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​Horticulture in Southwest Florida is unlike anywhere in the world. Growing conditions are often ideal. Warm year-round temperatures, generous rainfall, and sunny days encourage plants and people. This microclimate offers a unique palette of foliage, flowers, and fruit.

Enthusiasm about plants is the beginning of being a great horticulturist. Knowledge, effort and experience complete the package. You are most productive and successful when you are familiar with seasons, soils, plant selection, attractive, useful arrangement, insects, diseases, weeds, and many unseen enemies of plant life.
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Our objective is to give you a wide exposure to Florida ornamental horticulture, focusing on the southern zone, concentrating on Lee and Collier counties. Our classes are designed to give you useful, local information and to help you to pass the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association's (FNGLA) Certified Horticulture Professional tests.

Classes

The Fall 2025 classes are now open for enrollment.
We will be meeting at the Naples Botanical Gardens, starting on Thursday, July 24th.
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Click on details for more...
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Plant Identification

Here is a separate "photo blog" of landscape plants in S. W. Florida.
In our certification program we are responsible for identifying 259 palms, trees, shrubs, foliage plants, vines, ground covers and bedding plants. This link shows you clear photos , arranged by those categories.

Bob Blog

In this blog I have some horticultural fun.  At the bottom of the front page you can choose from categories like; Bedding plant trials, trade shows, salsa recipe, tomatoes, peppers, bad landscaping, garden benches, fairy gardens, green walls, and much more.