Gain Certificate in Horticulture (Landscaping & Garden Design) Online

Become a professional landscaper - learn how plants grow, how to identify them and how to care for them.

This course is designed specifically as training for people who want to work in landscaping as a designer, contractor or in landscape construction. It is suitable both for people who want to commence their own business; or for anyone seeking work with an established landscape enterprise. This course is similar to our other horticulture certificates in its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the course to topics specifically related to landscaping. This course covers all the important aspects of Horticulture, as well as the basis for good landscape design .

COURSE CONTENT

This certificate entails the following:

Core studies - half of the course, involving approximately 300hrs over 15 lessons
Elective studies - half of the course, involving stream studies specific to landscaping

Core Lessons

Introduction to Plants
Parts of the Plant
Plant Culture - Planting
Plant Culture - Pruning
Plant Culture - Irrigation and Machinery
Soils & Media
Soils & Nutrition
Propagation - Seeds & Cuttings
Propagation - Other Techniques
Identification and Use of Plants
Identification and Use of Plants
Identification and Use of Plants
Pests
Diseases
Weeds

Stream Lessons

History of Landscaping
Principles of Design and Planning Information
Drawing and Costs
Irrigation
Garden Designs
Earthmoving and Drainage
Materials
Paths, Walls and Fences
Equipment
Water Features
Garden Art: Statues, Sundials and Figurines
Landscaping for Sports and Games
Landscape Management
Industrial Relations: Unions and Workers
Maintenance of a New Landscape

There are 30 lessons in this course:

Introduction to Plants
- Nomenclature and taxonomy
- The plant kingdom
- Genus, species, hybrids
Parts of the Plant
- How plants grow
- Plant structure
- Parts of the flower and leaf
- Modification of stems and roots
Plant Culture - Planting
- How to plant and protect newly planted specimens, annuals, biennials, perennials, deciduous, evergreen and herbaceous plants
Plant Culture - Pruning
- Purpose for pruning
- Rules for pruning
- How to prune
Plant Culture - Irrigation and Machinery
- Different irrigation systems
- Components of an irrigation system
- Designing an irrigation system
- Maintenance in the garden and for tools
Soils & Media
- Soil classifications
- Soil testing
- Potting mixes
- The U.C. system
- Ingredients of potting mixes
Soils & Nutrition
- Fertilizers
- Deficiencies and toxicities
- N:P:K ratios
- Salting
- Fertilizer programming
- Compost
Propagation - Seeds & Cuttings
- How to propagate plants with the two easiest techniques: seeds and cuttings
- Propagating mixes
- Cold frame construction
- After care for young plants
Propagation - Other Techniques
- Other methods to increase plant numbers
- Budding and grafting
- Layering, division and tissue culture
Identification and Use of Plants
- How are plants used in the landscape
- How to choose and purchase plants
- Selecting plants suitable for the climate and site
Identification and Use of Plants
- Problems with plants
- Choosing plants for problem sites
Identification and Use of Plants
- Indoor and tropical plants, flowers, herbs, bulbs, ferns
Pests
- Identifying and controlling pests
- Chemical and natural methods for pest control
- Chemical safety precautions
Diseases
- Identifying and controlling diseases
- Plant pathology
- Fungi, viruses, non pathogenic problems
- Interactions with the host and the environment
Weeds
- Identifying weeds
- Controlling weeds
- Chemical terminology
History of Landscaping
- Garden styles
- Types of gardens
- History of gardens
Principles of Design and Planning Information
- Principles of design
- Pre planning information
- Using colour
- Natural garden design
- Eclectic gardens
- Minimalist gardens
- Plant application
- Aesthetic criteria for design
- Procedure for planting design
- Entries
- Birds in the garden
Drawing and Costs
- Cost effective design
- Garden style versus costs
- Construction decisions
- Planting decisions
- Maintenance decisions
- Garden investment
- Determining costs
- Drawing techniques
- Computer aided design
Irrigation
- Sprinkler systems
- Micro irrigation
- Planning an irrigation system
- How to use a watering system
- Automatic watering systems
Garden Designs
- Park design
- Home garden design
- Cottage garden design
- Trail design
- Types of trails (fitness, sensory, cryptic, environmental)
- Recreational landsacaping
- Playground design
- Barriers and walls
- Gradients and dimensions
Earthmoving and Drainage
- Levelling & basic surveying
- Earthmoving equipment
- Earth forming
- Creating mounds
- Raised beds
- Importing or improving soil
- Soil shaping
- Soil degradation
- Soil rehabilitation
- Earthworks calculations
Materials
- Using, choosing & preserving timber
- Recycled timber
- Rock work
- Concrete
- Coloured pebbles and gravel
Paths, Walls and Fences
- Paths: guidelines, gradients, surfaces
- Walls & sleeper walls
- Types of fences
- Building a wood fence
- Garden structures
- Play Structures
- Skate facilities, motor vehicle parks
- Pavers, stone and gravels
- Contracts and specifications
Equipment
- Manual tools and equipment
- Power tools for landscaping
Water Features
- Planning a water garden
- Types of water gardens
- Water quality, depth, area, safety etc.
- Water effects
- Finishing touches to a water garden
- Fountains
Garden Art: Statues, Sundials and Figurines
- Garden rooms: How to design a garden room, what to put in a garden room
- Positioning garden art
- Painting in the garden
- Pots
- Sculpture and statues
- Outdoor furniture
Landscaping for Sports and Games
- Fun and fitness trails
- Outdoor multi purpose courts
- Skateboarding
- Types of playgrounds
- Park design criteria
Landscape Management
- Role of a manager
- Management processes
- Law and business
- Communication skill
- Marketing
- Industry awareness
- Landscape management
Industrial Relations: Unions and Workers
- Work scheduling
- Unions
- Workplace health and safety
Maintenance of a New Landscape
- Protecting young plants
- Replanting
- Pruning
- Weed control
- Maintaining turf

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.

For more information get your free course information pack today!