Fundamentals of Home Gardening

ornamentals in a flower garden at a private home

Overview

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced gardener looking to expand your knowledge, UConn Extension's Fundamentals of Home Gardening online course is designed to help you succeed. This flexible, self-paced program covers essential gardening topics, including soil health, plant selection, pest management, and sustainable practices. Learn from UConn Extension experts and gain the confidence to grow a thriving garden.

The course consists of four modules, each focusing on key aspects of gardening. You can take individual courses or complete all four to earn a Fundamentals of Home Gardening Certificate of Completion.

The Modules

  1. The Fundamentals of Gardening - CORE: Covers Water, Soils, and Botany—three essential components in successful gardening that form the foundation of gardening knowledge.
  2. The Fundamentals of Gardening – ENVIRONMENTALS: Explores Plants and the Environment, Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Integrated Pest Management to help gardeners understand ecological interactions.
  3. The Fundamentals of Gardening - FOODS: Focuses on growing food at home, including Vegetables, Tree Fruits & Berries, and Herbs, to support home food production.
  4. The Fundamentals of Gardening - ORNAMENTALS: Examines plants used in home landscapes, including Herbaceous Ornamentals, Woody Plants, Turf, and Native-Nonnative and Invasive Plants.

How is this different from the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program?

The Fundamentals of Home Gardening course is designed for home gardeners who want to expand their knowledge but do not wish to commit to the volunteer component required in the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program. While both programs offer high-quality, science-based education in horticulture, the Fundamentals of Home Gardening course is fully online and self-paced, allowing participants to learn on their own schedule without the obligation of volunteer hours.

Enroll today and take your gardening skills to the next level!  Each course is $150.

Register 

Click on the links in the course description below to register

SPECIAL NOTE: Select- "College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources" as the affiliation when registering

Fundamentals of Gardening – Core

The Fundamentals of Gardening - Core course is the first of four on the path to achieving the Fundamentals of Home Gardening certificate of completion.

Topics covered are:

  • Water - This module will raise your appreciation of the importance of clean water in your garden, and in the larger world around you.
  • Soils – Understanding what makes “good soil” is basic to healthy plants. Learning what plants need and how to provide it will result in happier and more productive plants.
  • Botany - The basics of plant anatomy and reproduction is key to understanding how plants work.

These are three important components in successful gardening, comprising the foundation of gardening knowledge.

The course will open on February 9, 2026. You will have access to the course material until October 30, 2026.

Price: $150  select UConn>College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources when registering

Fundamentals of Gardening – Environmentals

The Fundamentals of Gardening - Environmentals course explores how a plant’s physical surroundings can impact its health.  An understanding of the environment and how pests and diseases can affect plant growth allows the gardener to provide the best circumstances for optimum health and performance. The four sections in this series explore:

  • Plants and the Environment - This module explores the relationship between plants and the world around them. Plant adaptation, environmental factors on plant health and interpreting patterns and causes of plant damage are discussed.
  • Plant Pathology – An overview of plant pathology, looking at both biotic and abiotic diseases/disorders and how to manage disease problems.
  • Entomology - Knowing the basics of insect anatomy, reproduction, and the different ways they damage plants is key to the best management and control.
  • Integrated Pest Management – This module explores the different aspects of good plant management and how to integrate the different tools for the best results and the least negative consequences.

The course will open on February 9, 2026. You will have access to the course material until October 30, 2026.

Price: $150  select UConn>College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources when registering

Fundamentals of Gardening – Foods

The Fundamentals of Gardening - FOODS course is the third of four on the path to achieving the Fundamentals of Home Gardening certificate of completion.

Topics covered are the aspects of food grown in home gardens which includes:

  • VEGETABLES - planning and preparing for a vegetable garden, care of the vegetable garden during the growing season, harvest and storage of crops.
  • TREE FRUITS & BERRIES - preparation and planting considerations of fruit bearing crops, individual crop requirements, pruning, pollination requirements and best cultural practices.
  • HERBS - what are they, botanical classification, growing requirements, preservation and storage.

The course will open on February 9, 2026. You will have access to the course material until October 30, 2026.

Price: $150  select UConn>College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources when registering

Fundamentals of Gardening – Ornamentals

The Fundamentals of Gardening - ORNAMENTALS course is the fourth of four on the path to achieving the Fundamentals of Home Gardening certificate of completion.

Topics covered are the plants we use in home landscapes including:

  • HERBACIOUS ORNAMENTALS -  types of herbaceous ornamentals, culture, seasonal care, pest and diseases, and propagation.
  • WOODY PLANTS - definition of a woody plant, characteristics, the use of a dichotomous keys ins woody plant identification, selection and care, pruning and propagation.
  • TURF - brief history of American lawns, definition of turf, mowing practices, irrigation techniques, turf grass identification, fertilization, diseases, management of insects pests and weeds.
  • NATIVE-NONNATIVE and INVASIVE PLANTS - ecosystem concepts, impact of non-native/invasive species on ecosystems, Federal and Connecticut Invasive statutes and infrastructure, invasive species in Connecticut, management of invasive species and educating others about invasive species.

The course will open on February 9, 2026. You will have access to the course material until October 30, 2026.

Price: $150  select UConn>College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources when registering

How to transition to a Certified Master Gardener
Did you complete all four Fundamentals courses and would like to become a Certified Master Gardener? Learn how.