Open College of Arts
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Garden Design 1: The Art of Design

Overview

This course can be started with no prior experience, leading perhaps to further study or a new career. You do not need to have a particular kind of garden on which to base plans, as we encourage you to experience other gardens through research and visits.

What does the course cover?

  • Deciding what you want from a garden
  • Climate, soil, orientation and budget
  • Learning from the past
  • Working in two and three dimensions
  • Planting design
  • The fourth dimension: time
  • Colour, pattern and fragrance
  • Drainage, water and ornament
  • Producing a complete design

Course Assessment

You will receive comments and direction from your tutor throughout the course. If you choose to have your work formally assessed, you will receive details on submitting a folio of work with the course materials.

Higher Education Credit: 40 credit points at Level 1.

Tuition:


Postal tuition you send work to your tutor for comments and direction.


Face-to-face tuition you have an opportunity for one-to-one meetings with your course tutor. Our Locations list will show you where face-to-face tuition is available. Please note that some centres offer group tuition and these start with an August/October introductory meeting.

See How Tuition Works.

Time Guide:

To complete the course in 9-12 months requires about 7 hours study a week.

Materials:

A course pack is provided and will be sent to you by post. FREE with the course book you receive a specially created reference book on garden history, Notcutt's Book of Plants, John Brookes' Garden Planning Encyclopaedia, plans for working on and a set of DVDs which show you how to make presentation drawings.

Fees:

£580 full fee or £215 deposit and 6 x £74 monthly payments, totalling £659