Garden Maintenance

Lesson Structure: Garden Maintenance VHT100
There are 10 lessons:

Introduction - Planning and managing a garden
Instructs how to develop a sensible maintenance program for any garden ? big or small.
Garden Furnishings and Machinery;
Develops an understanding of power tools used for maintaining a garden and also furnishings.
Feeding Plants;
Details areas involving plant care - nutrition , Improving soils, Cation exchange & pH , Plant Nutrition
Weed Control;
this lesson goes through weed control methods, common groups of weeds and options for treating and recognising different weed varieties.
Weedicides;
Types of chemicals found in weedicides and suitable weedicides, which would control the weed.
Natural Pest Control;
Goes through advantages and disadvantages of chemical and non- chemical pest control. Goes through natural controlling methods for pest and diseases. Teaches how to identify and solve specific problems
Chemical Pest Control;
Advises on safety procedures when using agricultural chemicals, specific chemical treatments and a summary of pesticides.
Turf Management;
Develops an understanding of turf varieties, appropriate turf for specific areas, low and high maintenance turf.
Irrigation;
Details on Irrigation, appropriate Irrigation systems and watering for plants.
Maintenance of Plants;O
verall areas to consider when dealing with plant care, maintenance of a complete garden area.

This course is taught by:

Katie Freeth
BSc. (Hons) Horticulture, (University of Bath); RHS General Examination; FI Hort; MIfpra.

An experienced and professional horticulturist with extensive management skills gained internationally; experienced in landscape management, staff supervision and management, written and oral communication, horticultural knowledge and application, supported by organisational and administrative skills and attention to detail.

Katie brings 20 years experience in Horticulture and is an accomplished lecturer, horticulture consultant and freelance writer. Katie is a judge for the International Awards for Liveable Communities in the Whole City Category.
Katie also worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in France for approx 5 years first as a Sector Manager and then as an Area Manager; management of the cemeteries, peripatetic teams of gardeners (UK & French nationality) for the constructed cemeteries and memorials and static French nationality gardeners for small town/village plots.

Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.
City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)
Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

Susan is a Professional Associate and exam moderator and holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

She also supervised the Area Arboriculture Team and was Exhumations Officer€“ in charge of collecting discovered remains and arranging identification (if poss) and interment of same.
Learning Goals: Garden Maintenance VHT100

Evaluate the maintenance needs and develop a plan for maintaining a garden.
Select and maintain tools and equipment appropriately for use in garden maintenance.
Describe maintenance requirements for garden structures such as furniture, gates and fencing.
Maintain appropriate nutrition requirements for healthy plant growth.
Control weeds in a garden.
Use weedicides in a safe and effective way.
Control pests using non chemical methods.
Use chemical pesticides safely and efficiently.
Maintain lawns in a healthy and well maintained condition.
Describe options for managing water in a garden.
Determine actions that should be taken to maintain a variety of different plants.