HELP - Landscape Gardening Courses?

Hi everyone

I was recently made redundant from a job in the city, and would like to start a new career and am interested in training to become a Landscape designer/gardener.

Please could someone point me in the right direction, as to what courses/qualifications are available?

Your guidance would be much appreciated.

Steve, Whitchurch, Hampshire, UK

 

Hi Steve and welcome. So sorry to hear about your city job.

The simple answer is that I don't know. However I would contact the RHS. They do run courses of their own, they may also have a tie up with colleges that run such courses, as they tend to be a standard setter.

try this http://www.rhs.org.uk/Courses

 

I don't want to burst your bubble but Garden Design can be a very difficult area to break in to. Look in any glossy garden magazine and you will see adverts for dozens of courses and design schools. So many people have done these courses over the last few years that we are probably oversuppled with 'garden designers'

You have just missed this years start date for full time college courses - National Certificate / national Diploma but you would probably do well getting practical experience working at a basic level and applying for college next year.
Whereabouts are you?

 

While you are waiting for a course to come up, perhaps some work experience with a garden maintenance/landscape company, just so that you get an idea of what is involved in the industry.
Too many times people think 'oh a bit of gardening/designing, can't be too hard etc etc,' but it will show the college/course people that you are interested in following it as a new career. You will also be able to build up a number of contacts for when you have finished your qualification and starting out on your own.

I don't want to put you off, but I feel many people think that 'a bit of gardening' is easy, but they generally don't do it right, and it is certainly not easy!

Anyway, rant over! Welcome to GC, and hope you find a course you like!

 

Hi thanks for the feedback. I'm certainly prepared for hard work, and plenty of study time!

Could anyone point me in the right direction as to what qualifications are available, and which are most suited to design etc? I would also like to learn practical skills as well, but again, do not know which course would be best for me?

Steve