Leisure Gardening
An informative – but accessible – introduction to popular gardening themes
This course came about following a number of enquiries for a programme that was informative without being too demanding in terms of content and time. It has been designed as a gentle, shortish introduction to key gardening principles, with lots of practical ideas you can use in your garden day-to-day. The focus is on popular gardening themes including: improving your soil; lawn care; flowers (including herbaceous borders and roses); growing, storing and preserving fruit and vegetables; and growing in a greenhouse. On completion you should feel more confident in your gardening abilities, ready to try out new things, and perhaps inspired to do further study!
- Ideal if you want to improve your gardening knowledge, but want a course that is not too demanding/intimidating
- Flexible home-study learning so you can fit your learning around your work and life
- Quality course material and excellent tutor support – to help you achieve your goals
- On successful completion you will receive an HCC Certificate
- Suitable for both non-professional and amateur and professional gardeners
- No previous experience needed
How the course works
How the courses work
Your first set of course materials will be sent to you when you enrol. You can start as soon as you want and progress through the course at your own pace, studying when and where you choose.
This flexibility makes it easy to fit learning around work and family commitments.
The extensive course materials have been developed by gardening experts and are clear and straightforward, so your studying is easy and enjoyable. As you complete each lesson, your tutor will promptly return your marked assignment with constructive feedback and guidance. (You can also contact your tutor or the support team for help at any point during your studies.)
The course includes all the required study materials.
There is no formal examination. On successful completion you will be awarded an HCC Certificate. You have 2 years to complete the course.
Support
We are proud of our friendly, caring ethos and aim to do all we can to help you succeed.
Our tutors are all experienced, highly qualified and passionate about sharing their love of their subject. You can phone or email your tutor throughout the course – to ask questions, for advice, encouragement or to draw on their wealth of knowledge.
You can also contact the support team who are here to help you Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
What you will learn
(This is one of our shorter gardening courses in that you are only required to answer one question per lesson.)
Lesson 1 – Introduction. Developing the interests. Hardy herbaceous borders. Pools.
Lesson 2 – A flowery garden that is the envy of your neighbours. Drying flowers.
Lesson 3 – The garden lawn. Starting from scratch. Fertilisers, pests and diseases.
Lesson 4 – Roses, a hobby in their own right. Classification. Propagation and breeding.
Lesson 5 – Vegetables all the year round – costs, crops, rotation of crops, soils.
Lesson 6 – The small fruit garden to provide some fruit available from June to March.
Lesson 7 – Less usual vegetables and fruit. Storage and preservation. Jams/home-made wine.
Lesson 8 – Soil care. Digging methods. Bulky organic matter. Drainage. Soil testing kits.
Lesson 9 – The amateur greenhouse. Primroses, alpines. Bulb forcing.
Lesson 10 – The heated greenhouse and propagator. Propagation. Pots and containers.
Study length
If needed you have 2 years to complete the course. Many students are able to complete this course in approximately 6-12 months*.
*Timescales are approximate and depend upon application and motivation.
Qualifications
There are no exams. On successful completion of this course you will receive an HCC Certificate*, graded to show the standard you have reached. The HCC’s reputation means this can be highly regarded on a CV and, combined with your portfolio of coursework, is evidence of your achievements (whether you are applying for a job or a more advanced study course).
* The HCC Certificate will be issued once you have successfully completed your course and finished your course payments.
Career opportunities/progression
Entry requirements
You do not need previous gardening knowledge or experience to enrol on this course.
Enrol now
There are 2 ways you can enrol
- Pay the total course fee of £345 in one sum and receive a voucher towards the cost of your next course
- or
- Pay a deposit of just £95, followed by 5 instalments of £50
