certificate in garden design course, become a consultant landscape designer, planner

7/29/2019 Certificate In Garden Design course, become a consultant landscape designer, planner

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Want to be a Garden Des igner?

. . th i s course has been producing very successfullandscapers and garden designers for over 20years

Developed by John Mason (Garden magazine editor and landscaper) with input from over 20professional garden designers and hortriculturists from Australia, the UK and beyondRevised regularly to ensure notes are always up to dateSupported by a wide variety of unique resources including videos, photographs, online library

articles... but most of all, opportunity for one on one interaction with highly qualified andexperienced landscape professionals

People w orking in gar den design or as landscape gardener s will find t his to be a v erycom prehensive c ourse. Not only w ill you learn about constr uct ion t echniques, gar den feat ures,and landscape det ailing, but you w ill also learn how t o draw plans and design differ ent t ypes ofgardens. Add t o t hat; plant , soil, and m aint enance knowledge, and you can appreciat e t hediversity and com plet eness of t his com pelling cour se.

- comment from Gavin Cole B.Sc., Psych.Cert., Cert.Garden Design, MACA, ACS Tutor; formerlyManager of The Chelsea Gardener, UK.

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are 30 lessons are outlined as follows:

1. Introduction to Landscaping2. Plant Identification3. History of Gardening4. Drawing Plans5. Soils & Nutrition6. Understanding the Environment7. Earthworks & Surveying8. Basic Landscape Construct ion9. Surfacings

10. Garden Structures11. Park Design12. Home Garden Design13. Costing & Specifications14. Trail Design15. Tools & Machinery16. Plant Establishment Techniques17. Ponds & Pools18. Rockwork & Masonry19. Lawn Construction Techniques20. Irrigation Design & Installation

21. Bush Garden Design22. Cottage Garden Design23. Playground Design24. Garden Bed Design25. Management26. Land Rehabilitat ion27. Drainage28. Maintenance29. Dealing with Clients30. Major Design Project

A i m s

Discuss the principles Garden Design.Develop a foundation for systematic identification of plants andsystematic determination of cultural requirements.Develop an awareness of different styles of gardening,principally through the study of the history of gardening.Develop the basic skills of landscape drawing as well as


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developing a basic understanding of contracts and specifications.Identify soil conditions appropriate for a garden design.Identify and properly account for environmental conditions within a garden design.Determine earthworks required for a garden design.Consider the relationship between design and construction when designing a garden.Determine appropriate surfacing for different gardensDetermine appropriate garden structures for a garden.Evaluate the functionality of a park design.Evaluate the design of a home garden.

Develop an appreciation for the impact that design can have onthe cost of a garden.Discuss the functionality and design of surfaced areas in agarden or park, including paths, trails and sporting facilities.Discuss the scope and nature of tools used to landscapegardens.Discuss ways that plants may be better established.Discuss the design of water gardensDiscuss the use of Rock, Stone, Brick and Concrete in gardendesigns.Discuss the appropriate use of lawns in garden designs.Discuss the appropriate use of irrigation in garden designsDiscuss the design of natural gardens.Discuss the design of cottage gardens.Discuss the design of childrens play areas.Discuss the design of garden beds.Identify Management skills required to be a commercially viable garden designer.Explain methods of rehabilitation of degraded landscapes.Explain methods of dealing with drainage problems in a garden designDiscuss the relationship between garden design and maintenance.Explain how a garden designer should successfully deal with clients.Prepare a significant garden design.

WHERE CAN THI S COURSE LEAD?

This is an industry that has a deficiency of capablepeople. Surveys in recent years in Australia, the UK, andsome other countries have show an increasing (andgrowing) demand for landscape and horticultureexperts. The duration and content of many governmentsponsored courses have unfortunately come under financialand other pressures; and industry recognises that there aresimply not enough people who can draw good plans andknow how to select the right plants for appropriatesituations.

This certificate is substantial in content, and duration. Itmay take longer than some other landscape certificates

(offered elsewhere), but in our experience, graduates from this course tend to be able to producebetter plans, work with a wider range of plant cultivars, and do the job faster and with greaterconfidence.

If you can talk to clients with more confidence, present more options for their gardens andproduce better plans faster; your career is going to be assured in this industry.

In short:

The work existsThere are too few good designersThis course takes longer to complete; but that's what is needed to be a good designer.

EXAMPLES OF TASKS UNDERTAKEN IN THIS COURSE

The following are only som e of t he act ivities that t he st udent will undert ake in t his course.

Find a site to be landsca ed. (It could be a ark or home arden it could be a new


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development or a redevelopment ofan older garden). Visit the site and record pre planninginformation required to design the landscape.Find five examples of the use of landscape principles. Using sketches and writtendescriptions, describe the way the garden has been laid out in order to achieve thoseparticular effects.Find gardens which represent three different styles.Submit a photograph or sketch plan of each alongwith a half page written description of the style of thegarden. Explain any historical influences, including the

influence of those who build to owned the garden. Thegardens may be gardens you have actually visited, orcan be gardens you have seen in a magazine or book.Copy the drawings of symbols (ie. drawings whichshow you how to represent plants, walls, rocks, etc.when you draw plans). Practice drawing these variouscomponents of a landscape.Using the pre-planning information collected, producea design for that area. or part of that area.Take a sample of soil and attempt to name it using the test given.Obtain components of potting or soil mixes; make up different mixes and test theircharacteristics.Survey an area requiring earthmoving. Draw a plan of the area, to scale, showing the areato be excavated. Calculate the volume of earth to be removed. Calculate where it is to beput.Find, observe & report on some bad landscape construction work. (You might discuss a poorrockery, a wall which is falling over, or some playground equipment which is unsafe.)Find three examples of bad selection of surfaces in a landscape (ie. home garden, park,sports oval, tennis court or whatever). Describe the material used and explain why they arebad. Consider both the aesthetic and functional qualities of the surfacing.Develop a redevelopment plan for an existing park. Submit aphotograph of the park as it exists at the moment (otherwisesubmit a rough sketch). Prepare a design for redevelopment inline with the suggested changes.Choose an established home garden (your own or a friends),

and draw a sketch plan as the garden exists. Explain how welldo you think this garden is designed?Find another home garden, needing either a new design orredevelopment. Prepare four rough sketches showing thestages you would go through in designing or redesigning thatparticular garden.Develop a detailed explanation of how you prepared yourcosting in the set task. Show the various components of thecosting and explain how and why you costed it this way ratherthan higher or lower.Design a trail. It can be any type of trail (fun & fitness, nature,history, etc .) and may be located anywhere (a street, park,

home garden, etc).Find and visit some recently landscaped gardens (completed within the last 4 months). Visitup to three different properties. Take note of any problems with the maintenance. Considerwhat could have been done to prevent these problems occurring.Design a perennial border along the front wall of a brick housePrepare a plan for the establishment of a large number of trees in a degraded area. This planshould cover at least 5 years. You should indicate clearly what the problem is and how youare going to use the trees to help rehabilitate the area.Design a water feature (eg. a pond or creek bed) for a bush or natural garden. Submit plansand a step by step description showing how you would construct such a water feature.Design a rockery area for a bush garden.Design a bush garden using mainly ferns, for a small courtyard of specified dimensions

A sse ssm e n t : You must satisfactorily complete all assignments and pass four 1.5 hour exams.


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E xa m s : There are four exams for the course; one after lesson 7, another after lesson 15; a thirdafter lesson 22 and the final at the conclusion of the course.

HOW TO CREATE AN I MPACT I N YOUR GARDEN DESI GN

Often something very simple can create an enormous impact in a garden. Asculpture strategically placed to catch the eye, or a courtyard wall painted in a

vibrant colour might do more to enhance the garden than a whole garden bed full offlowering plants. Here we show you some simple but effective ways to create animpact in your garden using sculpture, water and walls.Sculpture

A well-placed sculpture is probably the easiest way to create a focal point in the garden. The classical designs

have an enduring appeal, and there are many excellent reproductions available. A popular trend is the use of

Roman and Greek-style classical columns. The taller columns are used as a decorative feature in their own

right, often placed against a wall, while the shorter ones can be used as a plinth for an urn or sculpture.

Contemporary sculptures work well in the minimalist garden or courtyard. Designs are often abstract or

eclectic and may be geometric in form, crafted from metal, plastics, fibreglass and other refined materials notusually used in the garden.

For maximum impact, make sure the sculpture has plenty ofroom around it. Dont crowd it with a mass of

different plants and textures. Ifyou do want to include some greenery for a softening effect, use uniform

plantings, either as massed ground-covers around the base or a hedge or wall ofneatly clipped climber

behind the sculpture.

Walls

In a small courtyard, bare walls are the most dominant feature. Generally, the

tendency is to make the walls disappear behind a screen ofclimbers and shrubs.However, there are some pretty exciting things you can do to walls:

Paint a wall a single colour - not only does it make an interesting backdrop, but a

painted wall changes the mood ofthe garden depending on the colours used. Hot colours (reds, yellows,

pinks) make the whole garden feel warmer, more vibrant and active. Cool colours (greens, blues) are more

restful and cool the garden down (psychologically). Dark colours give a feeling ofenclosure and intimacy

whereas light colours open the area up.

Paint a trompe loeil on a wall. A trompe loeil is an illusion, a painted scene designed to deceive the eye. It

gives a quirky, humorous touch to the garden, and makes the garden appear larger than it really is.

Cover the wall with panels ofdecorative trellis or latticework.

Create niches (shallow recesses) in the wall to display urns, busts or small sculptures. Niches tend to give

the garden or courtyard a formal, classical look.

Place a decorative gate in the wall, perhaps aligned with a fountain, ornament or the main doors ofthe

house, to create an axis. A plain solid gate set in a high wall gives the garden a sense of intrigue - a secret

retreat from the outside world, and it teases the mind about what may lie beyond the door.

Mirrors

One ofthe cleverest tricks for small outdoor areas is using a mirror placed on a wall. The mirror catches and

reflects light and thereby extends the view giving the illusion that the garden is bigger than it really is.


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Where to Place a Mirror

Behind a pond, to catch the movement and play oflight on water.

At the end ofan axis, such as path, to give the illusion ofextra length.

Against a dark wall, with some light-coloured plants in front of, and below it, to give a

feeling oflightness and space

Behind a statue, allowing you to see it from all angles.

It is important to use a good quality mirror with a good backing, as the backing will soonpeel offcheaper mirrors when they are exposed to the weather. You can buy purpose-made outdoor mirrors.

All mirrors, ofcourse, are at risk ofbeing broken - but ifthey are placed in a location that is obscure,

perhaps partially protected from severe storms, weather extremes, and away from where children play ball

games, then the likelihood ofbreakage is significantly reduced.

Water

Most professional designers consider that water is an essential component ofthe garden - and for good

reason. Water adds an extra dimension to the garden bringing movement, sound, and a sense ofcoolness

which is both psychological and real.

The water feature doesnt have to be elaborate to create an impact. Generally, simple water features work

better in small spaces. Some ofthe most effective water features are based on geometric designs including:

circular or rectangular pools set in ground-level paving, raised rectangular water channels, and spheres with

bubbling water.

For a real sense ofdrama a water wall is hard to beat - with water cascading over the wall in a smooth sheet,

or catching and splashing over bowls or receptacles embedded in the wall, or spouting from wall jets.

Underwater lights add a further exciting dimension to the garden at night.

BORROW YOUR NEIGHBOURS LANDSCAPE TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN SEEM LARGER

Small gardens dont always need to seem small: after all, big gardens are often

simply made up oflots ofsmall garden areas linked together. The trick is to make it

seem like your neighbours garden is simply the next section ofyour own garden.

1) Take stock look at the gardens backing onto your property. Consider their

features that can be seen from your garden e.g. walls, pergolas covered with

climbers, large trees, and so on.

2) Consider the things that are separating your garden from the surrounding gardens such as fences, buildingsetc.

3) Work out how to hide the features that separate your garden from your neighbours using plants and trellis

screens.

4) Use visual tricks to extend the garden and link it with the surrounding properties.

Use Plants to Screen the Boundaries

The idea is to make your garden look bigger than it is. Fences, walls, garden sheds or other man-made

objects in the line ofview will quickly shatter that illusion. The solution is to plant shrubs and climbers so thatthey screen the boundaries and hide unsightly features, but without drawing undue attention to the boundaries.

Dont place plants in a solid line along the fence this will only draw the eye to the boundary, creating a

sense ofenclosure. Instead, plant shrubs ofvarying heights in small groups in front ofthe fence, so that you


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look out onto foliage that merges with taller trees and shrubs behind the fence.

Allow climbers such as Wisteria sinensis, Rosa filipes Kiftskate, Bougainvillea sp., Clematis montana and

Solanum crispum Glasnevin to spread through trees and large shrubs from one garden to another, so that

their flowers disappear into the distance.

Other Ways to Enlarge the Boundaries

Paint the fence or wall a dull, muted colour grey or dull green. Remove your back fence ifit goes onto parkland or farmland.

Install a gateway or arch that leads into your neighbours garden (providing ofcourse that you are on good

terms).

Ifpossible, cut peepholes in the fence or foliage so you can see beyond your garden (this may be easier if

you are adjacent to a reserve).

Dont remove overhanging branches from trees, shrubs, or climbers that come from your neighbours

garden. Doing this will only accentuate the border between yourselfand your neighbours.

Position benches and seats where you can see beyond your own garden.

Tricks that Landscape Designers Use

Install a trompe loeil trellis screen framing an image or a mirror to give an illusion that the garden extends

through the wall.

Use mirrors elsewhere to create illusions. For example, ifyou submerge a mirror at either end ofa narrow

pond that bisects your garden, it will look as though you have a continuous stream running through your

garden. Ifyou place a mirror inside an archway towards the end ofthe garden so that it reflects foliage, it will

look as though the garden continues beyond the boundary.

Use murals to create the illusion ofa garden gate or archway on a garden wall.

Paint foliage onto a garden wall that resembles the existing visible foliage at the end ofyour own garden, or

that ofa neighbours garden that backs on to yours. This will create continuity between the gardens.

Create the start ofa pathway leading into next doors garden but hide the fact that as you turn the corner, it

hits a brick wall.

Use similar plants to your neighbours so that it ties your garden in with theirs.

Ifyou live in a terraced house or semi-detached house, encourage climbing plants on the back ofyour

neighbours or your own house to grow on both, or several, properties.

Install a pergola that extends from one garden into another.

BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN

You can make a garden seem bigger by creating the illusion that something beyond the garden is within yourproperty. Alternatively, you can make the garden seem as though it is inside the house.

How to Extend Your Garden

Knock out a wall ofthe house and put in a big window.

Cut plants back from windows so you can see out - maximise your ability to see the garden from the

house.

Redevelop the garden - prune, plant, etc to create vistas from the house.

Position features in the garden (fountain, statue, trompe loeil, mirror etc) that can be seen better or with

more effect from inside the house.

Remove curtains, replace frosted glass to improve view outside, and then build a fence outside to maintain


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privacy.

Think about having a shower or bath and being able to look straight into the garden it can be a great

feeling, as long as people walking down the street cant see in as easily as you can see out!

Add garden lighting outside so that the garden looks a picture at night.

Place plants with large leaves in the foreground and plants with small leaves in the background. This willcreate the illusion ofdepth.

The illusion ofdepth can also be created by having light coloured foliage in the foreground and dark foliage

as a backdrop.

Create the illusion that your neighbours trees are part ofyour garden plant shrubs on your side to

camouflage the fence and merge with the foliage in your neighbours garden.

Frame an attractive view such as a distant mountain with an arch, pergola or trees. This draws the eye

beyond the immediate garden.

Deciding How to Extend Your Garden

Think about the type ofroom and the type ofview you get from that room:

What outside view do you want to be looking at when you are eating a meal, lying in bed, sitting at a desk,

etc?

How does the colour scheme in the room fit with the view from that room?

How does the style ofthe room fit with the view? (You dont want to be sitting in a liberally furnished roomlooking out at an ultra modern, minimalist garden).

WHYCHOOSE US?

Support: communicate directly with staff . Answering you is our top priority

Different: if your training is different, you stand out

Resources: unique collection of people and intellectual property.

Reputation: A team of a dozen university trained horticulturists led by our principal John Mason, with

a 40 year career incl. author of over 50 gardening books, garden editor, landscape, nurseryman and

parks directorFlexibility: more options for how, where, when and what you study

Learning is top priority: what you learn changes you for life. Everything else is secondary

Better value: Compare our cost per study hour.

Reliability: Established since 1979, and being independent means we have avoided the stresses

suffered by many other institutions

certificate in garden design course, become a consultant landscape designer, planner

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