The Certificate in Native Plants program is designed to expand students' knowledge of botany, ecology, conservation, and uses of native flora in the southeastern United States. Students will get both classroom education and hands-on application to increase knowledge and skills that can be applied at home, in the community, and at work. The course setting will provide a common ground for native plant enthusiasts to meet and connect with others who share their interests. 

The CNP is designed to benefit both home gardeners and landscaping professionals alike.  You do NOT need to be working toward the Certificate in order to register for classes.

If you are interested in working toward YOUR Certificate, please note that the Plant Form & Function classes are CORE classes required for the Certificate.  Now is a good time to get those classes in!

CNP classes are limited to 25 participants.  They fill up quickly, so register now to ensure your place.  

Click the buttons below for program details and registration.

It was a hot summer day on July 22nd, but a hardy group of Tennessee Valley Wild Ones members and three terrific hosts took the opportunity to share and learn from each other about native plant gardening ... and to see three different "landscapes in progress."  Susan Schott, Stephan Egelsroth and Lucy Scanlon kindly opened their gardens for about twenty other Wild Ones, and as always, we all learned so much from each other about what grows where, what has worked and what hasn't worked here in the Tennessee Valley.

Our Fall 2017 LIPs is currently set for Saturday, September 30th, so save the date!  If you know of Wild Ones members' landscapes you've visited or heard about - or if YOU would like to share your garden - please tell us. Big, small, in-ground or balcony/deck/patio, town or country, DIY or professionally installed -- all varieties might be possibilities for that date. Perfection is NOT allowed! Remember, the "ideal" LIPs garden is one where we can all share and learn from each other.

District III Director Candace Chazen has announced that the twelve clubs in the district will each establish Pollinator Gardens and Monarch Waystations.   Recognizing that the reasons for the decline of pollinators is a loss of habitat and the high use of pesticides, all of the 12 gardens will contain native perennials, shrubs and small trees.  All the plant material will be pesticide free and no pesticides will be used in or around the gardens.  

All of the clubs will be using Wild Ones' handouts such as "Over-the-counter products toxic to Pollinators" and "Native Plants for Pollinator Gardens" from the Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership (CHAPP) website. All of the clubs will follow the CHAPP criteria for the gardens.

In addition, TFGC District III will lobby local cities to participate in Bee City USA.  The Bee City USA program endorses a set of commitments, defined in a resolution, for creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, which are vital to feeding the planet.  The first presentation about the initiative will be before the Lookout Mountain Council on Tuesday, August 15 at 5:00 about Lookout Mountain becoming a Bee City USA site.  The TFGC will also appear before the Lookout Mountain, GA council.  The other cities involved will be Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Dayton, TN.