Kitchen Garden Forum

hello chaps
OK, so I'm signed up to study the RHS certificate at night school now, but I also want to study garden design specifically. I've had a mooch about on t'internet and had to have a lie down in a darkened room with a damp flannel on my head. Did ya know you can spend 7k on a course at the Chelsea Physic Garden?! NO, neither did I. The Asst. Est Mgr went a funny colour when I showed him the site. Poor love thought I was going to put him up chimneys to finance it!
So - looked at other options, and there are lots. Once again I'm looking to you guys for advice. What I don't want to do is invest in a course which has no credibility, or is a kinda "style over substance" thing.
I see this KLC outfit mentioned a lot in the back of gardening magazines, but my rampant cynicism thinks that if they have to advertise that much what does that say about them?

What does the collective wisdom of KG think of such courses, and does anyone have experience of them. Finally, does anyone have any recommendations on this?
Many thanks
lynne
[Smile]

Dear Lynne, i don't know about the courses, but i thought i would just say hello.

LYNNE
Have you had a look at Sparsholt college courses they do full/part time courses in design.

Herby - if I didn't know better, I'd think you were just posting any message to get to the top of the 'Top Ten Posters list', but I know you're not that sad.

thanks for the Sparsholt suggestion!
took a look at their website, they've got a lot to offer!
The Asst. Est Mgr's father has poured scorned and cold water on my plan, which has knocked my confidence a little. Mama thinks it's the best idea I've had in years. But then she IS a mad old bat, so who to believe?

RHS Penguin "Garden Design" by Kenneth Midgely.

Hi Peter
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll certainly take a look at it.
I note that Midgely's book was written some while ago. I do wonder whether there are certain principles which hold true over the years, and how much we need to take into consideration currents trends and fashions when considering garden design?
Any thoughts, chaps?

Hi Lynne

Good luck

Just a quick line during tea break..

1) RHS courses are only as good as the tutors/college/student.
Whilst the horticultural side of it is good, it is slightly not with the times.

You can do the courses without doing the exams.
The rhs is notorious in recent years for poorly designed exam questions/papers, and the garden design/landscaping part of the syllabus is limited in terms of practical techniques and grounding in what actually is commonly practiced by professionals. A lot will depend on the experience of your tutors. Basically it's up to you. Also the syllabus is huge for the class time given, so expect lots of self-driven homework if you want to do the actual exams.



2) For anyone intending to do garden maintenance/development
Four books I can't recommend enough:

'The No Work Garden' by Bob Flowerdew,
'The Self Sustaining Garden' by Peter Thompson
'Rejuvenating a Garden' By Stephen Anderton.
RHS Pruning and Training

3) Don't be afraid to get private gardening work straightaway. It's an unregulated industry, so you will never be as bad as some of the monkeys out there. I'm sure others in the trade would agree. If you can get casual or part time work on anursery/garden centre or with a gardener, you will be able to benefit from 'on the job training' - even if it's just your own observations.

Cheers

Mole

Some very sound advice there Mole.

Tigger you are right, i'm not that sad, but would you like to come round sometime and look at my train number collection.
Sorry to anyone if you do collect train numbers.

thanks Mole!
guess which books are now on my Amazon wish list!