Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.Does your child love the idea of growing something from nothing? Are they curious about where food comes from or how gardens actually work? In Garden Planning, students learn to design a real garden from the ground up, choosing plants, mapping layouts, and understanding the science of soil, sunlight, and seasons. By the end, your child will have a plan they can actually plant. No green thumb required to start, just curiosity.
If your student loves to be outside and has talked about growing a garden, this is the course for them. Students learn how to establish a decorative, food, or wildlife garden and build an actionable plan rooted in real research for their own local area.
Students investigate the conditions that shape a real garden, including environmental conditions, plant choices, fertilizing, and pest control, then turn that research into a plan they could actually plant.
Along the way, students develop observational skills, focused research, sequential planning, and the habit of mitigating foreseen issues before they become problems.
This course is planning only and does not include starting the garden. It is ideal for students who are unsure whether they are ready for the commitment, or who simply want to learn more about plants and gardening before deciding how and when to begin.
Designing a garden requires research, sequential thinking, and the ability to anticipate problems before they happen. Your child practices these executive function skills through a project that feels personal and rewarding. Parents tell us their kids start showing more thoughtful planning in school projects and other areas of life.
This is not a hypothetical assignment. Your child creates an actual garden plan based on their own yard, climate, and goals. That connection between learning and real life is what gifted students crave. Parents love that the course produces something tangible their family can use together.
YSA is a UC-registered online publisher and WASC-accredited Supplementary Education Center, which means our courses can count toward official college credit requirements. State schools can recognize the courses your student takes here, adding real legitimacy to your homeschooling journey or building on top of your student's existing transcript. That unlocks two ways to enroll: For Credit -- Your student earns official, accredited credit toward their transcript. For-credit students complete weekly assignments that build toward their transcript grade. Outside-of-class work ranges from 1-2 hours per week. Perfect for families who want documentation that reflects what their child is actually capable of -- to show the world how brilliant they are. For Enrichment -- Your student takes the very same course purely for the love of learning. No grades, no outside-of-class work, no credit attached. Just the content, the community, and the growth. Same course. Same mentor. Same experience in class. You choose what fits your family.
If you homeschool, this works seamlessly. If your student attends another school full time, we create a report card and transcript that we share with you, and you share with the school. It is up to your primary school to accept it and add it to your student's official transcript.
Learn how to plan a real garden from the ground up, including plant selection, soil conditions, and local environmental factors 
Develop observational skills, sequential planning, and the ability to research and solve problems specific to their own local area 
Share garden plans and ideas with peers, learning from each other's local conditions and creative choices 
Finish the course with a detailed, actionable garden plan they can actually use at home 
Monica enjoys teaching 2E students through a strength based lens, using humor and novelty to grow interest in new topics. She also encourages students to observe the world around them and see nature, games, and art as opportunities to continue learning in all aspects of their lives.
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING
Parents don't just see happier kids. They see sharper thinking, stronger friendships, and a child who actually wants to log on.
★★★★★
"Monica helped my daughter research our exact climate and build a garden plan that actually makes sense for us."
Hollis G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We were not ready to commit to a full garden, and this planning course was perfect. Monica made it thoughtful and fun."
Teresa V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica helped my daughter research our exact climate and build a garden plan that actually makes sense for us."
Hollis G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We were not ready to commit to a full garden, and this planning course was perfect. Monica made it thoughtful and fun."
Teresa V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son learned real research and planning skills with Monica, and now he notices plants everywhere we go."
Colin B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica's course taught my daughter to think ahead about pests and conditions before ever planting a seed."
Amara J.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son learned real research and planning skills with Monica, and now he notices plants everywhere we go."
Colin B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica's course taught my daughter to think ahead about pests and conditions before ever planting a seed."
Amara J.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Sequential planning used to overwhelm my kid. Monica broke it into steps he could actually follow."
Derek N.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica made planning feel like detective work. My daughter came home excited about soil and sunlight."
Wendy S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Sequential planning used to overwhelm my kid. Monica broke it into steps he could actually follow."
Derek N.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica made planning feel like detective work. My daughter came home excited about soil and sunlight."
Wendy S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica helped my daughter research our exact climate and build a garden plan that actually makes sense for us."
Hollis G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"We were not ready to commit to a full garden, and this planning course was perfect. Monica made it thoughtful and fun."
Teresa V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son learned real research and planning skills with Monica, and now he notices plants everywhere we go."
Colin B.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica's course taught my daughter to think ahead about pests and conditions before ever planting a seed."
Amara J.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Sequential planning used to overwhelm my kid. Monica broke it into steps he could actually follow."
Derek N.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Monica made planning feel like detective work. My daughter came home excited about soil and sunlight."
Wendy S.
YSA parent
If you’re not 100% in love with the course, you have options depending on how you enrolled:
You can switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit or get a credit to use toward a future course.
You can either get credit toward a future course, switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit, or stop all future payments after a 30-day processing period.
No risk. No stress. Just the learning and belonging you have been looking for.
We can offer this because we know what we do works for thousands of other families. Kids become more self-confident. They find their people. And families tell us this is the place where their student finally feels welcome. We know it will work for your family, too.
All-Access Passes have separate terms and conditions. Please see the All-Access Pass pages.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway... to qualify for the satisfaction guarantee policy, you have to actually attend the classes. This is not a cancellation policy. It’s a satisfaction guarantee. You can’t be satisfied or dissatisfied if you don’t attend.
Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that offers one-of-a-kind, engaging enrichment courses and community for 5-18-year-old bright, quirky kids to empower them to develop their strengths, make like-minded friends, cultivate life skills, build confidence, and feel great about themselves under the loving care of expert mentors. description2: >- Picture a place where your child fits in, is celebrated, mentored, and loves learning the unique content their beautiful brain craves. That happens every day at YSA for over 1,200+ families, and it can happen for your family, too.
WASC Accredited · 1,200+ Families · 93% Re-Enroll · 47+ States, 17 Countries, 6 Continents
Learn more about YSAQUESTIONS ABOUT THIS COURSE
Everything you need to know before enrolling your child.
Most online classes put 20-30 kids in a room with a teacher who reads slides. At YSA, your child joins a group of 8 or fewer students who think like they do, led by a mentor who was often once just like them. Cameras are optional. The content is chosen by passion, not grade level. And 93% of families re-enroll - because kids who have never liked school before fight to log on to YSA.
Yes. YSA families join from 47+ states and 17 countries across 6 continents. All you need is an internet connection. We schedule sections across multiple time zones so families worldwide can find a time that works.
Horticulture: Garden Planning Unit 1 meets once per week for 50 minutes, every week from August through December. Your child joins the same tight-knit group of up to 8 students and the same mentor all semester long. Same friends, same mentor, a new challenge every week.
Our gifted and 2e students experience such asynchronous development that hard age limits rarely tell the full story. If your student should be aged up or aged down, contact us at support@youngscholarsacademy.org or click the chat in the bottom right corner of the screen. We do this all the time.
Please don't confuse reactive distance learning with what happens at YSA. When a kid is engaged in a course they chose, with a mentor who gets them and peers who share their interests, the screen disappears. They're not on a screen. They're with their people. Parents tell us their children fight to log on to YSA.
If your child isn't loving a course by the end of the first week, swap into a different course. Same semester. No questions. Not the right fit within the first month? We'll stop payments, switch courses, or issue credit toward any future course. The credit never expires. And you keep every bonus you've received. Over 93% of YSA families don't just stay. They add more courses.
No. Cameras are always optional. Always. Many of our students start with cameras off and turn them on when they're comfortable. Our mentors engage every student equally, cameras on or off.
No. If you're here, you're in the right place. We don't require paperwork, evaluations, or labels. Whether your child has been formally identified as gifted or twice-exceptional, whether you suspect it but haven't pursued testing, or whether you just know your kid's brain works differently and nothing else has fit, they're welcome here.
Yes. YSA is an approved vendor with 10+ state ESA programs including Arizona ESA, Utah Fits All, ClassWallet, My Tech High, Florida Step Up, and others. Enroll directly to secure your child's spot, submit the invoice to your ESA, and your payment method is refunded when funds transfer. Many families pay zero out of pocket.
Click "See Available Times" on this page, pick the section that fits your schedule, and your child's spot is secured immediately. No phone call. No placement test. No prerequisite.
Right now, a kid who thinks like your kid is in a course they chose, with a mentor who was once just like them, surrounded by friends who don't think they're weird... they think they're interesting.
Your child is one click from finding out what that feels like.
An internet connection and a can-do attitude!