Making Good Choices: Helping Homeowners Find a Balance in Plant Selection

Homeowners have many options when selecting plants for their landscape—and the right choices can benefit not only your property, but also pollinators and local wildlife. This short course will expand your knowledge of native plants and how to incorporate them into your home landscape.

Participants will learn how to strike a balance between ornamental and naturalized species while avoiding invasive plants. Following the classroom session, the group will tour select areas of the Garden to explore real examples of plants that thrive in residential settings.

• For your comfort during the outdoor portion, please wear appropriate shoes and consider bringing a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

Capacity is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Additional Information:
This class will be held in person at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Attendees will receive an email with location details prior to the class.

Class Registration

*Become a Huntsville Botanical Garden Member and enjoy exclusive discounts, special programs, and more—plus free daily admission and reciprocal benefits at over 380 gardens nationwide!

Meet Your Instructor

Mike Shelton, Natural Areas Supervisor at Huntsville Botanical Garden
Mike has over 32 years of experience working in environmental science in government, university, and private sectors. Currently, he serves as the Natural Areas Supervisor at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Prior to joining the team at the Garden, Mike served the people of Alabama for over 17 years as a Natural Resources Planner at the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a partnership between the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There, he participated in stewardship activities on nearly 10,000 acres of uplands, wetlands, and state-owned waterbottoms near Fairhope, Alabama. Mike earned a master’s degree in Biology at Emory University and an undergraduate degree in Biology at Hampden-Sydney College. He lives in Huntsville with his spouse, Wendy, enjoying outdoor activities, music, movies, and all the amenities of the city and of North Alabama.