Garden Design 1: Art of Design

I needed a course to fit around my life and OCA provides just that

Level:: 1
Credits:: 40
Length:: 12 months approx.
8hrs per week
Cost:: £595
payment options

Call us on 0800 731 2116

Course Overview

Download Course Sheet
(Adobe PDF Format)
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This course will be closed to new students from 31st March 2009

This course can be taken with no prior experience. It has been written for beginners in the art of garden design and for students with modest knowledge of the subject. Although it provides some horticultural information, its focus is firmly on design. You will be doing hands-on practical projects and you will be encouraged to visit and research other gardens. By the end of the course you will have developed design ideas and produced a detailed garden design and planting plan. You will understand how to use hard and soft materials, how to exploit differences in site level and how time and seasonal changes operate in a garden. You will also be able to see your own work in the context of historical and contemporary garden design.

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.

The course aims to develop understanding of design principles and methods and the ability to put these into practice; develop appropriate drawing skills; make sure students know how to respond to a brief and to work with the various components of a garden; explore the history of garden design.

Distance Tuition

You are allocated a tutor and receive their details in your course pack. You work from the course materials and send regular assignments to your tutor. These are returned to you with comment and advice. The course fee includes tutor feedback on your set assignments, but you can purchase feedback and comment on additional pieces of work if you wish.

Face to Face Tuition

You choose a tutor within travelling distance (call OCA on 0800 731 2116 to find your nearest tutor) and you meet them at mutually agreeable times and dates. You are entitled to an agreed number of hours tuition, typically five hours. Tutors work from their own studios or other suitable teaching space. You can find out where your nearest tutor is by contacting Academic Services on 0800 731 2116.

15 projects (including a complete design) and six assignments. Students also maintain a learning log.

For more information on assessment, click here - Assessment booklet - to download the Assessment booklet PDF.