialists and experts. During the webinars, they will teach you about a gardening topic and answer your plant and gardening questions within their area of expertise. Past participants have found these enriching opportunities valuable to their learning!
All webinars are recorded. If you can’t make it live, you can view them when it works with your schedule.
Training Manual (hard copy)
A hard copy of the training manual is available for purchase during course registration. An electronic (PDF) version of the training manual comes with course registration but purchasing the hard copy version is highly recommended. Available only to course participants at the time of registration.Early Bird registrants receive their hard copies by the course start date.
This is a great resource to have on your bookshelf!
Optional Labs
Dig deeper into important course concepts by registering for four optional online labs led by Extension educators. You’ll practice applying course concepts to real-life situations. All labs will be held via Zoom.
Get that “in person class” feeling online!
This is a separate registration process from the course registration. Once you register for the course, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to register for the labs.
Scholarships
A limited number of need-based scholarships will be available for 2025. Please read the scholarship details below before applying. We are offering two scholarship types:
Future Master Gardener Scholarship
Open to qualifying individuals enrolling in Foundations in Gardening 2025 who intend to register for Onboarding 2026 to enter the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program.
$100 scholarships for Foundations in Gardening (bringing the course fee down to $199 + optional add ons)
FREE REGISTRATION for Onboarding 2026 (Step 2 of becoming a Wisconsin Master Gardener, $100 value)
Just the Course Scholarship
Open to any individual who qualifies
$100 scholarships for Foundations in Gardening (bringing the course fee down to $199 + optional add ons)
Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling, first come first serve basis only during the Early Bird course registration window (July 16-August 11, 2025). Scholarships will not be awarded after the Early Bird registration period.
If applying for a scholarship, do not register for the class using the general registration link! We will send scholarship awardees their own personal registration link. Wait to hear from us before registering.
After you fill out the scholarship application form, a staff person will be in contact with you within one business week. If you have any questions, please contact us at: gardening.class@extension.wisc.edu
We cannot guarantee all applicants will receive scholarships due to their limited availability.
Free registration into Onboarding is only awarded for the listed year and is non transferable.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.
