England

Course Title and Schedule

HORT 499: Gardens of England

• Spring: 2 credits, meeting on campus during the second half of the semester (Can add an additional credit if 3 credits are needed for degree requirements)
• Summer: 0.25 credits, meeting in England from tentatively May 14 - 24, 2025
• Priority given to students majoring in Landscape Contracting and Plant Sciences.

Course Description

This 2-credit course meets on campus during the spring semester and travels after spring finals in May. In the spring semester you will learn about the historical importance of, and modern techniques used with the many gardens of England. While in-country in May, you will explore gardens and surrounding cultural sites. Your culminating project will be to film and create a 360 tour of a garden, which will include information about the designer, design process, and principles and elements of design used in the garden.

Students can earn elective credits for the Landscape Contracting major, IL Gen. Ed. credits, credits toward the INTAG minor (an additional credit can be added for a 3 credit requirement), experience with international travel, and learn about the significance of landscape development and plant biodiversity in England.

Itinerary Highlights

. We tentatively plan to travel to:

• Kew Gardens
• Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley
• Hampton Court Palace
• Great Dixter House and Gardens
• Sissinghurst
• Bath
• Hestercombe House and Gardens
• Garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and architect Edwin Lutyens
• Stonehenge
• Hidcote garden and Manor
• Oxford
• Beth Chatto’s Garden
• Highlights of London
• Tower of London, Westminster Abby
• Borough and Southbank Markets
• Millenium bridge
• St Paul’s
• SkyGarden
• Greenwich
• Hyde Park
• Parliament
• Buckingham and Kensington Palaces

Approximate Expenses

We will not know the per student cost of this trip until late in the fall semester because the final cost depends on the final number of enrolled students, travel logistics associated with the finalized itinerary, and final airfare costs.

Estimated Cost (currently tentative):

• Tuition: 2 Spring 2025 credits. Plus flat fee of $200 for 0.25 Summer credits.
• Estimated travel costs are $3700 per student which includes lodging, some meals, and on-ground transportation.
• Airfare: cost will depend on your departure location.

Additional funding is available for Landscape Contracting majors, and scholarships are available for students in all majors.

For Additional Information and Application

Faculty Leaders:

• Dr. Margaret Hoffman, mch7@psu.edu
• Dr. Mike Mohney, mrm126@psu.edu

Application Due January 25, 2025:

• HORT 499 Gardens of England Application

Sustainable Development Goals:

This course is most closely aligned with SDGs 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and 15: Life on Land.