Explore the art of garden design in this comprehensive course. You will learn the fundamental elements of style, basic techniques and professional tricks necessary to design the gardens of your dreams.

Professional garden design is something that is inspirational and is essentially solving the various logistical problems associated with what you have to work with, where to position such items as pathways, swimming pools, tennis courts, water features, flower beds and which plants would be most suited. Good garden design adds these ingredients to create a style in keeping with the site, the house and your client's requirements.

The whole process of design begins long before you put pen to paper. Your initial job is to find out just what you have and then what you want to achieve based on this initial fact finding.

Once this basic analysis is completed, you can then move on to the fun job of preparing the design. .

On completion of your course, you will receive two qualifications:

The objectives of the Garden Design course are to:

• Introduction　- Garden Design Influences
• Client-Designer Relationship -The Basic Principles of Garden Design
• Planning the Garden
• Taking measurements
• Drawing the Plan
• Preparing the garden
• Equipment, Tools, Soil and Irrigation
• Surfaces
• Lawns and Steps
• Planting
• Garden features
• Costing and estimation

1 – Introduction – Garden Design Influences

- Identify famous Garden Designers, both British and American, who have influenced history and style

2 - The Client-Designer Relationship, The Basic Principles of Garden Design

- Evaluate how a relationship develops between garden designer and his client and discuss basic principles of designing a garden

- Summarize the following procedures:

- The Initial Meeting

- The Follow-up meeting

- Discussing the Budget

- Presenting the Budget

3 - Planning the Garden

- Discuss details that need to be considered when planning a garden and give a glossary of commonly used terms

- Compare ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ balance in garden design

- Introduce a ‘Bubble Diagram’ and explain it uses

- Examine the difference between a landscape gardener and a landscape designer

4 - Taking Measurements

- Evaluate fundamental techniques used by garden designers to measure clients’ gardens

- Analyse the formulas used in calculating the surface areas of:

- Circle

- Rectangle

- Square

- Triangle

- Summarise Triangulation and indicate when it would be used

5 - Drawing the Plan

- Analyse the main factors to be considered when drawing a plan of the client’s garden

- Discuss when an outline design would be used and what it would comprise

- Introduce 5 ways to utilise plants in a garden

- Explain the concept of using plants to form the vertical structure of a garden

6 - Preparing the Garden

- Identify the main points that need to be remembered when ‘preparing a garden’

- Summarise the term ‘aspect’ and explain its significance in planning a garden

- Judge the advantages and disadvantages of using slopes

7 - Equipment, Tools, Soil and Irrigation

- Discuss the various tools required for garden design the different soil types and methods of irrigation

- Describe what the pH scale is used for and what it signifies

- Define what soil improvers are and include examples

- Evaluate principle points to consider when laying an irrigation system

8 - Surfaces

- Introduce and discuss the various types of surfaces available for garden design

- Identify three aims to work for when paving a garden

- Describe the various brick bonding patterns with diagrams

- Compare the differences, advantages and disadvantages of hard and soft surfaces, in less than 500 words

9 - Lawns and Steps

- Introduce lawns showing how they should be laid

- Describe the various types of steps available and explain the basic construction of ramps

- Summarise the following terms:

- Pitch

- Nosing

10 - Planting

- Discuss the various aspects of planting and plant care

- List 10 basic planting procedures for Containerised Plants

- Explain the manner in which you would prune a healthy plant

- Summarise the term ‘dead heading’

11 - Garden Features

- Introduce the different varieties of Cottage Garden Features, and examine lawns, their shape and benefits to the environment

- Examine procedures to be followed when planning a water feature and explain how walls and fencing are constructed

- Discuss points that must be considered with planning a water feature

- Analyse what considerations must be taken into account when building a garden wall

12 - Costing and Estimation

- Evaluate how to calculate areas and discuss various methods of costing

- Summarise in brief Business Operating Costs

- Identify the way in which you would determine Hourly Charge-Out Rates