About the Course
The Home Horticulture Certificate (HHC) is a comprehensive environmental horticultural education program that takes participants on an educational journey through fourteen weeks of virtual classroom instruction. Class lectures are hosted weekly on Zoom and taught by URI Cooperative Extension faculty and staff experts. HHC participants are supported by an undergraduate teaching assistant, who provides assistance with the online learning management system and navigating “school”. Weekly “Try This” assignments and a hands-on, practical course project focused on landscape observation and analysis draws the concepts learned in class together, culminating with a project showcase and discussion session. See the 2026 course schedule for a list of weekly lecture topics and practicum sessions.

FAQs

Q: Who is the Home Horticulture Certificate for?
A: The Home Horticulture Certificate (HHC) was developed in 2019 as a new horticultural education offering through URI Cooperative Extension to run concurrently with URI Master Gardener Program (MGP) core training course. The HHC includes the same in-depth, science-based content offered through the MGP core training, but does not require hands-on volunteer service for completion, and does not lead to certification as a URI Master Gardener. The Home Horticulture Certificate may be right for you if you are:

Working in a field related to gardening and want to learn more about the science of gardening;
Interested in expanding your own gardening knowledge and applying it to your own projects; and/or
Don’t have time for or interest in volunteering.

Q: How is the Home Horticulture Certificate structured?
A: The Home Horticulture Certificate course is offered completely online, with synchronous class meetings on Zoom, and two asynchronous (e.g. “on-your-own”) weeks of instruction. Course materials are accessible to students on Brightspace Engage, and drop-in office hours are offered each week on Zoom by Kate and her teaching assistant to support students with their questions.

Q: Will this program and the learnings be relevant to me if I don’t live in the same hardiness zone?
A: Here in RI, we are zone 6 and 7, but the concepts are certainly transferable to anybody living in a different zone.

Q: Are the in-person field practicum sessions mandatory to attend, or are they optional?
A: Practicums are an add-on for an additional cost of $75.00/session, and are optional.

Q: Are there books I need to purchase to complete the program, or are reading materials and other resources provided digitally?
A: The course handbook is provided digitally, as are all other resource materials we use. There are no texts required for purchase.

Q: What does the practical course project consist of?
A: The course project requires participants to do a site assessment of a site of their choosing (e.g. their backyard, a friends yard, a community garden), and collect information about site characteristics related to climate, the built environment and social uses of the space. It’s fun and practical.

Q: How do I apply? What is the cost?
A: Registration for the Home Horticulture Certificate begins each June, and closes on January 1st. The course fee is $550 (partial payments accepted).

Q: What if I’d rather become a URI Master Gardener volunteer?
A: Please visit the URI Master Gardener Program core training website for more information about joining our Extension volunteer team.

Testimonials

“I completed the Home Horticulture Certificate in 2022, and it set me on a path I’m thrilled to be following. Right after the course, I transformed the hell strip in front of our house (see pictures below) into a thriving native-plant garden—now buzzing with bees every summer. In 2023, I purchased eight acres in northeastern Connecticut and have been working with a young landscaper to plant native trees, shrubs, and perennials while keeping the forested areas intact. My winter sowing experiments even earned me a feature in the RI Wild Plant Society publication. The URI Home Horticulture Certificate Course had a profound impact on me, and I’m deeply grateful for the foundation it gave me.”- Marcy Stefura