Maintaining your Garden
Short course
Distance
Description
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Type
Short course
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Methodology
Distance Learning
This course will give you the confidence to create or restore and care for your garden, whether starting from scratch or altering an existing and overgrown site. We take you step by step through initial and routine tasks, also explaining how to choose plants and how to propagate and sustain healthy growth. With our expert advice, you will learn how to transform an outside space and acquire a full set of gardening skills for future use.
Reviews
Teachers and trainers (3)
Gill Lotter
Lecturer
Rosemary Alexander
Principal
Simon Pyle
Vice Principal
Course programme
- To make, maintain and enjoy a healthy and attractive garden throughout the different seasons of the year.
- By assessing the site, nature of soil, situation and existing planting.
- By measuring and marking out existing and proposed beds.
- By understanding plant anatomy from root structure and leaves to flowers and fruits.
- By learning plant nomenclature and identification.
- By choosing appropriate plants for your soil and climatic conditions.
- By propagating healthy plants, and tackling pests and diseases.
- By recording what you do in your garden in a garden log.
- By working out a maintenance plan.
There are 6 project submissions and many exercises in this course. On average the course takes 12 months to complete, working at a rate of about 6 hours per week. Although not a design course, it will teach you how to plan and plant new borders and how to choose plant combinations for year-round interest.
Structure of the course
The course sets out to teach you how to care for your garden in a professional and creative manner. It takes you through the whole process from initial assessment, planning, maintenance, and replanting.
The course consists of:
- Six chapters of text, providing some theoretical background and lots of practical advice
- Exercises and projects throughout the year
- A Garden Log
- A Portfolio of plant groupings
- Garden analysis and planning
- How plants work, basic botany
- Soil
- Plant names
- Clearing the site, tools etc
- Moving plants
- Layout and hard landscaping
- Potting shed
- Weed control
- Cultivating the soil
- Redefining boundaries
- Internal divisions
- Climbers
- Lawns
Chapter 4 Choosing and buying plants
- Trees
- Climbers
- Shrubs
- Roses
- Herbaceous
- Alpines and rock gardens
- Grasses and bamboos
- Ferns
Chapter 5 Care of plants and propagation
- Pruning
- Propagation
- Plant health
- Going organic
- Greenhouse
Chapter 6 Finishing touches
- Water
- Lighting
- Ornamental pots and troughs
- Efficiency
- Planning for the future
Exercises
The exercises have been designed to enhance the subject matter covered in each chapter, and to help you check your understanding as you go.
In many cases you will be able to check your answers by reviewing the text; in some, you are encouraged to extend your knowledge by referring to other sources.
Some exercises are practical, and they will encourage you to get out there, to observe your garden growing. Some will encourage you to go further afield and to observe other gardens in your neighbourhood.
Projects
In order to participate in the course, each student must have access to a garden that can be used as a living, practical project. The garden need not belong to the student, but regular access is vital for observation.
The projects will follow your maintenance and development of the garden throughout the year. You will submit written reports to your tutor for assessment.
Additional information
Maintaining your Garden