About the event

This half-day online course is a perfect introduction to the relevance of plant names, the meaning behind botanic nomenclature and how you can get to know your plants more!

Due to the time of year and plant availability, this course will include a PowerPoint presentation and images of plants.  These resources can also be shared with you for revision and for future use.

We will cover botanic nomenclature (plant naming) and basic botany as well as exploring some common plants and wildflowers and their names in more detail, breaking down the Genus and the species and explaining more about this.

There will be a break in the session when you will be set a short task to find a plant in your garden, and research the botanic name and why it’s called what it’s called.  You will then share your research with the rest of the group.

By the end of the course it is expected that you will know more about:

• nomenclature (plant naming) and where it began.
• how you can use this knowledge to find out more about the plants in your garden and how the botanic name tells you more about its growth habit, origin and colour, amongst other things.
• the importance of plant naming and how it contributes to identifying medicinal or toxic plants.

Suitable for beginners and also as a refresher course for improvers.

Led by Joanna Rayner, horticultural training consultant, gardener and garden designer – RHS and British Academy of Garden Design