Planning Plant Communities

plant lists and guidelines for 4 site conditions

If you're feeling a little lost about designing a natural plant community -- one that's sustainable, resilient, and appealing to neighbors -- this class is for you.

Based on four, 100 square foot gardens for various site conditions, we'll cover each plant in the design and why they'll work well together in the landscape. This process will model a professional designer's method of reasoning, and provide you an analog to compare for your own plant choices and site variables.

In other words, we're going to create a lush, layered, natural garden by learning about the plants and letting them guide our design.

Join award-winning author, speaker, and garden designer Benjamin Vogt on a fifty-minute journey to inspire and invigorate your natural landscape. All sales are final and no refunds will be issued. The class is self paced and remains online at the sole discretion of the author. You have unlimited access to the class as long at it remains online. The class and all material is the sole copyright of Benjamin Vogt (author) and can't be rebroadcast, transcribed, or shared in any way without the prior written permission of the author.


Your Instructor


Benjamin Vogt
Benjamin Vogt

Benjamin Vogt is owner of Prairie Up, formerly Monarch Gardens, offering garden design, online classes, workshops, webinars, and guidebooks. He is the author of A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future, as well as Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design. His forthcoming book, Unlawning America, will be released by Timber Press in 2026/27. Benjamin’s work has been featured in Dwell, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Midwest Living, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is based in Nebraska and works nationally.


"I liked how he connected what we do in our gardens to the overall health of our ecosystem. He provided facts I hadn't heard before and I walked away from the presentation inspired to make changes."

"Wonderful! Combination of knowledge, wit, and alacrity of presentation.... So interested in his topic that he made me interested!"

"He did an outstanding job bridging practical gardening with the philosophy behind why we need native plants in our landscapes. He had great photos, statistics, and personal stories."

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We are sorry to hear that, however, all sales are final and no refunds will be issued.

Get started now!