By Vanessa Richins

One reason I am in love with sites like Twitter is because I can learn about gardening ’round the country, as well as the entire world.

I enjoy seeing pictures people have posted and hearing about the plants in their city.

Each garden has its own microclimate.

A apple tree in New York may grow quite differently than an apple tree in Utah. I can write and give general guidelines about how a plant often grows…but Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

If I could afford it, I would just go to school for the rest of my life.

Well…I’m not so keen on tests and grades, but I enjoy learning new facts and exploring.

Did you know there are free classes you can take online that can help you become a better gardener?

Many universities are now allowing the general public access to some of their courses for free via the Internet. Here are some examples:

Biology 1 and Biology 2

UMass Boston offers these general biology classes at a college level. It’s a good way to better understand how the biological world around us functions.

Agricultural Science & Policy 1 and Agricultural Science & Policy 2

Tufts will help you learn about resource conservation and aspects of plant care such as nutrients, breeding, pests and production. There are outlines of the lectures, along with suggested readings, exams and quizzes. Image galleries are included for some crop pests.

Plant Diseases and Chemicals

USU has Read the rest of this entry »