Start planting design for your garden
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Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 17 Jun 2025End Date: 01 Jul 2025Tue (Evening): 18:00 - 21:00In PersonLocation: Keeley StreetDuration: 3 sessions (over -3 weeks)Course Code: VF589Tutors: Alison WorsterFull fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
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What is the course about?
Learn the techniques and creative processes of planting design. Discover a range of useful and beautiful plants to use in different conditions and their design attributes. Develop the skills used by garden designers, such as using focal points and triangulation to plot your planting areas. You will participate in group workshops and independent projects, including drawing plans and elevations, research and mood boards.
What will we cover?
- The function of design elements, such as planting with form and texture
- Planting styles from Prairie to Formal to Country Cottage
- Different methods of conveying your ideas from online mood boards to elevation drawings
- Researching plant choices and different planting conditions
- Learn to use scale and aspect for more successful schemes
- Learn about different pot sizes and planting distances.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand form and function of design elements
- Have an awareness of different planting styles
- Undertake visual research and compile mood boards
- Create a functional planting plan of your garden to scale
- Draw an elevation of your chosen plants
- Make appropriate planting choices for different planting conditions
- Understand how to select and buy healthy plants.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a beginners’ course.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This will involve practical workshops, tutor presentation, informal class discussion and handouts. Student preparation and homework outside class times is strongly encouraged.
We use Google Classroom E-learning platform which will store all tasks, notes and resources. You will be sent an email with the necessary information and will need to login into your Google classroom before each sessions starts.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
For working at home you may wish to buy yourself several sheets of graph paper, A4, a pad of tracing paper or greaseproof paper, masking tape, a notebook, pencil, eraser and a long tape measure. You will be provided with printable graph paper and scale rule as part of the handouts.
We use Google Classroom E-learning platform which will store all tasks/notes/resources/ demo videos You will need to login into our Google classroom before each sessions starts.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit offer a range of Garden Design courses and your tutor will be happy to advise you about courses to suit your individual progression. We also run courses in sketch up pro, vector works, perspective drawing, scale drawing as well as traditional drawing and watercolour to help you develop and present your ideas to clients.
Alison Worster has a BA Hons degree in graphic arts and Diploma in Garden Design. Alison’s first career was in commercial design and illustration, with many diverse clients ranging from Natural History Museum, National Trust to Paperchase, John Lewis, and exhibitions of her own artworks. After managing a design studio Alison’s love of drawing nature and plants, and the importance of her own garden, led her to retrain in garden design, allowing her to combine her experience of colour, texture and layout with living plants and outside spaces. Within months of graduating Alison gained a gold medal for the Ideal Home Show ‘Reclaiming London’ garden and won an RHS competition to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show ‘Fresh Talent’. Alison now runs her own garden design business, and specialises in making the most of typical, small London spaces. Alison teaches both drawing and garden design and her main aim is to enthuse, demystify and inspire her students in either of her subjects.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.