Managing Notable Gardens

NOTABLE GARDENS AND LANDSCAPES COURSE - DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE  This is a course for the trained or experienced manager. It is a component of the 2nd year studies in the RHS M.Hort.

Learn to:

1. Discuss appropriate management strategies to ensure the long term survival of plants and garden features.

2. Identify and evaluate sources of funding and associated issues.

3. Identify and discuss the issues concerned with the presentation of a site to visitors.

A designed landscape can be described as parks, gardens or grounds that are pre-conceived, designed and constructed for artistic effect. Parklands, woodlands, water and notable formal and informal gardens are included. Some may have significant wildlife, archaeological and scientific interest; they are also often the grounds in which buildings of historical significance are situated.

Notable designed landscapes, of important heritage value occur in the city, in towns and in the countryside - they include:

• Archaeological remains

• The grounds and gardens of large houses

• Notable smaller gardens

• Urban and rural small parks

• Notable parks and green spaces that may have historical significance ie. refer to a particular historical figure or event

• Old parks and gardens which may be representative of the period or a style, or can be attributed to a certain designer

• Parks and gardens which may be of value as part of other notable landscapes or buildings

• Large public parks

• Community gardens and allotments

• Civic landscapes

• Churchyards, cemeteries and grounds surrounding public buildings such as hospitals and universities

• Urban green corridors and other green spaces including village greens

• New landscapes

Lesson Structure:

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Role and Formulation of Conservation Management Plans
   • Introduction: types of notable landscapes
   • The role of conservation management plans
   • Why research is important
   • National registers
   • Other sources of information
   • Gathering and organising the documentary information
   • The site survey
   • Reporting the research
   • Formulating conservation management plans
   • Writing the plan
2. Consult Public and Interested Parties, Statutory and Non-Statutory Consultees.
   • The consultation process
   • Stakeholders
   • Community participation strategy
   • Collecting and analyzing data
   • Primary data research
   • Secondary data research
   • Steps for collection and analysis of data
   • Planning a formal survey
   • Designing a questionnaire
   • Common problems
   • PBL project to formulate criteria required for the successful consultation with all relevant stakeholders, in the implementation of a maintenance program for a notable garden.
3. Role of Public and other Sources of Funding
   • Funding restoration and conservation
   • Examples of funding objectives
   • Large funding bodies
   • Other funding bodies
   • Grant aid criteria
   • Funding applications
   • Other sources of funds
   • Other cost considerations for sites open to the public
   • Plant sales, garden shop, tea rooms, etc
4. Planning for Renewal of Plant Features
   • Plant surveys
   • Current plantings
   • Other considerations
   • Using experts
   • Trees
   • When not to retain a tree
   • Sourcing plant material
   • Collecting seed
   • Selecting a parent plant
   • Timing
   • Method of seed collecting
   • Removing seeds
   • Replanting strategies
5. Developing New Features within Existing Landscapes
   • Type of actions: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction
   • Principles to follow
   • Car parks
   • Surfacing
   • Pebble and cobble paving
   • Fencing
   • Dry stone walls
   • Steps
   • Ramps
   • Railings
   • Retaining walls
   • Brick
   • Drainage
   • Timber
   • Stone
   • Rockeries
6. Programming Repair of New and Existing Hard Landscape Features.
   • Introduction
   • Action plans: preparing maintenance management schedules
   • Managing and storing records
   • Hard copy information
   • Classifying information
   • Active and inactive records
   • Data protection
   • Fundamental maintenance tasks: drainage, paving
   • Maintaining stone and brick walls
   • Maintaining ponds
   • PBL Project to formulate a Maintenance Schedule for the repair of new and existing hard landscape features.
7. Creating New Gardens and Landscapes.
   • Principles of landscape design
   • Design elements
   • Gathering site information
   • The base plan
   • Basic surveying
   • Design drawing
   • Completed designs and plans
   • Park design
8. Identifying Required Staff Skills
   • Staff management, training and associated issues
   • Skill set required for workers in historic parks and gardens
   • The skills crisis
   • Training schemes
   • Volunteer labour
   • Skills audits and training plans
   • Identifying skills chortages
   • Conducting a skills audit
   • Training programs
   • Workplace health and safety
   • Identifying hazards
   • Risk control methods
   • Conducting a safety audit
   • Assessing risks
9. Adapt Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes for Modern Use
   • Presenting historic gardens and designed landscapes
   • Visitor interpretation
   • Marketing and PR
   • Visitor facilities
   • Equal access
   • Access strategy
   • Managing wear and tear, vanalism, theft
   • Managing legislative requirements (eg. health and safety, equal access).
   • PBL project to adapt a historic garden or designed landscape for modern use.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims:

• Examine how conservation management plans for designed landscapes are formulated and how the information gathered is evaluated and verified
• Examine and explain the role of public and interested parties, statutory and non-statutory consultees.
• Examine the role of public funding; evaluate other sources of funding; discuss the implications of grant aid criteria
• Explain issues and procedures associated with the renewal of plant features.
• Develop and outline strategies for creating new features within existing landscapes.
• Describe the processes involved in creating new gardens or landscapes.
• Manage wear and tear on historic gardens and designed landscapes
• Determine appropriate work programs for repair and maintenance of hard landscape features.
• Identify and outline staffing management and training issues, determine labour skill sets requirements.

Interested? Request a free information pack today!