Welcome
to Part II of Exploring the Garden.
In the first part of this course we laid the
groundwork for understanding plant structures and functions. We surveyed plant
classification systems and nomenclature, and also discussed some interesting plant
adaptations.
The general theme of this second part is relationships.
We’ll start Week 1 by exploring the relationships between plants and people.
We’ll look at the various roles, both obvious and hidden, that plants play in our
lives.
In Weeks 2 and 3 we’ll look at plant reproduction,
which we might describe as the relationship between plants. We’ll take a close look
at flowers and the biology of fertilization, and the subsequent formation of seeds. Then
we’ll delve into genetics—how inherited traits are passed from generation to
generation.
We’ll wrap up our botany course in Week 4 by focusing
on plants’ relationships to other plants within the context of their environment. We
will look at plant communities, then explore how this information translates to the garden
setting.
Let’s get started!
