John Janick, Owner, Good Host Plants Native Plant Nursery 

In the native plant nursery he runs out of his home in West Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, John Janick works to promote biodiversity by growing straight species native plants, indigenous to Philadelphia and the MidAtlantic region, using local-ecotype plants whenever possible, to promote genetic variability and healthy ecosystems. 

Join us onsite at John’s home and the site of his nursery. You’ll get a tour and learn from John about how he turned a weedy property covered with lawn and invasives into the healthy woodland, aquatic habitat, and thriving native meadow we’ll see together. John will show us his favorite plants for attracting pollinators and providing blooms throughout the growing season covering various site conditions.

This course has been submitted to carry 1.5 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 1.5 LTE/ LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens' Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. 

Friday, September 25 
1:00 – 2:30 pm 

Members: $35 | Non-members: $40

Todd Montgomery, Director of Public Projects, Indigenous Ingenuities 

In the modern urban landscape, stormwater is often treated as a liability; a problem to be piped away and hidden, out of sight and out of mind. But what if we treated it as a fundamental design driver for our public spaces? In this workshop, we will explore the opportunities and realities of green infrastructure, moving beyond traditional engineering to create landscapes that slow down and clean up water while simultaneously fostering vibrant community connection. We will begin in the classroom, diving into the design evolution of two West Philadelphia projects: the University of Pennsylvania’s Shoemaker Green and Drexel University’s Perelman Plaza + Korman Quad. 

Following our classroom analysis, we will move outside to walk the sites themselves to see how they perform in the real world — for water and for people. By reviewing the performance of these projects years after construction, we will address the essential role of ongoing care in keeping these systems resilient and functional and discuss how you can translate these high-stakes lessons into smaller-scale residential or institutional projects. 

Todd Montgomery brings sixteen years of experience from Andropogon Associates, where he led award-winning, largescale institutional projects grounded in the belief that landscapes must be creatively designed, deeply functional, and thoughtfully stewarded. Today, as the Director of Public Projects at Indigenous Ingenuities, Todd is applying that complex, systems-based expertise to a new model of practice.  In addition to his design work, he teaches courses at UPenn and Swarthmore in construction, professional practice, and design. 

Participants will meet at UPenn, the location will be emailed to all registrants in advance of the program. 

This course has been submitted to carry 2 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 2 LTE/ LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. 

Tuesday, October 20 
10:00 am – 12:00 pm 

Members: $35 | Non-members: $40

Christopher Uhland, Owner, Harmony Hill Nursery, LLC

This afternoon of learning offers an immersive tour through a live plant production nursery, providing students with firsthand insight into the tree production industry. Hosted by Christopher B. Uhland of Harmony Hill Nursery LLC, a Chester County wholesale nursery specializing in high-quality trees and shrubs, the experience highlights every stage of the growing process—from planting field liners and structural pruning to harvesting and preparing plant material for installation.

Throughout the seminar, industry professionals with ISA Certified Arborist, RCA, and PA Certified Horticulturalist credentials will discuss the science and techniques behind successful plant production, including the biology of planting and digging nursery stock, the development and selection of cultivars and hybrids, and best practices for choosing plant material suited to various landscapes and environments. Participants will gain valuable knowledge of both the practical and scientific aspects of nursery operations while exploring the processes that shape healthy, market-ready trees and shrubs. A discussion on the low-bid process, contract growing, in-season purchasing and yard purchasing will evolve and be discussed with the sales team. This is a great opportunity for behind-the-scenes learning about many aspects of the plant nursery trade!

Participants will meet at Harmony Hill Nursery in Downingtown, PA.

This course has been submitted to carry 2 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 2 LTE/LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture.

Tuesday, October 20
2:00 – 4:00 pm

Members: $35 | Non-members: $40

Ken LeRoy, Certified Arborist Representative, John B. Ward Tree Experts

Join us for a class on the identification of woody landscape plants for urban and suburban landscapes. The class will cover both deciduous trees and conifers. Arborist and horticulturist Ken LeRoy will show us how to use a dichotomous key to identify plants and he will explain the terminology used in keys to describe plant characteristics. He will also discuss the physical characteristics used to group plants into families. We will go on a tour of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens to see specimens of the plants we discuss. You may want to purchase the Sibley Guide to Trees, a good reference for tree identification that is available in the Morris’s Gift Shop.

Please dress for the weather.

This course has been submitted to carry 6 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 4 LTE/LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture.

Monday, October 26
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Fee: $160