HOME LANDSCAPING ONLINE COURSE
"This is the first correspondence course I have done and I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU. I appreciate everyone's effort in such a professionally-run organisation with seamless administration. The office staff's happy can-do attitude, their fast responses to all queries, tutor Shane Gould's quick turnaround in assignment marking and his supportive and motivational feedback and last but not least, the sound subject guides. Most importantly I hope my thanks and appreciation can be communicated to all the staff who have supported me long the way of my learning! I work full time and study on the weekend but really don't stop thinking about what gardening solution I need in order to answer my assignments every day of the week. Thank you for such a great learning experience and I cant wait to start the second half of my course!!"
- Skye
- Learn how to plan, lay out and construct your own home garden.
- Whether you want a garden which you can work in, play in or simply look at and feel proud of then this course is for you.
Topics covered include: designing gardens, styles of gardens, drawing plans, understanding soils, basic landscape construction, weeds & pests, planting & pruning, lawns & other surfacings, garden features, plus a special project to help you develop your own garden. This course is 100% for home gardeners. While our other courses can certainly be relevant to home gardeners; they are generally considered as more oriented toward the "business" of landscaping; or those working in the industry.
Lesson Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
- Designing Gardens - the basics of design concepts through to understanding how to use them.
- Styles of Gardens - formal, informal, natural, and other themes.
- Drawing Plans ‑Designing Gardens - learn how to draw basic landscape features and garden designs.
- Understanding Soils - clays, loams, sands - how to identify them and treat them for better plant growth.
- Basic Landscape Construction - what is involved to build basic structures like steps, walls, paths, etc.
- Weeds & Pests - how to identify and treat garden weeds and pests.
- Planting and Pruning - techniques to plant, prune and care for garden plants.
- Lawns, paving and other surfacing - care for various surfaces
- Garden Features - how to select and use garden features in a landscape.
- Developing "YOUR" Garden - Special Project
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
- Understand the design procedure and the principles of landscape design
- Develop knowledge of garden styles through history and apply this to your own designs
- Develop skills in graphical techniques for plan drawing
- Develop knowledge of soil properties and their relevance to home horticulture
- Understand the principles and practices of basic landscape construction
- Develop knowledge of pests and weeds, and their management in home horticulture
- Develop skills in planting and pruning for home gardens
- Develop knowledge of lawns and surfaces appropriate to home landscaping
- Develop knowledge of landscape furnishings and other features appropriate for home gardens
- Utilise skills developed during this course to develop a landscape design for a home garden.
