ONLINE STUDY LANDSCAPING COURSE
- Learn to design a garden, and draw landscape plans
- A great starter course for garden designers or landscape contractors
- Start a business, get a job, expand your skills
- 100 hour, self paced course -options afterwards to upgrade to certificates or diplomas
" I have never found the staff at any other learning institution as supportive as the staff at ACS. This gives one a lot of peace of mind and confidence to go on - at every squeak from my side, you guys have always been there, immediately to sort me out. The feedback on my lessons has always been really good and meaningful and an important source of my learning. Thanks!..."
- Student with ACS
Landscaping I course student – David Painter says of the course “It gave me an insight into a subject that I have been interested in for a long time. Plus it helped me in my current job with a local landscape/nursery company.”
David Painter, a Landscaping I student said “It was done in a way which was very easy to understand and this helped when you hit a subject which was hard to get to grips with.”
Learn to Design a Garden in 100 hours
WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Landscape Design is a multifaceted skill. It allows you to take a vision or "feeling" and transform it into a workable plan. It isn't just making a place look nice, nor mass planting, but is also about suiting the landscape to the climate, land and setting that you have to work with. An understanding of plants, soils, timbers, climate, and other landscape materials are pivotal to the success of a good landscape design.
Lesson Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
-
Basic Design Procedure A. - collecting pre-planning information, landscape elements, principles, etc.
-
History of Gardening ‑ garden styles and themes, famous designers, garden influences.
-
Draughting & Contracting - drawing techniques, specifications, details.
-
Basic Landscape Construction - timber, steps, retainer walls, pathways, playstructures, etc.
-
Surfacings - concrete, asphalt, gravels, mulches, grasses, gradients, etc.
-
Furnishings & Features - chairs, statues, figurines, birdbaths, skateboards, safety, etc.
-
Park Design A - good/bad park design characteristics, recreational landscaping.
-
Home Garden design - good/bad garden design characteristics.
-
Design Procedure B - development of concept plans and detailed planting plans.
-
Park Design B - development of park design, fun & fitness trails.
-
Plus A Special Assignment - comprehensive landscape design development.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
-
Create visual effects through the use of different landscape design concepts.
-
Determine pre-planning information required to prepare a landscape design.
-
Determine an appropriate garden style for a landscape, to satisfy specifications for a design project.
-
Illustrate a landscape design through a plan, using legible graphic skills.
-
Determine different hard landscape features, including earthworks, surface treatments and furniture, to incorporate in a landscape.
-
Prepare planting designs for different landscapes.
-
Design different types of landscapes, including domestic gardens and public parks
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Here are just some of the things you may be doing:
-Explain the complete range of principles, elements and concepts used in landscape design.
-Visit and analyse a broad range of landscape styles, themes and components.
-Perform methods utilised to develop concepts and to create affects.
-Identify, record and utilise pre-planning information for the purpose of design development, and to use
a checklist as a guide for surveying a site for a proposed design.
-Perform site survey and client interview with the site owner/manager.
-Explain the significance of effective client liaison, in a specific landscape job.
-Identify historical influences on landscaping in your locality.
-Explain the influence on modern garden design, of work by three garden designers who have been prominent in world garden history.
-Develop and compare the appropriateness of three design options for one specific landscape project.
-Draw an extensive range of different landscape symbols on paper, covering soft and hard landscape features.
-Transpose two different landscape drawings, reducing the scale by a specified amount.
-Draw a plan for a landscape, using legible graphic techniques.
-Determine site preparations required for a specified landscape site, including: *clearing/cleaning *earthworks.
-Explain the legal requirements for cleaning up after a job in your locality.
-Determine suitable timbers for construction of four different types of garden structures.
-Compare the suitability of different materials for surfacing paths, including:
*Asphalt *Concrete *Local gravels *Local mulches *Timber *Ceramics.
-Collect, catalogue and determine appropriate use for different items of garden furniture.
-Design a paved area for a garden surveyed, including: scale drawings and construction instructions.
-Prepare a plant collection of at least eighty different plants incorporating:
*Pressed plant specimens, Scientific and common names & Cultural details
*How to use each of these plants in different landscape situations uses.
-Evaluate established landscapes based in:
*Costs *Maintenance *Function *Aesthetics
-Develop detailed planting designs, including plant lists, for three landscape plans, to satisfy given job specifications.
-Analyse and compare the landscape designs of numerous selected homes and public parks.
-Develop and prepare concept plans for landscape areas such as:
*Outdoor living area *Kitchen garden *Courtyard
*Childrens playground *Entry to home *Neighbourhood park
-Draft a series of four conceptual plans, showing stages in the design of a home garden surveyed.
-Prepare a professional standard landscape design for a client in the learner's locality, including:
*A landscape plan drawn on tracing paper.
*Materials specifications, including types and quantities.
*Budget details.
Some of our Horticulture Tutors
Maggi Brown Cert.Ed.(Environment)
Maggi is regarded as an expert in Organic Growing throughout the UK, having worked for two decades as Education Officer at the world renowned Henry Doubleday Research Association (now Garden Organic). She has been active in education, environmental management and horticulture across the UK for more them three decades.
Yvonne Sharpe RHS Cert.Hort, Dip.Hort, M.Hort, Cert.Ed., Dip.Mgt.
Over 30 years of experience in horticulture, education and management, Yvonne hastravelled widely within and beyond Europe, and has worked in many areas of horticulture from garden centres to horticultural therapy. She has served on industry committees and been actively involved with amateur garden clubs for decades. Yvonne is also a member of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG).
John L. Mason Dip.Hort.Sc., Sup'n Cert., FIOH, FPLA, FAIH, MACHPER, MASA
Mr Mason has had over 40 years experience in the fields of Horticulture, Business, Education and Journalism. He has extensive experience both as a public servant, and as a small business owner. He has held positions ranging from Nurseryman and Landscape Designer to Director of Parks and Recreation (City of Essendon) and magazine editor.
John is a well respected member of many professional associations, and author of over forty books and of over two thousand magazine articles. Even today, John has written a number of best selling reference texts used by horticultural courses at universities and colleges internationally. His publishers include Simon and Shuster, and Landlinks Press (CSIRO Publishing
Gavin Cole B.Sc., Psych.Cert., Cert.Garden Design, MACA
Gavin has over 20 years of industry experience in Landscaping, Publishing, Business and Psychology. He was operations manager for a highly reputable British Landscape firm (The Chelsea Gardener) before starting up his own firm. He has exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show, and designed gardens across England and Australia. He spent the best part of three years working in our Gold Coast office, partly as a writer for Your Backyard (gardening magazine), and partly as a tutor in both psychology and horticulture.
Martin Powdrill, Bsc (Hons) Applied Science (Resources Option), MSc Computer Studies, Permaculture Design Certificate. Martin’s goal as a catalyst for sustainable change brings together his strengths and experience in his environmental, project management, and business backgrounds. For 25 years, Martin has been involved in Telecommunications, IT, Organisational Development, and Energy Conservation & Efficiency, prior to setting up his own Permaculture consulting business. He wishes to make a real difference to people and the planet, by actively bringing new perspectives to current challenges and exciting opportunities. To realise this, he enables diverse groups of people to flourish and release their untapped potential, by re-igniting their passion and creativity. Additionally, Martin volunteers with many local environmental and community groups, and facilitates discussions on climate change, peak oil, and transition towns. Martin has an allotment, and is currently enrolled in the Scottish Mountain Bike Leader Award programme.
Rosemary Davies Dip Hort Sc. Rosemary trained in Horticultural Applied Science at Burnley, a campus of Melbourne University. Initially she worked with Department of Agriculture Victoria as an extension officer (Garden Advisory Service), taught horticulture students, worked on radio with ABC radio (clocking up over 24 years as a presenter of garden talkback programs, initially the only woman presenter on gardening in Victoria) and she simultaneously developed a career as a writer. She is author of several booka and hundreds of articles.
Diana Cole B.A. (Hons), Higher Dip. (Garden Design), RHS Advanced Cert. Horticulture, Cert Admin.Mgt., Dip. Inst. Personnel Management In addition to her RHS horticulture, garden design, City & Guild construction, NPTC pesticide/legislation and business/management qualifications, Diana has a variety of skills drawn from setting up Arbella Gardens, a landscape gardening business. She also has administrative, management and training delivery experience drawn from her employment in other organisations such as the NHS and other educational institutions such as schools & universities. She has augmented her training expertise having gained the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector qualification. She also has experience gained through working as a volunteer in a number of different roles including amenity style gardening in parks and practical conservation work. Diana is also a member of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Limited (NSALG).
FAQ's
Sample Course Notes
Our courses are all written by highly qualified tutors and writers, who also teach on the courses, so know them well. We strive to update our courses and improve them with new information, methods and knowledge on an ongoing basis. If you would like to see examples of some of our courses, then choose the “Enrolment” option above, and then click on “Sample Course Notes”.
What learning method should I choose?
We offer three learning methods – e-learning, correspondence and online. If you are not sure which is the right choose for you, then click on the “Learning” box above, then “Learning Methods.”
How Long will it take to complete the course?
This obviously varies from student to student. Some students will have more time for study than others. Some students may work quicker than others, so it is an individual thing. We estimate that most students will take, for example, 4 – 6 months to complete a 100 hour individual module, but we allow up to 12 months for you to complete it.
Longer courses will obviously take longer. You can find more information on the length of time required and so on the “Enrolment” box, then selecting “Terms and Conditions of Enrolment.”
What Do Our Students think of us?
If you would like to read comments from our previous students, then choose the “About Us” option above, then “Student Testimonials”.
I don’t think this is the right course for me.
If you’re not sure about this course, then why not look at our wide range of other courses. Click on the “Courses” box above.
You may also wish to design your own course to fit in with exactly what YOU want. To do so, click on the “Enrolment” box, then “Design your Own Course”.
If you would like more advice on a course, then you can contact us and ask a tutor about the courses. You can contact us by calling 0800 328 4723 or +44(0) 384 442752 or emailing info@acsedu.co.uk
Recognition and Accreditation
For more information on our recognition and accreditation, click on “The School”, then “Recognition”.
Who is ACS Distance Education?
If you want to know more about ACS and our history, then please click on “The School”, then “About us.”
