City Secrets : Free Horticulture & Floristry Classes for City Residents

GUEST POST BY C. CHAMBERLAYNE

Looking for something to do with your downtime that is a bit more active than watching Netflix and is not going to break the bank?   Here’s an idea for you…. City College of San Francisco is offering SF residents free tuition at the college starting in the Fall 2017 semester which begins August 19^th.  Why not take a class?

Not sure what you would want to take, well might I suggest one in the Environmental Horticulture & Floristry Department!  This department can be overlooked as the location at the Ocean Avenue Campus is a bit apart from the main buildings in its own separate area but once you find it you will be amazed as it is quite a sizeable and lovely green oasis.

Many of the classes offered in this department can be taken without having to take any prerequisite courses.  You can dive right in to a new plant-centric world!

I just took a class this summer called Introduction to Environmental Horticulture which was taught by Malcolm Hillan and it was so engaging, interesting and fun. The course consisted of lecture time, hands-on learning in the department’s gardens and greenhouses, and included some field trips too.

We studied a wide array of horticultural topics including, but not limited to, plant anatomy and physiology, a number of propagation and transplanting techniques, the roles various kinds of soils, amendments and fertilizers play, methods of pruning, and so much more.

One of the great things about the CCSF Environmental Horticulture & Floristry Department is that it seems to really take into account that a good number of the people who are interested in taking classes also have work schedules. The professors in this department provide all sorts of daytime and nighttime as well as weekend opportunities to take their courses and there are currently spaces available in many of the upcoming classes this fall.

You may even become as enthused as I have about this unique and award winning  department and decide to take multiple classes or even pursue a certificate or a degree.  And with the college being so affordable now and the class schedule so flexible it is actually fairly easy to pursue!

So, if you think you would like to try something a little different and very accessible and engaging then check out the Environmental Horticulture & Floristry Department and sign up for a class and see what you think!