The Professional Garden Design Diploma from Garden Design School
The Garden Design School Diploma is the inspiring and intensive flagship course offered by Garden Design School. Students who take this course excel through mutual commitment to challenging goals, and through the depth of practical experience of the tutors. The vast majority of students who want to practice professionally go on to do so successfully, becoming inspired, confident garden designers, owning or working in profitable, professional landscape and garden design companies.
Accessible Garden Design Course Structure
The Garden Design Diploma course is a part-time, one academic year (36 week) intensive garden design course comprising a refined blend of lectures and practical studio work where you will spend one day per week at the school.
Independent study and projects are also an essential element of this garden design course and you should expect to dedicate an additional 24-30 hours per week to your studies outside the set classroom times. Time spent outdoors in the field including visits to example gardens further enhances and extends knowledge built in the classroom.
Our class numbers are kept intentionally small, allowing us to optimise one-to-one teaching and feedback. Working in this close knit, face-to-face environment also encourages mutual respect and support between students.
Expert Tuition
Students at Garden Design School benefit from considerable direct access to principal tutors’ time and expertise. Our tutors are not just excellent communicators and motivating mentors, but also highly accomplished gurus in specialist areas of garden design.
Students are inspired through engaging lectures and frequent, direct contact with the School’s founders, Robin Templar Williams and Moira Farnham, as well as by a network of well renowned guest speakers, each an expert in their field.
Garden Design Course Content
This industry recognised garden design Diploma provides structured and up-to-date content, specifically developed to equip students for a successful career in garden design. It is divided into four major strands, as follows;
Design Principles and Drawing
Principles of design; drawing and drafting skills; printing processes; application of colour and rendering; axonometric projection; freehand sketching; plan presentation; fast drawing techniques.
Hard Landscaping
Practical surveying with levels; site analysis; elevations and sections; hard landscape materials; detailing hard landscape; construction methods and techniques; setting out; water in the garden; lighting, irrigation and drainage.
Soft Landscaping
Basic botany; soil science; classification and identification; planting design; horticultural requirements; establishment; site specific planting; planting plans and schedules.
Professional Practice
Running the office; documentation and systems; health and safety; planning implications; client/designer relationships; contractor/designer relationships; specifications and contract management; project costing; getting started as a freelance designer; advertising and promotion.
A detailed, week-by-week syllabus is issued to all students once they have applied to join the garden design course.
Inspiring, Hands-on and Practical Project Work
Four major projects are undertaken by students during this garden design course.
Starting with a small courtyard garden the projects build in complexity to the final project – a large rural garden – with students producing full documentation; survey and site analysis; outline proposals; setting out drawing; visual realisation; planting plan and schedule; construction details; specification and scope of works.
In addition, 2 portfolios are produced by each student and compiled throughout the year, one devoted to hard landscaping the other to soft landscaping. By the end of the course, students will have a portfolio of four garden design projects that act as the launch pad for their new business.
Regular Assessment and Feedback
Students are assessed at regular intervals but examinations are not part of our Diploma course. All assignments are of a practical nature and closely resemble the types of projects a professional garden designer might encounter. Because the course is vocational not academic, you will not be asked to write essays.
Students at the Garden Design School receive timely, relevant feedback before moving forward to the next stage. Garden Design School tutors give face-to-face, one-to-one feedback to each and every student on each of their four major projects.
Term Structure 2012/2013
School days and studio sessions for Garden Design School’s Diploma courses are held on Tuesdays at Painshill Park, Surrey and on Thursdays at the Bristol Botanic Garden. Please note: students study for their Diploma at either our Surrey school or Bristol school, not a combination of the two.
Each course is divided into three academic terms of 10-12 week duration. School days (the time you attend lectures/studio sessions) take place between 9.30am and 4.30pm. There is a 45 minute break at lunchtime, and two shorter (15 minute) breaks during the morning and afternoon. The exact dates of our 2012-13 term times are included in the frequently asked questions document that you can download here.
Further Information
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and their answers, which you can download here. If you would prefer to talk directly with a member of the team, please do get in touch with the office by phoning +44 (0) 1380 728788 or emailing enquiries@gardendesignschool.co.uk.