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◄HND in Garden and Landscape Design

  • HNC in Garden and Landscape Design

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    • Welcome by Programme Manager | Toria Glover

    • Greetings from the University Centre Eden. My name’s Toria Glover and I am the HE Programme Manager for the HND and HNC Garden and Landscape Design courses. Having had a very practical and hands on experience with horticulture, it’s now a real pleasure to both practice and teach Garden and Landscape Design.

      Developing a horticultural career in Cornwall has been the absolute dream, from working at some of the gorgeous National Trust gardens to creating planting plans for some exciting Cornish projects to finally (currently) working as a garden designer for a company in London alongside lecturing garden and landscape design modules.

      From my experience, getting practically stuck into the horticultural world through volunteering is a great way of getting to know more about your role within this ever-expanding subject area. Exploring your interests through conversations with professionals provides a great opportunity to identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as developing an understanding for the professional standards and expectations of the industry.

      Volunteering and or working alongside studying is no easy feat and it’s important to strike a balance between academic, working and personal life. This course does however provide you with a great opportunity to develop practical horticultural skills by working with the Horticultural team of the Eden Project through the Practical Horticulture module.

      The main aim for this course is to provide an inclusive environment that enables any keen/budding garden designer to peruse their designing ambitions. With a diverse student demographic ranging from practicing landscapers to people with children and or individuals just starting their horticultural journey, this course has been developed to give everyone the knowledge and skillset to establish confidence within the garden and landscape design industry.

      Being situated in Cornwall we are blessed with a bounty of horticultural innovations that explore a great variety of exciting garden and landscape design features seen throughout the gardens across the county so take the time to investigate, enjoy and be inspired by this beautiful landscape.

      Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to meeting you all in September.

      Tora Glover | HE Programme Manager for the HND and HNC Garden and Landscape Design


      Toria Glover


    • Joining Instructions | Years 1 and 2

    • resource icon
      HNC Garden & Landscape Design Full-time - Year 1 September 2024 File
    • resource icon
      HNC Garden & Landscape Design Part-time - Year 1 September 2024 File
    • resource icon
      HNC Garden & Landscape Design Part-time - Year 2 September 2024 File

    • Modules

    • Module Title

      About the Module

      Garden and Landscape Design 1: Foundation – Space, Place and User

      This module introduces students to the critical and theoretical processes and visual language of garden and landscape design as a holistic process, encouraging the development and application of parallel critique, conceptual and creative skills. 

      Particular emphasis is placed upon the language and principles of working with space in various locations through exploratory design projects. These encourage the formation of considered judgements about the spatial, aesthetic, technical and social qualities of a design proposal within the scope and scale of a wider environment. 

      Design Communication: Tools and Techniques

      A skills-based unit which gives students a thorough grounding in the language of communicating ideas in 2D, 3D and oral forms using both traditional and digital media. 

      This module will provide technical delivery and assessment of skills in parallel to Garden and Landscape Design 1: Space, Place and User. Exploring the use and role of technical drawings as well as computer design software such as Photoshop, InDesign and SkethUp.

      Plant Use in Design

      This module introduces and encourages students to develop planting design skills in both garden and landscape contexts. 

      Understanding the roles and functions of a wide variety of plants and how they can be incorporated into a design. This knowledge will be tested through a series of plant idents throughout the academic year.

      Horticultural Science

      Introduces students to key concepts in plant science along with the management skills necessary for using these concepts in effective garden design. 

      Topics covered include: plant structure, growth and physiology; soil structure and processes; and landscape ecology.  

      Practical Horticulture for Designers

      An introductory module into the horticulture principles and practices which inform, influence and underpin successful garden and landscape design practice. 

      This module makes a practical link between Plant Use in Design, Horticultural Science, and Garden and Landscape Design 1: Foundations – Space, Place and User. In addition, students undertake a work placement and reflect upon their experience. 

      Academic and Professional Practice

      The module will introduce and draw upon contemporary academic practice to help students prepare for higher education study. These skills will be contextualised through the introduction and review of the underpinning global sustainability goals and policy that will inform decisions on how society will build a better future for all. 

      Professional and personal development are supported through tutorials and workshops focusing on transferable skills for study and employment.


    • Useful Kit and Resources

    • Useful Kit
      Please be advised you will need approximately £100 - £125 to cover essential equipment (drawing/design equipment) with no need to purchase in advance. However, should you want to go ahead or practice see below for a list of useful equipment. 

      Please Note: There are lots of opportunities (online and possibly on campus) to purchase the following second-hand. 


      Drawing:

      • Tracing paper (A3)
      • Sketchbook (A4/A3)
      • Notebook (A4)
      • Scale ruler (1:1, 1:20, 1:200, 1:5, 1:50. 1:25) - most used in industry
      • Sketching paper/pad (A4/A3)
      • Compass
      • Drawing pencils (9 B-H) - you can buy a set
      • Drawing pens (fine liners 0.1mm - 0.7mm) - you can buy a set
      • Colouring pencils (generic set)
      • Rubber/putty rubber
      • Set square
      • Masking tape

      Modelling:

      Models can be made from any materials. The following are suggested ideas:

      • Foamboards
      • Modelling clay
      • Scalpel
      • Metal ruler

      Suggested Brands:

      • Staedtler
      • Derwent
      • Faber-Castell

      Desirable Items

      Although the campus has an IT suite consisting of desktops with all the relevant design software, the use of a personal laptop might prove useful to practice the implementation and development of design software/programmes when at home or over the holidays. 

      Please Note: A personal laptop is not a mandatory item but some students have found it useful to have their own laptop so they can develop their designs from home.

      Design Software:

      All software is available on desktops at the Eden Project University Centre. However, if you have your own computer and would like to get used to using the design software over the summer, free trials are available for the following:

      • SketchUp
      • InDesign (Adobe)
      • Photoshop (Adobe)

      Extra Expenses

      Printing: 

      You will also need to budget for reprographical/printing costs in the region of £125 - £200 per annum to complete necessary portfolio work (A2, A1, A0 sized items). You will be given printing credit for printing smaller items (A4/A3) on campus.


      Practical Work: 

      • Sturdy steel-toe-capped boots (approximately £20 - £50)
      • A pair of secateurs
      • Good quality work gloves are required
      • We also strongly recommend wet-weather attire for outdoor use

    • Recommendations for Reading, Watching and Listening Over the Summer

    • Reading

    • Books: Some of these feature on the reading lists provided at the beginning of the academic year but for a good introduction, have a look at: 

      • Austin, R. (2002) Elements of Planting Design. Wiley.
      • Dunnett, N. (2019. Naturalistic Planting Design. China: Filbert Press.
      • Hitchmough, J. and Fieldhouse, K. (2004) Plant User Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying. Oxford: Blackwell Science.
      • James, M. (2016) RHS: How to Plant a Garden. London: Mitchell Beazley.
      • Thomas, H. and Wooster, S. (2008) The Complete Planting Design Course: Plans and Styles for Every Garden. London: Mitchell Beazley.
      • Bloom. (2023) What Gardeners Grow: Bloom Gardeners Guide. Volume 6. 600 Plants Chosen by the World’s Greatest Plantspeople: Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd.

      Magazines: Have a flick through the Society of Garden Designers and Garden Design Journal.

    • Watching

    • url icon
      The Middle-sized Garden | YouTube URL

      For some good introductory tutorials, watch The Middle-sized Garden for inspiration and tips on creating gardens people will love by journalist and author Alexandra Campbell, who has worked for Britain's top magazines and newspapers including,  Good Housekeeping, Harpers and Queen, The Daily Telegraph, The Times magazine and more. Please click the link above to watch.

    • Listening

      A couple of good podcasts to listen to in the background that give you some interesting snippes of what's going on in the world of Horticulture ad Landscape Design.

    • url icon
      Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange | Sarah Raven and Friends | Spotify URL

      Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange is the weekly podcast from gardener, writer, teacher, and cook, Sarah Raven. Over the last two decades, Sarah has led the way by introducing a new kind of productive gardening which emphasizes intense colour, sophistication and achievability. Recorded at the beautiful Perch Hill Farm in Sussex, Sarah talks with special guests from across garden design, floristry, food, ecology, conservation and more. Brimming with top tips and helpful. Please click the link above to learn more.

      Please Note: A Spotify account is required.

    • url icon
      Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden | Jennifer Jewell | Spotify URL

      Gardens are more than collections of plants. Gardens and gardeners are intersectional spaces and agents for positive change in our world. Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden is a weekly public radio program and podcast exploring what we mean when we garden. Through thoughtful conversations with growers, gardeners, naturalists, scientists, artists and thinkers, Cultivating Place illustrates the many ways in which gardens are integral to our natural and cultural literacy. These conversations celebrate how these interconnections support the places we cultivate, how they nourish our bodies, and feed our spirits. They change the world.  Please click the link above to learn more.

      Please Note: A Spotify account is required.

    • Student Highlights

    • 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Trip (VIP Tour)

      Students had the exciting opportunity to meet leading garden designers such as Clive West.


      RHS Chelsea Flower Tour  RHS Chelsea Flower Show Tour - Student meeting Cleve West

       RHS Chelsea Flower Show Tou

◄HND in Garden and Landscape Design
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Manager - Colin Smith - Colin.smith@cornwall.ac.uk Learning Technologist - Luda Smith - Luda Smith@cornwall.ac.uk Learning Technologist - Maggie Symonds- Maggie.symonds@cornwall.ac.uk

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