Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know whether the ‘level’ of the course is right for me?

If you have any concerns about whether a course is the right level for you simply call one of our team in the office on 0207 352 4347 who will be able to guide you towards just the right course for you.

I am a gardening novice but would like to retrain in horticulture and develop my gardening skills. Where do I begin?

A good place to start might be our Gardening for Beginners short course which runs over 4 days. If you are looking for a deeper understanding, our Practical Horticulture Diploma is suitable for complete beginners and novices to gardening and will equip you with all the skills you need to plan and maintain a healthy garden. This Diploma also allows you to sit the RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture and has the bonus of practical days out included in the programme.

I already have a good grounding in horticulture and am confident of many plant names but would really like to develop my plant knowledge and perhaps run my own horticultural business or plant nursery. What course would suit me?

The Diploma in Plants and Plantsmanship requires an understanding of basic horticultural techniques, plus some plant knowledge and would be suitable as a ‘follow-on’ course to the Diploma in Practical Horticulture. This course enables you to expand your understanding and identification of plants, how they are grown and propagated, and which plants to choose for certain situations. By the end of this course, you would have skills of value to many horticultural businesses like plant nurseries, plant centres and should be able to run your own horticultural consultancy.

I am considering changing my career to become a garden designer – what course is best for me?

We run a number of courses designed to help you change career and become a garden designer or even just design your own garden. Our full Diploma in Garden Design will give you all the skills you need to set up your own design practice – to find out more about this, book a taster session at the School to meet our Vice Principal and sit in on a student studio session. Alternatively, we also run a 10 week Certificate course – this is particularly designed for people who would like to design their own garden or do not have time to do the full Diploma. A further option is Distance Learning, created for people who live outside the UK or who can’t attend in London. This course will give you a good grounding in Garden Design but does not qualify you to set up your own design business.

Do I need to have my own garden to complete a Distance Learning course?

No you don’t, as long as you have access to a garden to use for some practical exercises - eg surveying for the ‘Garden Design’ course and soil testing for the ‘Maintaining Your Garden’ course.

When can I begin the Distance Learning course?

About a week after signing up and paying for the course, you will receive your course manual which will allow you to get started straight away.

How long do I have to complete my Distance Learning course?

The courses can be completed in up to 3 years but usually students complete the course within 6-12 months.

What sort of careers do your graduates have after they have completed their course?

Our graduates take up all sorts of associated careers – botanical artists exhibit and sell their work, some become television presenters (such as graduates Rachel de Thame and Joe Swift), some become sought-after garden designers (like Philip Nixon and Nicholas Tripp) – or run successful businesses like nurseries, garden maintenance companies, garden design studios or organise garden tours. Many of our students return to the school to continue their professional development while working in the industry. And a large body of students simply study at the school to improve their own gardens, increase their knowledge or perhaps develop a new skill such as Botanical Painting.