Horticulture 322

Herbaceous Plants

3 Credits - Fall, 2007

2-1 Hour Lectures and 1-2 Hour Lab

 

Instructor: Dr. James Klett   Office Hours: Tuesday or Thursday 9:00-10:00 a.m. or by appointment

Office:      219 Shepardson   Office Phone:  970-491-7179    Home Phone:    970-493-3542

E-mail:      jim.klett@colostate.edu        Cell Phone:  970-218-0104

Teaching Assistant: Jennifer Bousselot            Phone 303-908-3538

E-mail:       jmbouss@simla.colostate.edu

 

Texts

 

      Numerous texts could be used for this course.  However, the following books will be used often:

 

Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants - Steven Still, Stipes Publishing Co., Champaign, IL.  Fourth Edition.

 

Pictorial Guide to Hardy Perennials by M. Jane Coleman Helmer and Karla S. Decker Hodge, Merchants Publishing Company, Kalamazoo, MI.  Millenium Edition 2001.

 

Supplemental bulletin not required 

 

  Best Perennials For the Rocky Mountain and High Plains. 2003.  Bulletin 573A.  Colorado State University.   Available from Extension Resource Center at Colorado State (The other bookstore at Colorado  State   University – 115 General Services Building).

 

Lecture and Laboratory

 

Lectures will be in 212 Shepardson.  Some lab time will be spent in the field observing annual and perennial plants and their use, along with site analysis for design and use projects.  Labs will meet in University Greenhouse Room 114.

 

Plant Identification

 

Plant list and pictures of annuals and perennial plants can be found on a web site.  To access course material: klett.agsci.colostate.edu, click on H322.  The current week's plant specimens (annuals) can be viewed in the University Greenhouse.  Hours for the University Greenhouse will be announced and posted.  We will also supply you with a CD with all photos and plant lists for the class.  Two CDs will be given – one for the annuals part of the course and the second for herbaceous perennials. 

 

Class Field Trip

 

An all day field trip to the Denver area to observe annual and perennial flower displays in Denver city parks,  Denver Botanic Gardens,  and other locations in Denver is planned for Monday, August 27, 2007.  If you are unable to go on the trip, you will be required to write an additional written report on annual flower bed design.  It is your responsibility to inform the instructor if you are not going on this field trip.

 

Testing

 

There will be 7 plant identification quizzes given during the first half hour of the laboratory period.  Six plant quizzes will count toward 30% of your final grade, and the lowest plant quiz grade will be dropped.  All plant quizzes will be comprehensive over all plants covered in the course.  (Annual quizzes comprehensive for annuals and perennial quizzes comprehensive for perennials).  No makeup quizzes will be given.  A skipped quiz will be recorded as a zero or your dropped quiz.  Quizzes will be given on Mondays during lab time.

Two hour exams will be given covering both lecture and laboratory material at approximately 6 and 11 weeks into the semester.  The final written exam will cover the last third of the course, and the final lab identification exam will cover all the plant material studied throughout the course.  The final I.D. exam and final lecture test will be given during final exam week.

 

Ram CT – This class also has a Ram CT component: check often for class announcements.

 

Class/Lab Projects

 

There will be two assigned projects during the duration of the semester.  One will deal with annual flower bed design and use, and the other with perennial flower bed design and use.  Approximately 2-3 students will work together on these projects, and each is expected to do their assigned duties.  If one student in the group feels the other person is not doing their fair share, it is the responsibility of that student to inform me of this concern.  I will make every effort to remedy this situation.  The same grade will be given to all students working together in a group unless partner evaluations say different. Students in groups will grade their fellow students in their group on participation and completeness of their part of the work.  Grading emphasis will be on choice of plants for location and following instructions for the project.  Power Point presentations of these projects is expected.

 

Grading Allocations

 

2 - 1 hour lecture exams (written)                                                30% (15% for each)

FINAL EXAM lecture (over last 3rd part of course only)               15%

2 lab projects                                                                            15% (7.5% for annuals, 7.5% for perennials)

      7 Plant I-D quizzes (3 on annuals, 4 perennials,

       will count a total of 6)                                 30%

      1 Final I-D exam (over all plants covered in course)                      10%

Total                 100%

 

Letter grades will generally fall: 92-100 = A; 90-91 = A-; 87-89 = B+; 82-86 =B; 80-81 = B-; 77-79 = C+; 72-76 = C; 70-71 = C-; 60-70 = D; below 60 = F.   Attendance and participation in class, and laboratory will be considered for borderline cases.

 

No cell phones, blackberries, etc. will be allowed to be used in class, especially when taking any quizzes or exams.

 

Grading System for Identification Quizzes and Final I-D Exam

 

A.   Genus               Species       Cultivar        Common Name  Total

5 points             2 points       1 point        2 points             10 points

 

B.   Genus               Species        Cultivar                     Total

5 points             3 points        2 points                  10 points

 

Every spelling mistake results in the loss of one-half point.  If you miss in excess of three letters per word, no credit will be given for either the genus, species, cultivar or common name.

 

Course Objectives

 

          1.       To learn the identification and proper nomenclature of annuals, perennials (including some wildflowers), and spring and fall blooming bulbs grown in the Rocky Mountain and High Plains Regions.

 

2.       To develop an understanding of the cultural requirements including soil, moisture, light, etc. and flowering time and duration for annuals, perennials, spring and fall blooming bulbs grown in the Rocky Mountain and High Plains Regions.

 

3.       To learn the proper landscape use and placement of annuals, perennials, spring and summer bulbs through student projects involving the design of annual flower beds, traditional European style and contemporary perennial beds, and placement of spring and fall blooming bulbs in both.

4.       To develop an understanding of specific propagation techniques for annuals, perennials, spring and fall bulbs and other unique cultural techniques for these plants.

 

Course Outline

 

1.  Annual Part

 

A.     Introduction and type of bedding (carpet, par-terre, tropical, ribbon, etc.).

 

B.     Bedding plant production areas - major seed persons in the United States and World.

 

C.     Principles involved in bedding (annual) plant design including projects actually designing beds for parks, industrial areas, etc.

 

D.     Culture, special growing requirements, major identification features, landscape uses of approximately 60+ annual plants.

 

2.  Perennial Part

 

A.     Introduction and explanation of designing of perennial flower gardens (planning the garden on paper - month by month - color harmonies).

 

B.     Different types of perennial borders, their preparation, nature of color and meaning of color in them.

 

C.     Actual designing of perennial borders in landscapes for residential, commercial or city use.

 

D.     Culture, special growing requirements, major identification features, landscape use of approximately 100 perennial plants.

 

E.     Maintenance in perennial borders - (watering, propagation, division, overwintering, major disease and insect problems).

 

3.       Spring Bulbs

 

A.     Introduction and explanation of how spring and fall bulbs can be incorporated into annual and perennial flower beds.

 

B.     Culture - special growing requirements, major identification features and landscape use of major spring and fall blooming bulbs.

 

C.     Propagation techniques and special growing requirements of bulbs covered.

 

Note:  If any student has a learning disability, please inform the instructor the first week of the semester.

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