Online Landscaping Gardening Course

Landscape Design is a multifaceted skill. It allows you to take a vision or "feeling" and transform it into a workable plan. It isn't just making a place look nice, nor mass planting, but is also about suiting the landscape to the climate, land and setting that you have to work with. An understanding of plants, soils, timbers, climate, and other landscape materials are pivotal to the success of a good landscape design.

The ten lessons are as follows:

1. Basic Design Procedure A

• Scope of Landscaping
• Dynamic Nature of Gardens
• Plant Naming
• Plant Identification and Selection
• Botanical Families; a basis for identification
• Principles of Landscaping
• Design Elements
• Design Effects
• Climate, Microclimate and Aspect
• Collecting pre-planning information

2. History of Gardening

• Formal Gardens
• Informal Gardens
• Natural Gardens
• Cottage Gardens
• Other garden styles and themes, oriental, Mediterranean, etc
• Potted History of Gardens: Roman, Chinese, Dark Ages, Le Notre, Brown, Jeckyll, etc

3. Draughting and Contracting

• Concept Plans
• Scale Drawing
• Presentation Plan
• Computer Aided Design
• Drawing techniques (Graphics)
• Design Procedure
• Specifications and Contracts

4. Basic Landscape Construction

• Drainage and Erosion
• Gradients
• Walling
• Rockeries
• Steps
• Creating Mounds
• Earth Shaping
• Playstructures
• Gravel and Paths

5. Surfacings

• Gradients
• Surfacings
• Gravel
• Soft Surfacing
• Grass
• Concrete
• Asphalt
• Timber
• Paving
• Rubbers and Textiles
• Substrates
• Performance Considerations

6. Furnishings and Features

• Criteria for selecting Structural Components
• Garden Furniture and Garden Rooms
• Using Furniture in the Garden
• Outdoor Tables and Chairs
• Garden Art; types, selection, use
• Lighting
• Design considerations for Play Structures
• Water Displays and Fountains
• Skate Facilities

7. Park Design A

• Park Components
• Ornaments
• Walls, Fences and Windbreaks
• Enclosed Gardens
• Gates and Gateways
• Windbreaks
• Recreational Landscaping
• Criteria for Public Outdoor Space Design
• Why Parks are Under used
• Types of Playgrounds
• Making Community Participation Work

8. Home Garden Design

• Components of a Home Garden
• Where Garden Meets House
• Bringing the Outside In
• Buildings in a Home Garden
• Courtyards

 

9. Design Procedure B

• The Design Process
• Design Elements
• Components of a Recreational Landscape
• Designing Narrow Gardens
• Water Garden Design
• Water Effects: sound, reflection, movement, light, cooling
• Using Water Plants
• Formal and Informal Pools

10. Park Design B

• Creating Trails
• Planning a Trail
• Types of Trails: Fitness, Nature, Sensory, Cryptic Puzzle, etc
• Sporting Facilities
• Outdoor Courts
• Fun and Fitness Trails
• Motor Vehicles in Parks
• Plus A Special Assignment - comprehensive landscape

Interested? Request a free information pack today!