Plant Studio FAQs

Plant Studio is NYBG’s new suite of online flexible courses designed for the busy learner. Plant Studio courses are hosted on our online learning management, Canvas. Content is delivered weekly through pre-recorded videos with the Garden’s plant professionals, showcasing both the expertise and the beauty of the New York Botanical Garden. Each course includes weekly lectures, readings, assignments, and a final project on which students receive individualized feedback. Students have the opportunity to connect with course facilitators and each other through online discussion boards.

Students who complete course requirements will receive a digital credential from NYBG that can be shared on social media. Too busy to do the assignments? That’s ok too. All courses include a 30-day read-only period after the course concludes to rewatch course videos and review the discussion boards, so that you can learn at your own pace, on your own time, anywhere in the world, in the style that works best for you.

Plant Studio courses vary by length, ranging from two to six weeks, depending on the course content. Please review the individual course descriptions for more detail.

No prior experience or training is needed, just an eagerness to learn! Plant Studio courses are geared toward the “plant curious.” Course videos are designed to help you gain basic skills and knowledge that they can use in a variety of disciplines, whether gardening, landscape design, floral design, and more.

Plant Studio courses are flexible, meaning there is no requirement for you to log in at any particular time to receive instruction. Course content can be accessed anywhere, anytime, as long as you have an internet connection. Course content is modular, with new content released each week of the course run. You’ll have one week to complete any requirements, if you’re seeking to earn a digital credential. Those who are not seeking to earn a credential do not need to complete assignments. By releasing content weekly, Plant Studio helps you pace themselves and manage their time to be successful.

Please note that longer Plant Studio courses do include at least one Zoom session for live interaction with the course facilitator and other students; however, attendance is not required. These live sessions are recorded for students to view on their own time and are accessible via our learning management system, Canvas.

To register for a Plant Studio course, visit NYBG’s Continuing Education registration website. New to NYBG Continuing Education? You can create an account. If you’re a returning student, you can log into your account by using your email address and password on file.

Once you’ve selected the Plant Studio course and session you’d like to register for, proceed to checkout and follow the registration prompts.

For further assistance, contact us at ContinuingEd@nybg.org.

Plant Studio courses are accessed through NYBG’s learning management system, Canvas, which supports online learning. In Canvas, you can view course videos, submit assignments, receive and read announcements, and participate in online discussions anytime, anywhere. For more information about how Canvas works, please review our Canvas FAQ.

Plant Studio courses have specific start and end dates because they are facilitated by experts; they are not self-paced. Each course opens one week prior to the course start date to help you to become familiar with Canvas as well as access the course syllabus, post on the Introduce Yourself board to meet your learning community, and review any plant materials that might be needed for purchase to complete the assignments successfully.

Course content is released weekly, on Wednesdays.

Yes! Because students have one week to complete each module, registration stays open throughout the first week of each course session. Late registrants should reach out to their course facilitators for advice if they are seeking to earn a credential, though all courses allow some flexibility to miss one weekly assignment and still earn an NYBG credential. Final project completion is required for a credential in all courses.

To participate in Plant Studio, you will need to access NYBG’s learning management system, Canvas. Review this Canvas guide for detailed specifications required:

What are the basic computer specifications for Canvas?

A reliable high-speed Internet connection is required for accessing materials from your course site, including Plant Studio videos. You can check your Internet speed using the Measurement Lab’s Network Diagnostic Tool or many other freely available speed tests.

A minimum of 1.5Mb/s for upload and download speed will generally be required, though faster speeds (≥ 30Mb/s) will provide a better experience for watching course content.

If you experience any technical difficulties, first check that you have the correct technical requirements.

24/7 tech support is available from Canvas:

• Canvas Help Menu (live chat and other resources)
• Canvas Support Hotline: +1 (833) 403-1847
• Canvas Community / Knowledge Base

Some Plant Studio courses require you to purchase plant materials to complete assignments. This is particularly true for courses with hands-on assignments in gardening and floral design. Any materials that you’ll need are listed in the Welcome Module that opens one week prior to the course start date. These materials are typically not needed until Week 2, so you should have about two weeks to purchase the plant materials before the assignment is due.

Yes! Plant Studio courses are optimized for flexibility, so even apartment gardeners can benefit from the instruction. For some courses, like Pruning Basics, you may need to be creative if you live in an apartment or dormitory, though there are potted plants that can benefit from pruning even in small spaces. More information is included in the Welcome Module of each course, and you can also reach out to your course facilitator for advice or an accommodation once your course begins.

No discounts or refunds will be granted for missed classes. If you decide to withdraw from a Plant Studio course before it begins, you must notify NYBG Continuing Education 10 full business days before the Welcome Module opens*; we will issue a refund minus a $25 processing fee. We will not issue refunds or credits if you withdraw after the deadline, no exceptions.

In the rare case of course cancellation by NYBG, a full refund will be issued to you.

*The Welcome Module opens one week prior to the course start date. If you register for a Plant Studio course after the Welcome Module has opened and decide to withdraw, you will not receive a refund.

Generally, you should prepare to spend about 3 hours each week watching course videos, completing course readings and assignments, and answering prompts on the course discussion boards. Since every student is different, you may need more or less time depending on your own unique learning style. You will have one week (7 days) to complete each module, including any assignments.

Course content is released weekly, on Wednesdays.

Yes! Plant Studio courses are flexible, meaning course content can be accessed anywhere, anytime, as long as you have an internet connection. Course content is modular, with new content released each week of the course run. You’ll have one week to complete any requirements, if you’re seeking to earn a digital credential. If you aren’t seeking a credential, you do not need to complete assignments. By releasing content weekly, Plant Studio helps you pace yourself and manage your time successfully.

All assignments are submitted via our learning management system, Canvas. For some gardening and floral design courses, you will need to take digital photographs of your projects and upload these photographs to Canvas for your course facilitator, and sometimes your fellow students, to review.

Each course session is moderated by a facilitator who is an expert in the field. For some course sessions, these facilitators will be the same plant professionals who appear in the course’s pre-recorded video content. Other times, the facilitators will be different experts who will provide their own perspectives via the course discussion boards, announcements, and Zoom session (if applicable). In all cases, you’ll receive personalized feedback on your projects and opportunities to engage with a likeminded community of learners.

Yes! One of the most important aspects of any continuing education program is the opportunity to grow your network, whether you are a casual learner or looking to join a new profession. Our learning management system, Canvas, provides opportunities to connect with your fellow students on the course discussion boards. These electronic forums let students respond to each other’s posts and the prompt. You can also message your community as well as your course facilitator through the Canvas inbox.

Additionally, longer courses include at least one Zoom session for live interaction to connect with each other, ask questions, and spotlight hot topics in the field.

Yes! Longer courses include at least one Zoom session for live interaction to connect with each other, ask questions, and spotlight hot topics in the field. However, attendance is not required. These live sessions are recorded for students to view on their own time and are accessible via our learning management system, Canvas.

Too busy to do the assignments? That’s ok. You will learn a lot even just by watching the course videos. There is no requirement to participate unless you are trying to earn a credential.

All courses include a 30-day read-only period after the course concludes to rewatch course videos and review the discussion boards, so that you can learn at your own pace, on your own time, anywhere in the world, in the style that works best for you.

Note that students who do not complete the assignments are not eligible for a digital credential.

Plant Studio courses are primarily project based. Though some courses in our portfolio include optional “test your knowledge” quizzes, most assignments ask students to complete projects. Expect to create a floral arrangement in a floral design course, or to garden in a gardening course, as an opportunity to practice hands on what you are learning in the course videos. Each course has a final project, on which students will receive individualized feedback from the course facilitator. All assignments are assessed as complete/incomplete. You cannot fail a Plant Studio course. We want you to have fun and enjoy the experience.

You will receive an Accredible digital credential within 30 days of the final project submission due date.