Print this page Online Diploma Garden Design

The Online Diploma in Garden Design course provides a thorough training in garden design. It is for serious career-oriented students who wish to enter garden design at a professional level. Successful graduates earn a Diploma qualification that is equal to the intensive in-house Diploma Garden Design.

The course offers the following:

• You study part-time, following an achievable but dynamic programme structure. The Online Diploma Garden Design requires you to undertake approximately 8 hours of formal learning per week. However, you should expect to spend more time than this on assignments and garden design projects.
• You study in your own home or base, where you are encouraged to set up a small garden design studio.
• You can access your bespoke course website at any time and can study online or download and print course materials for offline study.
• You join a group of fellow Inchbald students who are studying the same course programme, so you can benefit from sharing, conferring and presenting your own ideas to fellow students using the online discussion forums and informal chatroom. Many garden designers work with a team, so co-operating with others and exchanging ideas gives valuable experience.
• You receive a high level of individual tutorial support from your tutors. The programme includes frequent assignments, which you complete and submit to your tutor for constructive comments and advice that is tailored to your needs. In addition, you receive informal support from tutors online.
• You practise and develop your garden design skills by carrying out a series of practical design projects – with the support and guidance of your tutors – for assessment.
• At three key points during the Online Diploma Garden Design course you attend in-house short study schools with your fellow students, first for induction at the beginning of the course, and then for intensive skills development.

Online Diploma Garden Design – course contents

The course is structures around modules – each leading to a design project.

Online Diploma Garden Design course: Year 1

Module 1 looks at the role of the garden designer and the creative concepts that underpin garden design. Emotional responses are a major part of this process and although it is difficult to define beauty and aesthetic excellence, this module explains a number of generally accepted principles that can be used. You will develop your creative skills and your critical faculties and will present a report analysing a garden in depth.

Module 2 explores visual communication skills. You will learn technical drawing, learning to draw plans to scale as well as elevations and cross sections. You will also look at free-hand drawing and sketching. You will start to keep a sketchbook, recording your design ideas, garden and museum visits, plants and hard landscaping elements that interest you.

Module 3 looks at planting design and how to design and present a planting plan. You will consider the structure, form, texture and colour of plants and how to put them together in groups. You will start to assemble a Plant Portfolio which will record individual plants in detail and their design potential for a garden designer.

Module 4 is concerned with plant knowledge and planting design. You will gain a basic understanding of plant science, soil science and horticultural knowledge. This will equip you to choose the right plant for the right place when designing. You will also learn about fruit and vegetable gardening and complete a design and planting plan for a walled vegetable garden.

Module 5 is concerned with design implementation. You will create a client brief for a design project that will require a scale plan, a planting plan, plant lists, a concept board, and a model.

Online Diploma Garden Design course: Year 2

Module 6 introduces more advanced technical drawing skills. You will learn how to draw an axonometric three dimensional drawing to scale, how to create one point perspective drawings, how to render your plans in colour and how to draw up setting out plans.

Module 7 explains surveying and drawing up a survey to scale. You will complete a design project that you have surveyed yourself.

Module 8 explores planting styles and plant knowledge in more depth. You will consider how to create different gardens for different site requirements such as water and bog gardens, hot and dry gardens, lawns and meadows, seaside gardens, roof gardens and vertical wall gardens. You will also learn about the practicalities of pests and diseases, weed control, pruning and propagation.

Module 9 is concerned with hard landscaping elements such as steps and levels, walls, paving, pergolas, boundaries, water features etc. You will look at each element in depth and consider its aesthetic potential and structural requirements. You will create a hard landscaping Portfolio as a reference tool for future use and learn about construction drawing.

Module 10 looks at sustainability and its relevance to garden designers. You will undertake the designs for a sustainable wildlife garden and will be required to produce a rendered plan, planting plans, plant lists, concept boards and sketches.

Online Diploma Garden Design course: Year 3

Module 11 considers the history of gardens. You will learn about the historical background to gardens and garden making from the ancient Egyptians to the present day.

Module 12 is a short design module. You will create several sketch designs.

Module 13 looks at drawing up specifications for landscapers and maintenance schedules for clients.

Module 14 is the final design project of the course and requires you to find your own garden to design. You will create a full design package for this garden to include client brief, survey, a rendered master plan, planting plans, plant lists, concept boards, sketches, construction drawings, setting out plans and an axonometric drawing.

Module 15 gives advice on setting up and running a garden design practice. You will consider insurance, marketing, charging, putting together a portfolio, and the correct procedure for a designer when dealing with a client.

Diploma Garden Design – course entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements, although you will need to show a commitment to the heavy workload and the maturity to contribute to the course group. If you are uncertain about making this commitment, you may be interested in taking the shorter Online Diploma in Principles and Practices of Garden Design course, from which you can convert to the full Diploma. For more information about the Online Diploma in Garden Design course, please contact the Course Administrator.