1,000+
classes taken
35+
states represented
1
goal for a better world
These inspirational courses offered invaluable information in the quest to turn my small piece of nature into a biodiverse, four season, sustainable wildlife haven." 

Stacey 
Enjoy 15 hours of video content that will get you on the right path toward a natural, resilient,
low-management habitat garden that appeals to both wildlife and people.

These classes will save you TIME and EXPENSE.
I planted 500 square feet of prior nonnative yard into native sedge & perennials this past week. Thank you for the inspiration and advice. Videos are sooo informative!"

Stephanie
 Scroll down for a complimentary class on converting lawn to prairie garden.

Course Bundles

The Starter Pack
The 4 Class Starter Pack
$99 or 2 payments of $49

save 15% off the individual class price

Enjoy four lectures at a discount that will help you design and manage your natural garden. You'll receive:
Starting Your Native Plant Garden | Fundamentals of Garden Layers | Intro to Matrix Design | Designing With Common Nursery Plants
BEST VALUE
All 18 Garden Classes
$299 or 3 payments of $99

save 40% when you get the entire suite

It's 15 hours of content! The entire suite will take you into every nuanced detail from researching and finding plants, prepping the site, how to design with resilient plant communities, and aesthetic strategies to appease neighbors. Plus access never expires.
Premium Package
All 18 Classes + Consult + Community Access
$549 or 4 payments of $135

get tailored help while you progress

As you work through the classes you can schedule one 45-minute Zoom consult with Benjamin to address any questions about your project. You'll also receive a complimentary 1-year subscription to the Prairie Up community forum to get even more help.

Individual Courses
Pollinator Gardening With Native Plants
$29

Flowers & grasses from spring to fall


In this class you'll discover over 80 forbs, grasses, and sedges that support adult and larval insects from pollinators to beneficial bugs, spring to fall. (60 minutes)
Woody Natives With Year-Round Value
$29

Trees & shrubs for wildlife & beauty


Over 50 shrubs and trees that provide essential wildlife services in multiple seasons, all while looking beautiful to the human eye.  (50 minutes)
Designing A Winter Garden
$29

Plants & strategies for seasonal delight


We'll explore dozens of perennial flowers and grasses with stunning fall color and ornamental seed heads. Design strategies are also highlighted.    (60 minutes)
Designing For Wildlife & Sustainability
$29

How to support biodiversity while helping the environment

Design strategies to support wildlife while sequestering carbon, cleaning air and water, and improving the soil. We'll explore what specific groups of wildlife need, low-management landscape options, and glance at how plants can reduce your energy use. (60 minutes)
Starting Your Native Plant Garden
$29

Creating a low-maintenance wildlife garden from A-Z

An incredible diversity of resources to help you research and choose native plants for your landscape, how to prep the area, how to appeal to neighbors and wildlife, then a step by step plan designing a sustainable garden bed. (65 minutes)
Sowing the Prairie Garden Bed
$29

Design a small or large garden from economical seed

Learn how to  calculate the seed mix then prep, install, and manage the landscape. We'll cover the nitty gritty including mixing and broadcasting seed, as well as best strategies for managing weeds before and after sowing the area. (50 minutes)
Fundamentals of Garden Layers
$29

Follow nature's lead and design with plant communities

In this class discover how to read natural plant communities and what lessons to bring home, how to use layers of succession (seasonal and year by year) to increase ecosystem function and decrease management (like weed control), and explore some of the plant options to fill niches in each layer for max aesthetic appeal and climate resilience. (55 minutes)
Busting Garden Myths
$19

It's time to unlearn what you have learned

We've learned that gardens need constant watering and fertilizing and mulching, that plant tags are useful, and that the secret to having a green thumb is using USDA hardiness zones. Nope, nope, nope. Embrace nature and sustainability as you relearn how to garden in an age of empowering freedom for plants, wildlife, and you. (30 minutes)
Encounters With Weed Authorities
$29

how to work with and change the law

Explore ways to work with neighbors and weed authorities by both tweaking your landscape and studying up on the ordinances -- including victorious examples from around the country.
Don't despair! (45 minutes)
Garden Smorgasbord
$29

a lively look at 7 topics

A fast-paced, jam-packed dive into easy native plants, shade plants, overlooked natives, bunny-resistant species, fundamentals of natural design, dandelion alternatives, why honey bees aren't critical,
and 2 bonus topics. (50 minutes)
Cultivars 101
$29

an intro to the pros & cons of native plant cultivars

What is a cultivar? How are they beneficial or detrimental to wildlife? When is it appropriate to use them? Take a crash course on some of the primary science to help you make the best decision. (50 min)
Green Mulching With Sedge Plugs
$29

learn how to design with plugs naturally

If you're tired of wood mulch and pricey gallon pots, this is the class for you. Covering professional strategies on designing with and installing plugs, we'll also learn about adaptable sedge species. (50 min)
Planning Plant Communities
$29

four plans and plant guides that emulate nature

Learning about plants is key to creating resilient and beautiful gardens. We'll explore four diverse sites as we match plants to one another in a sustainable, artistic landscape you can start today. (50 min)
All About Milkweed
$29

become a milkweed whisperer

From indigenous uses and the risks insects take to pollinate flowers, to wildlife that depend on milkweed and how climate change threatens them, we'll delve into 20+  species suitable for your garden. (60 min)
Designing With Common Nursery Plants
$29

what plants make the cut?

Learn which species work best together and how to use plant behavior as a guide. A perfect introduction for those new to resilient design where we let plants lead management -- within reason.  (50 min)
Intro to Matrix Design
$29

the simplest way to plan a natural garden

Suited especially for those new to natural design, learn how to lay out plants in a matrix style to create an artful meadow landscape with year-round habitat. (50 min)
Lessons in Unlawning Suburbia
$29

a candid look at various projects

Take a deep dive into client spaces, from public to private and large to small. It's an honest look at successes, failures, and our design process. (60 min)
Gardening in the Shade
$29

ditch the hosta for a shade meadow

Shade gardens can be the most beautiful, artful, alive, instructive, and fun gardens around! There's a native plant for any site condition. (40 min)
Do you struggle with native plant selection?
Are you unsure how to prep, design, and care for a nature-inspired garden?
Wondering how to win over neighbors while supporting wildlife?
These 18 Courses Are For:

  • DIY-ers who need clear guidelines.
  • Anyone converting lawn or updating old beds.
  • Those new to natural design.
  • Professionals switching gears or expanding their skills.
  • Those concerned about climate change, extinction, and how designed, urban habitats can improve our community's health.
What You'll Learn:

  • How to research native plants for your site and where to get them.
  • How to create resiliency using plant behavior and plant communities while reducing management inputs.
  • Employing plugs with seeds to get the most bang for your buck.
  • Artistic design methods that appeal to neighbors and support wildlife.
  • How to think more like an ecosystem and less like a 1950s gardener.
Each video lecture is presented by Benjamin Vogt, author of A New Garden Ethic and Prairie Up. His work has been featured in The American Gardener, Dwell, Fine Gardening, The Guardian, Horticulture, Midwest Living, and The Wall Street Journal.  Benjamin speaks internationally on natural garden design and is passionate about urban lawn conversions (that's putting it mildly).

Enjoy a complimentary mini lecture

on converting lawns to designed prairie gardens.

Frequently Asked Questions

In what regions are these classes applicable?
All regions. The design methodology and philosophy is adaptable. And while all of the plants discussed may not be native to you, you'll easily be able to find local substitutions that work for your landscape.

How many times can I watch the videos?
As often as you like! Classes are made available in perpetuity or until the service is no longer available in some distant, mythical future.

I'm so inspired. Do you offer long-distance design consultations?
Yes. I've worked with clients around the country. My professional network and education allow me to successfully tailor a consultation to your region.

I'm having an issue accessing the class. What can I do?
There's a simple fix to this issue. Please try any or all of the below options:
  • Try a different browser
  • Try a different device
  • Log directly into Teachable with the email you used to sign up for the class vs. clicking on the link in the email
  • Refresh your browser
  • Clear the browser cache

Genealogy & Memoir Writing

All in the Family
$249 or 3 payments of $83

Research & write your family history
Did you know Benjamin is also a poet and essayist, having three degrees in writing? His passion is memoir -- in fact, he's working on a life-long project detailing his Mennonite ancestors who settled Oklahoma Territory / Cheyenne reservations. The book grapples with the ecological and cultural ramifications of manifest destiny, as well as his personal history having been born in Oklahoma then moving away, only to rediscover the place again after the passing of his grandmother (the family chronicler).

This course comes with 10, thirty-minute video lectures full of motivation and insight to help you explore your personal story -- from genealogy / research strategies to the craft of evocative story telling. Each lesson ends with a suggested writing exercise to help you focus, as well as readings that serve as examples to emulate. By the end of this class you will have completed the research and writing for a 20-30 page essay memoir -- with the opportunity for personalized critiques and chat sessions with Benjamin (for an added fee).

Enjoy learning with someone who's taught 50 college English courses, was an award-winning professor of 15 years with a PhD in writing, and is the author of over 300 published works from poetry to creative nonfiction.

"I don't know how you worked your magic, but I have a new vision of my project, a couple of scenes, and a pretty solid narrative arc to get me going.... I got exactly what I needed from the homework assignments."
All classes are self-paced and never end -- you have unlimited access for as long as they remain online (Monarch Gardens / Benjamin Vogt reserves the right to take down any class at any time without prior notice).  Please refer to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy at teachable.com before purchasing so you know what you can and can't do with class material (for example: you can't resell or modify any class material, or present it to anyone else). Classes are non-refundable and all sales are final. Classes are intended for personal use only; any other use -- including for group presentations -- is prohibited. Prices include applicable taxes and processing fees. If you have technical issues we ask you to first contact teachable.com (our host service), and then if they can't resolve the issue, please contact us via email and we'll try our best to help you. All class material is copyright © Benjamin Vogt.