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

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.

Module Title	About the Module
Garden and Landscape Design 2: Practice – Planning and People	This module draws on core themes raised in Garden & Landscape Design 1: Space, Place and User and both allows students to explore these in more detail and further develop their emerging design philosophy.  Particular emphasis is placed upon the role and innovative, meaningful design solutions for the final user or user group(s) through exploratory design projects. In addition, the vocabulary for describing, analysing and designing gardens will be developed along with the use of applied hard and soft landscaping techniques through the use of AutoCAD.
Contemporary Issues in Garden and Landscape Design	This module provides you with an opportunity to critically appraise selected topics within the genre of Garden and Landscape Design approved by the module leader and from this generate questions or further work that will progress understanding, innovation and development of new knowledge.
Garden and Landscape History	This module examines historical concepts relating to the development and design of gardens and landscapes and relates these to modern design concepts and theories. The module considers conservation and restoration of gardens and landscapes in the context of personal and regional (local and international) sites of importance.
Professional Identity	This module runs in parallel with the Negotiated Project and has two principal themes at its core: detailed design and professional practice. Students will be encouraged to identify and develop detailed design solutions for a range of garden and landscape projects in different contexts for different users, with their emerging design philosophy in mind.  Innovation and experimentation will be encouraged through challenging perceptions and experimentation in the use of sustainable materials. Students will study key themes of professional practice through a portfolio that displays their work and skills.
Negotiated Project	This module allows students to explore in detail an academic subject/site design of their choice. The module comprises a substantial piece of original work. This may comprise of a research study, which includes: experimental design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data and report writing. Alternatively, the work may be a design project that meets a specific need and brief. Students will also conduct a literature review addressing wider issues and relevance to their selected research or design subject.

Books:

• Campbell-Culver, M. (2012) The Origin of Plants. London: Transworld Publishing.
• Goulson, D. (2020) The Garden Jungle (Or Gardening to Save the Planet). 1st ed. London: Vintage. 
  
• Holden, R. and Liversedge, J. (2011) Construction for Landscape Architecture. Laurence King. 
  
• Calkins, M. (2008) Materials for Sustainable Sites: A Complete Guide to the Evaluation, Selection, and use of Sustainable Construction Materials. John Wiley and Sons.
• Mosser, M. (2000) The History of Garden Design. London: Thames and Hudson. 
  
• Uglow, J. (2004) A Little History of British Gardening. London:  Pimlico Publishing.

Magazines: There are lots of great Garden Design magazines out there, but the following are most relevant to the modules discussed:

• Selection and Use of Sustainable Construction Materials. John Wiley and Sons.  
• Society of Garden Designers: Garden Design Journal.