Professional Diploma Classroom Based

Develop an in-depth understanding of garden design skills and principles to set up your own garden design business.

Professional Diploma

Home Study course Live Online course

Classroom Based course

Deadline for enrolment: 28th August 2025

home study

live online

classroom

Deadline for enrolment: 28th August 2025

Start Date

September 2025

Price

£2,865 (Easy-pay plan available)

Duration

Approximately 9 months

Work Placement

Graduates of this course are eligible for a one month work placement with a garden design company. All placements are made in the greater London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh areas.

Study Option: Classroom Based
Course Location: We offer classes in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and Bristol
Entry Requirements: 18 years old or over
Assessment: 15 online practical assignments
Accreditation: The British Academy of Garden Design is an accredited provider of the British Accreditation Council (BAC).

Completing this course will enable you to start your own successful garden design business by honing your skills to plan, present and manage your own design projects.

Designed around 15 practical assignments, you will incrementally develop the advanced techniques and deep understanding of the industry that you need to succeed as a garden designer.

As a classroom-based student you will attend tutor-led classes taught by industry professionals. You will also have full access to our student area, the Online Learning Centre, which contains course material created by industry experts including instructional videos, written content and assignments.

Our tutors provide all the support, knowledge and in-depth feedback you need to progress through your course and are always contactable through the Online Learning Centre.

This course can be completed in approximately 9 months*.

*Completion time is based on the approximate time it has taken past students to complete the course. Students have up to 36 months to complete the course.

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Class Location

View class location details.

Class Schedule

View the schedule for the evening classes and the weekend classes in London , Birmingham , Manchester , Edinburgh , Belfast , Cardiff and Bristol.

Topics

The list below provides an overview of the topics covered in this course.

- History of Garden Design
An in-depth look at the history of garden design, covering the ways in which gardens evolved through time and how this influences the way we design today. You will learn about:
- Mesopotamia
- Egypt
- Persia (Iran) & The Persian Empire
- Greece
- The Roman Epoch
- India
- China
- Japan
- Spain
- Monastery and Castle Gardens
- The Italian Renaissance
- The French Tradition
- English Traditions
- Principles of Garden Design
From plant selection to selecting colour schemes, this topic covers the principle components that form the garden designers craft. You will learn about:
- Balance and Proportion
- Unity and Repetition
- Movement or Rhythm
- Contrast
- Colour
- Focal Points
- Simplicity
- Know your Materials
- The Seven Principles of Plant Selection
- The Elements
Take an in-depth look at some of the most important elements within a professionally designed garden. From outdoor floors to garden themes, this topic deals with many of the most important elements you will require when designing your outdoor rooms. You will learn about:
- Path and Patio Planning
- Decks
- Living Floors
- Lawns
- Garden Walls
- Living Walls
- Hedges and Shelterbelts
- Seaside Themes
- Cottage Style
- Mediterranean Style
- Modern or Architectural Garden
- Fragrance Garden
- Wildlife Garden
- Vegetable Border Garden
- Rockeries
- Japanese Gardens
- Assessment & Presentation
This practical topic covers all you need to know about assessing a client's wishes and needs, and how to make effective presentations of your ideas to them. Preparing simple base plans at first, you will build up to a concept drawing and then a final working plan. You will learn about:
- The Garden Area
- Steps to Effective Measuring
- What's Above, What's Below?
- Existing Plants and Trees
- Recording Sun and Shade
- Factoring in Hardiness and Microclimates
- Soil Conditions
- Ph levels
- The Client Questionnaire
- Drawing Tools
- Creating a Base Plan
- Title Block
- Bubble Plan
- Landscape Symbols
- Concept Drawing and Working Plan
- The Business
Understand the steps you need to take to start your own successful garden design business. You will learn about:
- Business Essentials
- Getting Started
- Pricing and Selling Your Services and Products
- Customer Service
- Day-to-Day Operations
- Working from Home
- Business Supports, Information, and Entitlements
- Plant Science
Garden Design is an art, a craft and a science. The truly competent garden designer should be proficient in all three elements. You will learn about:
- Structure and Function of Plant Cells
- The Power of Flowers
- Plant Physiology: How Plants Work
- Breeding and Genetics
- Soil and Water
- Plant Propagation
- Plant Diseases and Pests
- Weeds in the Lawn and Garden
- Environment and Ecology of the Garden

Tutors

All our tutors are garden design professionals working in the industry.

Filipa
(T )Teixeira

Course Tutor
Neyran
Erdonmez

Course Tutor
Yvette
Smith

Course Tutor
Renata
Ferreira

Course Tutor

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I always felt supported on the course. If I had a question I could always email the tutors who were always friendly and engaging.

Mark Soanes

Graduate

I've now completed my work placement with a top end garden design company and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jon Gower

Graduate

The course itself is very, very well organised. The tutors were brilliant - really supportive.

Sharon Eaton

Graduate

I really felt that the academic staff are really well equipped and they know how to give feedback.

Anosh Nadeem Butt

Graduate

The British Academy of Garden Design

Our philosophy at the British Academy of Garden Design is to make high-quality education accessible to all by empowering people to do what they love. Through the power of online and blended learning, our students are able to harness their creativity and practically apply it to succeed in their chosen careers.

Pursue your ambition - because the future is today!

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Professional Diploma Classroom Based