The Desert Botanical Garden is pleased to offer the Desert Landscaper Certification Program for over ten years. Due to the increasing demand for desert landscaping, and in response to the hundreds of requests the Garden receives from the public each year for qualified landscapers, we have developed this unique school to certify graduating students as Certified Desert Landscapers.
The Desert Botanical Garden is fortunate to have 65 years of knowledge about arid-land plants. Its staff is trained in highly specific areas of horticulture covering the entire spectrum of desert plants. Through this program, the Garden shares its knowledge, helps landscape companies save both time and money by investing in their employees through training and promotes conservation through education.
The school program consists of a thirty-week series of workshops that are offered during the seasons most appropriate to the topics being discussed. The school year is divided into three semesters each with ten workshops.
In the first semester, students will learn how to care for all the major groups of desert plants. During the second semester, students will master important landscaping skills such as pruning, irrigation, troubleshooting, and wildflower care. Finally, in the third semester, students will integrate the concepts and skills learned during the previous two semesters in a comprehensive landscape installation project.
Workshops are designed to serve as an introduction to desert landscaping for those desiring a career change, as a specialized form of training for anyone in the landscaping profession who is unfamiliar with desert plants, or for those seeking to refine their hands-on skills as a complement to previous classroom training. The Desert Landscaper Program focuses on skill development rather than extensive classroom training to ensure that graduates will be job-ready once they are certified.
Some of the unique features of this program include:
- Referral opportunities -- Once trainees have become certified by the Garden, they may choose to will be placed on a referral list along with their business affiliation. Requests for referrals from the public will be given this referral list. Student information will remain on the referral list for two years.
- Evaluation methods -- One half of a student's evaluation is based upon participation in group projects and demonstration of acquired skills such as tree pruning, installation and repair of irrigation lines, troubleshooting, and care for winter and summer wildflowers. The remainder comes primarily from written tests and quizzes.
- Desert Botanical Garden -- Trainees will have ready access to thousands of different desert plants, regular contact with a knowledgeable staff, and networking opportunities with fellow students who may have similar interests. Students are entitled to enter the Garden free during the school year with the exception of special events.
- Entrance requirements -- No previous experience or training is necessary. The only essential requirements are that a person has the physical ability to do landscaping work, they are motivated and interested in learning.
- Language flexibility -- Both English and Spanish versions of the certification course are offered.
