Dedicated landscape teams gathered at the Georgia Tech Savannah campus in early December 2025 to hone their craft from the state’s top horticulture, weed science, and turfgrass educators.
Dr. Bodie Pennisi, Extension Horticulture Specialist in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, noted that “Coastal LPU was a great and successful program.” That’s easy for her to say, as her hands-on Landscape Walk classes usually attract a crowd.
“The experience was very hands-on, moving beyond sitting and listening to walking outside to do on-the-go diagnostics and plant identification. The landscape professionals were attentive and highly engaged, asking questions and sharing their own experiences, which improved interaction and discussion throughout the event. Looking at plants in real landscape settings helped participants learn by doing, making the information easier to understand and immediately useful in their work,” Pennisi commented after the event.
Pennisi was joined by Rick Smith, known as “The Pruning Guru,” to address common pruning errors in the landscape trade.
Even entomology was a part of the day’s education, with local extension agent Richard Evans, UGA Extension, Liberty, Bryant and Chatham Counties leading the charge to equip landscapers with actionable techniques to safeguard lawns, shrubs, and trees from prevalent pests.
Dr. Bethany Harris also touched on this relevant subject, noting that pest challenges in landscapes can impact plant health, client satisfaction, and a landscape business’ bottom line. Her session provided practical, research-based strategies for identifying and managing key landscape pests while minimizing environmental impact and reducing unnecessary chemical use.
Additional classes were taught by Dr. Alfredo Martinez, Coastal Turfgrass Diseases Identification and Prevention, Dr. Clint Waltz, Turfgrass, and Dr. Ben Pritchard, weed science. These classes offer CEUs for those who may need credits for their Category 24 (turf and ornamental) pesticide applicators license.
If you feel like you missed out, you have another chance to attend classes like these. We’re offering an expanded day of turfgrass, horticulture and landscape education at this year’s Landscape Pro University in Atlanta. It takes place on January 28, 2026. Register here.
And if you’re below the “gnat line,” we’re coming back to coastal Georgia in December 2026. Look for information this spring on our Landscape Pro University COASTAL. See you in Savannah at the end of this year for more training.
