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Have you thought about improving your gardening skills with online garden courses, starting a new career as a landscape gardener or garden designer? There are many courses online which could set you on the path to a new job or just give you that little more garden knowledge.
Becoming a successful gardener can take years, however, this shouldn’t put you off. Taking an online garden course could give you the basic garden skills you need to help you earn money as a gardener or even the entry you might need to become a garden designer.
Garden designers can be expensive if you have a small back garden and an online garden course could be the way forward. You can learn some garden design basics to help you on your way, leaving you with a bit more money to spend on garden landscaping or plants.
What online garden courses are available?
There is a whole host of online courses to choose from with courses to suit every budget. There are more than 300 gardening courses online covering anything from “A beginners guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening” to “The Basics of Garden Design”. There is genuinely a course for everyone.
How long do online courses last?
One of the great advantages of online garden courses is that they can be taken at your leisure, with no fixed time for completion. The course length is usually given in total hours. This time is then divided into modules, with an approximate time it can take to complete the module. Some modules may take 20 minutes to complete and some may take 90 minutes depending on the module subject. The good news is, that you can complete the modules whenever you have time.
How can I learn gardening online?
Although every course is set up differently. The learning is done through easy to watch “on-demand” videos and downloadable resources. Most courses also give lifetime access to online instructors, so you are never left in the dark! Learning is set up to be used on all devices so you can study the courses on a desktop pc or even a smartphone where you can log in and out at your own convenience.
What will I learn?
With over 350 online garden courses available at udemy.com and Learning24/7.co.uk there are plenty of choices. From Floristry to organic vegetable gardening and more. There are simple short courses for beginners to get you started on different aspects of hobby gardening.
However, if you feel you would like a more comprehensive and vocational learning experience, there are diploma training courses available. These courses could help you to get started in a new career or start a gardening business. Many courses offer an industry recognised certificate which you can print off at home once the course has been completed.
Below is an example of just some of the gardening skills you can learn from one of these more comprehensive courses.
- Gardening Basics
- Garden Design Process
- Garden Design Styles
- Survey, Site Appraisal & Measuring Techniques
- Planning Your Projects
- Proportion Illusions & Effective Use of Space
- Drawing a Plan & Graphics skills
- Surface & Materials / Hard Landscaping
- Secrets of Great Soil
- Plant Selection & Care
- Plant Knowledge
- Low Maintenance Gardens/Planting
- Sustainability
- Garden Maintenance
- Equipment
- Pest Control
- Solutions to Difficult Gardens
- Vegetable and Herb Gardens
- Running your own Gardening Marketing and Social Media
- Health and Safety
- Insurance, Tax, VAT and Record Keeping
- How to build raised flower beds
- How to lay a patio
- Decking
- How to Put Up Garden Fencing
- How to turf a garden / lay a lawn
- How to lay artificial grass areas
- How to Build a Garden Pond
How much do online courses cost?
The courses are great value and usually start at around £13.99 for a beginner’s gardening course climbing to around £40.00 for a more comprehensive intermediate to an expert diploma. The good news is that there are no entry-level requirements. The courses are designed to take the student from having no previous experience to the intermediate and expert levels.
Are online garden courses worth it?
If you have an interest in gardening and would like to improve your knowledge, then online garden courses are definitely worth the investment. The online instructors have years of experience and a wealth of gardening knowledge to help you learn new skills.
A Career Change to Gardening
Are you bored of your existing job, working in a stuffy artificially lit office and suffering long commutes to work?
I have been a professional gardener for more than 30 years and I wouldn’t change it for the world. You might not earn lots of money… unless you start your own gardening business. Being in the fresh air, feeling the warmth of the sun on your back from the first sunny spring day can not be beaten and the few cold months of winter are soon forgotten. Gardening doesn’t have to be about flamboyant expensive gardens. It is all about tidying, creating, growing and sometimes battling those pesky pests!
You needn’t worry about earning money in the winter either. Before you know it, as the summer comes to an end, there are plenty of leaves to clear, with tubs and baskets to replant and customers will always want something done in their garden. There are actually only 2 or 3 months before spring is upon you and you’re preparing for the next summer season!
Private service gardening is a great place to start. Large country estates often take on volunteers if there are no full time positions currently available and with a gardening course under your belt, it is a great way to gain knowledge and experience.
It truly is a dream job.
Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
