Learn to Design Gardens

Explore the principles and techniques that apply when preparing a garden plan, small or large.

Understand the many things that need to be considered, and how garden components may be chosen and arranged in a way that makes sense and produces a landscape which meets the criteria of the design, whether functional, aesthetic, cost or sustainability.

This is a course for anyone who is new to garden design; or for experienced designers just seeking to refresh their knowledge.

Lesson Structure

There are 17 lessons in this course:

1. INTRODUCTION TO GARDEN DESIGN
   • Do it in stages
   • The planning process
   • Earthworks
   • Design is a process
   • How to design a garden room, step by step
   • Garden room components - WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR GARDEN ROOM
   • Designing a garden room for a new house
2. APPROPRIATENESS OF GARDEN DESIGN
   • Techniques for keeping in scale
   • Importance of space
   • Garden features for small gardens
3. CREATING AN IMPACT
   • Borrow your neighbours landscape
   • Bring the outside in
   • Bringing the garden inside
4. DESIGNING TO A BUDGET
   • Working out your budget
   • Maintenance costs
   • The plant budget
   • Selecting and maintaining tools
5. CHOOSING PLANTS
   • What variety?
   • Which plant?
6. USING THE GARDEN
   • Outdoor living
   • Garden furniture
   • Barbeques
   • Children playing
   • Making gardens more user friendly
7. WHERE THE GARDEN MEETS THE HOUSE
   • What to do
   • Practical concerns
   • Other ways of joining the garden to the house
8. MAKING THE WINTER GARDEN MORE COMFORTABLE
   • Solutions for slippery surfaces
9. GARDENS FOR CHILDREN
   • Play equipment for different ages
   • Childproofing a garden
   • Play equipment
10. THE SECURE HOME AND GARDEN
11. LIGHTING A GARDEN
12. DEALING WITH SHADE
    • Trees to create shade
    • Entertaining in a shaded garden
13. GARDEN ART
    • Choosing garden ornamentation
    • Garden sculpture
    • Other ornamentation
14. POTS & PLANTERS
    • Looking for colourful pots
    • Using colourful pots
15. COLOUR IN THE GARDEN
    • Colours and garden styles
    • Tips for using colour
    • Seasonal colours
    • Tips for year round colour
    • How to brighten a winter garden
16. APPLICATIONS FOR COLOUR
    • Ten ways to use colour
    • Colour themes
17. GARDEN FURNITURE
    • Furnishings in the garden
    • What furniture is needed?
    • Where to put furnishings
    • What to look for in garden furniture
    • Barbeques
    • Washing lines
    • Hammocks
    • Umbrellas
    • Pool side furniture
    • Colours
    • FINAL ASSESSMENT

HOW THE COURSE WORKS

This is a self paced, 20 hour study program; with everything from your enrolment through to awarding of your certificate of completion, controlled by computer software developed by our programmers.

Utilizing cutting edge technology all the way; you can

1. Enrol, pay course fees into pay pal; your payment approval then triggers an email explaining how to proceed, and access to the course.
2. You are then given instructions (options to read or listen to an audio).
3. Next you proceed to work through lessons as fast or slow as you wish; undertaking automated self assessment tests at the end of each lesson, choosing practical/additional learning tasks to undertake as you go.
4. On concluding the final lesson; you undertake a major online exam; and on achieving a 60% pass rate, you are given a "Certificate of Completion" carrying your name and date, to download as a pdf, to save or print as you wish

NOTE:

Unlike our other 100 hour courses, there is no additional exam fee charged for the exam in this or any of the 20 hour short courses.

WHY STUDY THIS COURSE?

• Know how to plan a new new garden
• Learn to redevelop an old garden
• Improve or refresh your level of garden design skill 
• Advance your career or job prospects
• Start a landscaping or garden design business
• Fill gaps in yor knowledge of gardening or horticulture