Course summary

UK garden designers are held in high regard worldwide. Increasing demand for the services of garden and landscape designers in Europe and further afield is creating exciting opportunities for those qualified. Well-trained garden designers are equipped to design small scale public open spaces as well as larger gardens. Years one and two develop the basic toolkit required to be a garden designer while years three and four of this new degree course broaden and deepen your knowledge and encourage exploration and production of more ambitious designs. The course has a strong focus on plant knowledge, hard landscaping and business studies. The first two years follow the HND Garden Design. In the final two years you will study international and regional garden styles, climatic zones and ornamental plants, sustainable design and environmental issues, landscape horticulture, advanced techniques in digital media and professional practice in order to broaden knowledge of the wider landscape industry. You will undertake project design work on real sites with community and private clients to expand your ability to design innovatively and in detail. A project abroad may be undertaken, and you will research specific themes such as water conservation or designing recreational spaces to encourage wellbeing. In your fourth year you will undertake your own research project in a subject which interests you, drawing together all that you have learnt on your course. Topics covered will be varied, such as investigations into the perception of planting green roofs and green walls, the uses of novel sustainable materials in garden features, sustainable drainage systems, or designing gardens for specialist groups.