Garden Design Course – Become a professional landscape designer

The most important requirement is a passion to learn and some artistic flare. No previous design experience is required as this will be taught during the course. An art background is useful, but not essential, but some sort of creative ability would be beneficial. This doesn’t mean you can draw or paint, but knowing when something looks and feels right will certainly help. Plant knowledge is not required, as this will be taught on the course. In addition, you will need a good grasp of English and some basic computer skills. If you can email and download a file then you can do this course! We set out to produce students with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to become professional garden designers who can offer a professional service and charge professional fees.

Awards

Our students have won the both the APLD and SGD student of the year awards numerous times, as well as the BBC garden designer of the year award. Many have produced medal-winning show gardens and have worked with some of the leading landscape designers around the world including Anthony Paul, Arne Maynard, Luciano Giubbilei, James Alexander Sinclair, and Charlotte Rowe (herself an OCGD student!)

Designing space

This module will teach you how to think and design in 3D. You’ll learn to manipulate simple shapes into coherent patterns, and then use this approach as a tool for designing in three dimensions. You will be encouraged to exploit art to expand your repertoire of responses to design assignments.

SketchUp training

Architecture, design, and media professionals the world over use SketchUp to create detailed 3D models efficiently and quickly. You’ll cover the fundamentals of the application, the interface, and how to use the Sandbox extension to create realistic organic shapes and terrain.

Garden history

You have to understand the past before you can design for the future. This module explores manmade landscapes, from early Middle East agricultural societies to the present day. We’ll explore trends in design and their relation to art, architecture and socioeconomic activity in different societies.

Image manipulation

These tutorials are packed with tons of useful tips on managing your photo library. You’ll quickly learn how to organize, sort, rate, and locate specific pictures as well as how to rotate images, remove red-eye, and adjust exposure settings. You’ll also learn how to share your photos via email, the internet, across a network, and even how to organise prints and books online.

Urban garden design

Urban spatial development.  In two separate exercises you’ll  survey a courtyard and a small garden using running dimensions and triangulation, making note of all relevant site details. Site data will be evaluated, including the potential for fulfilling the client’s brief.

Hard landscaping theory & practice

A detailed look at construction and specification in landscape and garden design.  You’ll be able to specify and instruct contractors to build all manner of landscape features including ponds, pools, pergolas, arbours. walling, fencing, paving, drives, steps, drainage, decking and concrete.

Landscape construction

Design detail and creative planning. This module covers hard landscape construction – working drawings, surveying, levels, drainage, construction details and setting out, as well as the properties of construction materials.

Garden photography

Comprises a series of photographic lectures and practical exercises. The module is very hands on, with the core segment revolving around creating photos of plants and gardens suitable for your web presence, fine art and magazine publication.

Soft landscape form and colour

You will explore the relationship between plants and their optimal living environment. The module includes plant physiology, form and structure, and their inter-related variables. You will also analyse the different planting styles used by leading designers.

Garden design masterclasses

Exclusive lectures from top designers and artists such as John Brookes, Anthony Paul, Luciano Giubbilei and Jilly Sutton. 

Country garden design

Using your design knowledge, plus the full range of skills learnt on the course, you’ll draw up a proposal for a large country garden.

Business and professional practice

The fundamentals of contract law governing the relationship between designer and client, and between client and contractor. You’ll receive lectures on setting up, marketing and sustaining a design business – a step by step guide from working professionals on how to maximise your chances of success.

Computer modelling & Vectorworks training

3D modelling and Vectorworks Landmark training are an absolute necessity if you want to follow a professional career in garden and landscape design.

ASSIGNMENT 1 – COURTYARD GARDEN

Students will be able to survey a small site using running dimensions and triangulation making note of site details such as the position of trees, buildings, simple level changes, and services etc. They will be able to evaluate the data collected on site and produce a scale drawing at 1:50 to accurately portray the site’s characteristics. They will write a simple client brief and produce a sketch proposal based on that brief. Students will apply pattern analysis concepts which have been taught concurrently. The proposal will be drawn using pencil and then draughting pens, on architectural blanks using the title blocks to display appropriate information. Students will demonstrate an understanding of special concepts and design philosophy and demonstrate a reasonable knowledge of landscape graphical symbols.

ASSIGNMENT 2 – LARGE TOWN GARDEN

Students will complete project 2 in the same manner as for project 1 with the additional use of Survey Analysis and Design concepts (S.A.D). Students will be provided with all the survey information required and will produce an additional site evaluation plan. Using this information, they will produce functional diagrams for the site and its layout. With this information, a sketch plan will be produced. Having completed this, they will then use CAD to produce a Key Plan and layout drawings containing spot heights, dimensions and specification on paving materials and construction details.

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN (CAD)
ASSIGNMENT 3 – LARGE COUNTRY GARDEN

Design project 3 is as above with the students having to produce full plans and details for the whole site to include construction details, specification documents, costings and schedules of work. Full planting plans will be required. These will include a plant list containing descriptions, maintenance information and plant numbers to facilitate ordering.

HARD LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION PORTFOLIO

Using CAD, students will produce a hard landscape portfolio comprising of 10 constructions details. Aim – To develop an understanding of how landscape elements are constructed and to enable students to provide the contractor with specific graphical design instructions. Garden elements will be organised in the following categories:

• Surfaces (vehicular, pedestrian, in-situ, flexible, rigid.)
• Enclosures (walls, fences, trellis, gates)
• Level changes (steps, ramps, retaining walls)
• Structures (pergolas, arbours, gazebos)
• Landscape materials used will be brick, stone, concrete, timber and/or others such as plastic, metal, canvas, etc.

2D & 3D COMPUTER MODELING & CAD

Students will be taught to illustrate their work using 2D & 3D computer modeling software to produce life-like representations of their design. These will be used both in the design process and also to aid client appreciation and understanding of the design. Advanced CAD Workshop Having learnt the basics of the software you will now cover planting design and how to product detail layout and construction detail to print and use on site for both planning applications, tendering and onsite as working drawings for the contractor.

GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY

Part 1 How to Use a Camera You will be taught how to use a DSLR camera and cover the basics of both aperture and shutter speed, to control exposure, focusing depth of field, and sharpness.

Part 2 Documentary Garden Photography You will be taught what is required by magazines and news media for a garden documentary story. You will be able to photograph a garden using different images from wide-angle story-telling shots to macro close-up detail images. This will allow you to photograph your own gardens and get valuable media coverage to help promote your business.

Course Start Dates

The college has two intakes per year the first at the end of April and the second at the end of September.  Places are limited to a max of 8 students per class and are supplied on a first come first serve basis.

The next course start dates are 
24th September 2021
29th April 2022

Fees: Garden Design Diploma £8895.00

Regulations

To secure your place, all students will be required to pay a non-refundable enrolment fee of £500 which guarantees them a place and includes immediate access to two modules of the course. Once approved, a reading list and your first CAD lectures will be issued, for students to make an initial start.  In order to be awarded the college’s Diploma, students will be required to complete and pass all sections of the course within 12-36 month period from the course start date. Additional 12-month extensions to the course can be purchased at an additional cost of £650 pa if required.

Once you have paid your enrolment fee, you will be invoiced for the balance (to be paid via bank transfer), prior to the start of the course. In the event of illness or other crises, the college will do its best to assist students, by moving them to the next subsequent course, so allowing them to complete their studies.  It is regretted that no fees can be refunded for whatever reason including non-attendance, once the course has commenced. (As per our Terms of Enrolment) The college reserves the right to change the course dates, and structure without notice.