Our two Exploring the Garden courses take you on an inspiring
tour of the world of plants, explaining the "hows" and "whys" of what
you see and do in your garden. With this information you will be better
equipped to identify problems and read plant symptoms -- and
you will communicate more effectively with fellow gardeners. For a
comprehensive look at the world of plants, we suggest you take both
courses: Plant Growth and Diversity (BOT1)
first, followed by Plant Relationships and Cycles (BOT2).
Exploring the
Garden: Plant Relationships and Cycles (BOT2)
Why does deadheading a plant promote more
flowering? Why won't seeds collected from hybrid plants grow
"true-to-type"? Why does cross-pollination among different varieties
of sweet corn affect flavor? And yet the flavor of squash isn't affected by cross-pollination? Can home gardeners breed
their own vegetable varieties? What exactly is genetic engineering, and is there a cause
for concern?
The course begins with a look at the relationships between plants and people. We survey
a variety of plants and plant parts, looking at the characteristics that make them so
valuable to us. Next we look at the role of flowers in plant reproduction — that
mystery in which life is transmitted from one generation to the next. We explore plant
life cycles, and discuss how gardeners manipulate plant life cycles to their advantage.
Then, we venture into the world of genetics, investigating how various traits are passed
from parent to offspring. This leads us to a brief look at plant breeding, including
recent advances in high-tech methods, and we survey different ways gardeners can propagate
their own plants. We wrap up the course with a look at ecology in the garden.
