Online (Flexible) Diploma
Professional Garden Design
Study flexibly online for your Level 3 Garden Design Diploma with the National Design Academy. Become a professional Garden Designer!
Start Date
Enrol at any time & choose your start date. No term times or semesters.
Entry Requirements
No previous qualifications required, just an interest & enthusiasm for garden design.
Become a Professional Garden Designer
No qualifications are required for this course so this Diploma in Professional Garden Design is the ideal course for garden enthusiasts. It will teach you step by step the professional techniques required to create amazing designs for your own garden, or how to start your own garden design business or enter a new career in the industry.
If you already have a gardening or Garden Design business but don’t have formal qualifications, then you can study this Professional Diploma flexibly to fit around your existing clients.
What our Students Say
Course Breakdown
You will study 8 dedicated units during this professional garden design diploma.
Unit 01 - Garden Design & the Role of the Designer
Garden Design & the Role of the Designer
This unit introduces you to the purpose of garden design and the development of key garden design trends. In addition, it teaches you about the role and responsibilities of the garden designer and the main principles garden designers work with in the present day. This unit also includes:
- The history and development of garden design and key styles
- The effect garden design history has on contemporary gardens
- Skills required to fulfil the role of garden designer
- Stages of the garden design process
- The importance of the design brief
- Working with clients and other professionals
Unit 02 - Garden Design Principles
Garden Design Principles
Within this unit, you will learn about the components that make up a garden, exploring core elements that are common within a successful design scheme. You will learn how these ingredients work together to influence the appearance, usability and function of a garden space. This unit also includes:
- Applying techniques to create a sense of movement through the space or to highlight a focal point
- Using scale and proportion that relates to the property and the practical use of space
- The use of colour, texture and form to create a variety of moods in an exterior space
- Creating a variety of effects using garden components: boundaries, structures, planting, soft & hard landscape
- Creating balance, unity and cohesion within a scheme
- Light and shade as part of the garden design
Unit 03 - Exploring Site Surveys & Drawing Plans
Exploring Site Surveys & Drawing Plans
Within this unit, you will learn how to measure a garden space and draw it to scale. You will also learn how gather important information about the site and how this information will influence your garden design decisions. You will develop drawing skills and produce your own site survey plan. This unit also includes:
- Site surveying – how & what to measure or record on site
- Surveying tools
- Understanding scale
- Developing site survey plans to scale, step by step
- Hand drawn or CAD – students may produce either
- Industry standard drawing conventions
Unit 04 - Space Planning & Garden Design Development in a Professional Context
Space Planning & Garden Design Development in a Professional Context
This unit will inspire your creativity by developing your garden design skills. You will develop spatial planning skills and explore innovative ideas related to the aesthetics and practicality of garden layout. You will learn how to produces sketches, technical plans and elevations, how to select your strongest designs in relation to client briefs, as well as how to present this information professionally to clients, trade or contractors. This unit also includes:
- Developmental space planning techniques
- Exploring layout composition
- Traffic flow and effective zoning of space
- Drawing plans to scale
- Drawing elevations to show vertical dimensions and to propose elements such as boundaries, steps, raised beds, furniture and planting forms
- Ensuring successful practical and creative designs for your clients
Unit 05 - Hard Landscaping, Furniture, Lighting & Accessories
Hard Landscaping, Furniture, Lighting & Accessories
This unit focuses on products and materials for hard landscaping and water features, along with the items that provide the finishing touches to the garden space, such as furniture, lighting and accessories. You will explore products and materials for their practical, ethical, and aesthetic characteristics, making suitable choices for a garden scheme and presenting these to meet a client brief. This unit also includes:
- Products and materials for hard landscaping, water features, furniture, lighting and accessories in garden design
- Practical and aesthetic qualities and suitability for use in an outside space
- Selecting, sourcing and using products and materials
- Incorporating products and materials in your design
- Visually communicating your ideas, the professional way
Unit 06 - Planting Design
Planting Design
This unit will help you to understand plant biology, the environmental requirements of plants and the importance of selecting appropriate planting as part of your design. It looks at how you source your plants and the practical and aesthetic considerations to be considered when developing a planting plan to a design brief. In addition, you will learn how to present planting plans and specifications to a professional standard. This unit also includes:
- Plant identification and plant features: flowers, fruits, leaves, stems
- Plant names and classification
- Basic plant biology and environmental requirements
- The role of plants in the garden
- Selection & design for site context, functionality and client requirements
- Selection & design for visual aesthetics
- Production of planting plans and specifications
Unit 07 - Professional Practice in Garden Design
Professional Practice in Garden Design
This unit explores the wide array of creative and technical roles and diverse possibilities for professional engagement and career progression in this dynamic and competitive industry. It will help to prepare you to work successfully in the professional environment, whether for an established practice or setting up a garden design business. With a focus on your personal and professional development, you will consider the steps you should take to achieve your own progression ambitions. This unit also includes:
- Being employed, self-employed and setting up a garden design service
- Portfolio development
- Working with others in a professional environment
- Effective marketing and promotion
- How to cost garden design projects and services
Unit 08 - Professional Garden Design Project
Professional Garden Design Project
For the final unit of the course, you bring together all your newly learned skills by producing conceptual designs and a design pack to create a wonderful garden design for a new client. When complete, your work will form an asset to your developing portfolio to show future clients. This unit also includes:
- Design development
- Reflecting on the challenges to enhance your final concept plan
- Preparing a rationale
- Professional presentation techniques
Is This Course For You?
- Are you someone who loves natural surroundings, combining trees, plants and the colour of flowers with everyday life?
- Do you dream of designing beautiful gardens and landscapes?
- Have you got the creative talent but lack the professional training?
- Would you like to start a career in garden design?
If the answer is yes… then this is the course you are looking for!
The NDA Diploma in Professional Garden Design will put you on the path to starting the business you have always wanted. It will also give you the opportunity to study one of our degree courses (such as BA (Hons) Design for Outdoor Living,) if you decide you want to push your skills further.
Flexible
Affordable
Online
One Great Course, Two Ways To Study
Choose from flexible online learning or online fast-track (zoom lectures) classes.
Most Flexible
Online
8 to 10 months online study. This course offers the most flexibility
- Choose your own start date
- No class commitments, responsive learning from anywhere in the world
- Flexible study, earn while you learn
- No entry requirements
- No exams
via Zoom
Online Fast-Track
14 weeks total. Online live lessons blended with home study
- 2.5hr live lessons twice a week for 8 weeks + 6 independent study weeks
- Study alongside like-minded designers
- Flexible study, earn while you learn
- No entry requirements
- No exams
Student Gallery
A sample of work completed by our talented garden design diploma students.
Our Learning Eco-System
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Responsive Learning, Designed For You.
Offering a fully responsive learning experience our course content can be opened, studied and enjoyed on any device, from anywhere in the world.
Virtual Learning Studio
How do you learn online, you ask? It’s simple: introducing our Virtual Learning Studio, or VLS for short. The VLS is our exclusive, online resource which replaces the normal lectures given in Colleges and Universities.
Students can rewind and re-watch until they are sure they have understood. No frantic note taking and no missing an important lecture! Study when and where it suits you!
Personal Tutors
Every National Design Academy student has a Personal Tutor to guide them through their qualification.
You have unlimited access to your tutor and can contact them by email, telephone, Zoom, Skype or in-person as often as you wish.
Student Support Team
We also have a dedicated Student Support and Administration Team to help deal with any other queries such as payments, student loans advice and anything else you may need a helping hand with.
Our Student Helpline is available Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17:00 (UK Time).
Group Tutorials
All delivered online via zoom, join NDA tutors and like-minded peers to discuss interior design topics, course content and gain valuable live feedback.
As a Diploma level student, you will be invited to course introduction sessions, interior design discussions and also receive advice on how to progress once you complete your course.
Online Forums
Once you enrol, you will also have the opportunity to join our dedicated NDA Facebook discussion group. Student cohorts will often set up their own Whatsapp chat groups to communicate also.
Students enjoy discussing their design projects, encouraging others and offering advice, as well as sharing work and offering top tips for approaching units.
What Our Students Say
It had been 16 years since I last studied a course in Horticulture and garden design was an area I really wanted to explore further…
The course has helped me to understand the basic principles of garden design and I have a clearer picture now of what I am aiming for and how to carry out the design.
Tom Fuller
Professional Garden Design
I Just wanted to say a massive thank you to all at the National Design Academy, as undertaking and completing the course gave me the confidence to change my passion from a hobby to a career.
For anyone considering doing the NDA’s Professional Garden Design course – do it, you just don’t know where it will take you down the line!
Baz Grainger
Professional Garden Design
The course was just the right balance of being challenging in its content, providing the satisfaction that I was learning and making progress. The Virtual Learning Studio was straight forward to use and if I ever had any questions they were quickly answered.
Communicating with my tutor was great – she was very approachable, supportive and always got back to me promptly…
Katie Reynolds
Professional Garden Design
Internationally Recognised
Accredited by AIM Qualifications
This Level 3 Professional Garden Design Diploma is globally recognised and accredited by AIM Qualifications, meaning you can work legally as a garden designer or gain enough educational credits to study a Bachelor’s Degree if you so choose.
NDA is the only design school to be able to offer government funding & student loans because our Diplomas are fully accredited.
Course Pricing
Fees and payment options may differ depending on whether you are a UK resident or an internationally based student. Please select the correct tab below.
Price Match Guarantee:As a not-for-profit foundation, we are so confident in the price of our Diploma’s that if you can find the same level of education for less, we will match it!
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Pay in Full
£1,645
£895
On Enrolment
Spread the Cost
8x Monthly Payments
£120
£960 in Total*
Breathe easy. Spread the cost of your course over 8 months.
*Monthly payments includes admin fee
Pay in Full
One-Time Payment
$1,850 (USD)
On Enrolment
Make one easy payment to cover the full cost of your course.
Save $250 by paying in full
Spread the Cost
7x Monthly Payments
$2,100 (USD)
In total*
Spread the cost of your course.
*Monthly payments include admin fee.
What's Next?
An NDA Garden Design Diploma will provide you with the knowledge and design skills to start your own business, the qualification to progress to higher education or why not both! Find out more below…
Higher Education
Successful completion of your NDA Garden Design Diploma provides a guaranteed place on one of our online Bachelor’s Degrees with a generous Progression Scholarship. Degrees are validated by De Montfort University (DMU).
For those who wish to continue their study at an on campus university, all NDA Professional Diplomas carry a UCAS tariff point value. You can top up any existing UCAS points you may have with points from an NDA Diploma.
Diploma in Professional Garden Design = 24 UCAS tariff points.
Careers
The NDA Professional Garden Design Diploma is designed to help you start your own Garden Design business. Like the Diploma course itself, you can work flexibly for your clients around your family commitments and gradually expand your business.
Many of our Diploma students start their own business and then progress to study for their NDA Bachelor’s Degree flexibly alongside their client projects.
Supporting Your Next Steps
We love to watch our students succeed, those that complete one of our Short, Diploma or Degree courses gain access to our Progression Scholarship giving you money back for continuing to study with us.
Alternatively, our courses are built with business in mind, giving you the skills to begin work as a freelance designer in the exciting world of Interior Design. Learn more about our Students.
Save £500/$600
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Progression
Guaranteed
Get Equipped
To complete your NDA garden design diploma course, you’ll need access to the right tools – and we’ve got you covered!