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Discover how to cost-effectively improve a landscape by better designing and maintaining garden beds and borders for maximum visual effect and year-round beauty.
NEW COURSE!
This is a new course in our landscape program area. Register now to be one of the first to take it!
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Course Details
Course Name: Impact Renovations: Beds and Borders
Course Code: AL0288CA26
Date: March 3, 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm (Check-in time: 8:30 am)
Location: Bioresource Engineering Laboratory, 18 Ag Extension Way, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (Directions & Map)
Format: Classroom course
Registration Fee: $210 per person
Registration Closes: March 1, 2026
Paying with a check, money order, or purchase order?
Payments should be made out to: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Checks and money orders should be mailed to: Office of Continuing Professional Education, Attn: Registration Dept., 102 Ryders Ln, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519
Purchase Orders can be mailed to the address above or electronically sent to registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.
Course Overview
How do you improve a landscape for a client who can’t or won’t spend the money? One way is to improve the “beds and borders,” described by instructor Bruce Neary as “everything on a property that is not turf.”
Using his energetic style, Bruce will take you through the design, installation, and maintenance process. He’ll teach participants to expertly orchestrate and combine herbaceous perennials, bulbs, flowering shrubs, annuals, and small trees to give the residence year-round beauty – and he’ll demonstrate the effect of artistic plant placement and how to maximize the visual elements of garden bed architecture. You’ll get the feel and impact of a mini design seminar!
Featured Topics
- Conceiving the Design
- Laying Out the Plans
- Preparing the Site
- Choosing the Best Plants
- Renovating Established Beds
- Composting and Mulching
- Maintenance Considerations
- Staying Flexible
Who Should Attend?
This class is a great source of information for anyone who wants to learn how to design and maintain aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound garden beds. Past participants have included:
- Landscapers
- Grounds Supervisors
- Homeowners
- Master Gardeners
- Pesticide Applicators
- Garden Center Owners
Meet Your Instructor
Bruce Neary, BCN Horticultural Services
Bruce Neary is the owner of BCN Horticultural Services, where he has provided consulting services to landscape architects, contractors, developers, garden centers, nurseries, educators, and the public since 1994. Regarded as an industry expert, Bruce has written several articles for The Landscape Publication, Grounds Maintenance Magazine, and the American Nurseryman. Likewise, he has been a horticultural lecturer at Barlow Flower Farm and for other landscape organizations for more than 30 years. Bruce is a member of the Pennsylvania and American Horticultural Societies, Metro Hort Group, and Perennial Plant Association. He received his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Rutgers University and his master’s of agriculture in horticultural sciences from Texas A&M.
Continuing Education Credits
The Impact Renovations: Beds and Borders course (5.5 contact hours) is approved for the following credits from professional organizations.
New Jersey
NJ Certified Public Works Managers (CPWM): Pending
Course Requirements and Policies
Meals
No breakfast will be provided. Lunch will be available for pre-registered attendees only.
NOTE: If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please alert us at least two (2) weeks in advance of the course start date so that we can make reasonable accommodations. We cannot guarantee accommodations for special requests made after that time.
COVID-19 Policies for Face-to-Face Classes
Please visit our policies page for the latest information.
Pre-registration/Walk-Ins
Pre-registration is required. We’re sorry, but we cannot guarantee a seat, materials, or meals for walk-in registrants.
Location Changes
Location is subject to change; registrants will be notified in the event of a change.
Campus Parking Policy
All visitors must register their vehicles ONLINE to park on campus. Please follow the guidelines below. Failure to comply with these policies may result in a citation.
- A link to register your vehicle will be provided in your course confirmation email. Please be sure to complete this important step prior to traveling to campus.
- When you park on campus, be sure that your license plate is unobstructed and visible from the driving aisle.
- All Rutgers faculty/staff/students must use their regular Rutgers permit and park in the nearest lot assigned for their permit type.
Email Requirement
A unique email address is required for each registrant to register and access our courses.
- If this is your first time registering with us, please provide your own unique email address when registering; do not provide an email address that you share with co-workers.
- If you have previously taken classes with us and have used an email address that you share with your co-workers or supervisor, your account must be updated with a unique email address. To do this, please send an email to us at registration@njaes.rutgers.edu stating that your email address needs to be changed and include:
- Your full name
- The shared email address that needs to be changed
- Your unique email address
- A phone number where you can be reached if we have any questions
Cancellations and Substitutions
A $35 cancellation fee applies for this course. Substitutions are permitted. View our cancellation policy.
Attention U.S. Veterans
This course is approved by the New Jersey State Approving Agency for Veterans Training for educational benefits through the GI Bill®. Learn more.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Program Questions? We’re Here to Help!
If you have any questions about the Beds and Borders Seminar, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Program Coordinator: Joe Canzano
848-932-7317
joe.canzano@rutgers.edu
Administrative Assistant: Damiana Parada
848-932-7107
damiana.parada@rutgers.edu
For registration assistance, please contact our Registration Department at 848-932-9271, option 2 or email registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.
