ONLINE (FLEXIBLE)
Professional Garden Design Diploma
A globally recognised Level 3 qualification; studied flexibly online, offering essential skills, career pathways and guaranteed progression to an NDA Bachelor’s Degree.
Start Any Time
No Entry Requirements
No previous qualifications required! Age 16+ and an interest & enthusiasm for garden design.
Assessment
No exams – Tutor assessment only, portfolio moderation by AIM Qualifications.
Become a Professional Garden Designer
This Online Professional Garden Design Diploma 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 online professional garden design diploma.
Unit 1 - 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 2 - 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 3 - 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 4 - 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 5 - 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 6 - 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 7 - 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 8 - 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 your answer is yes… then this online Professional Garden Design Diploma is just the course for you!
The NDA fully accredited online Professional Garden Design Diploma will help you to start that business you have always promised yourself, and even gain you a place on one of our online degree courses if you decide you would like to study further.
The best part…. you don’t need any previous qualifications to study – just enthusiasm for design!
Flexible
Affordable
Online
Internationally Recognised
A Trusted & Accredited Qualification
NDA has over 35 years experience in teaching interior design and over 35,000 alumni from over 100 countries. This course is a trusted way to help pursue your passion and kick-start your career.
This Level 3 Professional Garden Design Diploma is globally recognised, accredited by AIM Qualifications and regulated by Ofqual, meaning you can work legally as an garden designer or gain enough educational credits to study an online Bachelor’s Degree if you so choose.
Recognition in Europe
UK Level 3 qualifications correspond to Level 4 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
Students in France may also apply to ENIC-NARIC France for an attestation de comparabilité where required.
Online (Flexible) Diploma Pricing
Fees and payment options differ depending on whether you are a UK resident or an internationally based student.
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!
UK Students
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
International Students
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.
How Will You Study Online?
Swipe tabs to navigate.
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 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 garden design topics, course content and gain valuable live feedback.
As a Diploma level student, you will be invited to course introduction sessions, garden 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'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 such as the BA (Hons) Design for Outdoor Living; if you enrol within 12 months, you’ll also be eligible for our Progression+ Scheme to help reduce your tuition fees. Degrees are validated by De Montfort University (DMU).
For those who wish to continue their study at an on campus university, you can top up any existing UCAS points you may have with points from an NDA Diploma.
NDA Professional Diplomas = 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.
Stay On, Study & Save
We love to watch our students succeed, those that complete one of our Short, Diploma or Degree courses gain access to our Progression+ Scheme 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 Garden Design.
Save £500/$600
On your next course, T&Cs apply.
Progression
Guaranteed
Student Success Stories
Hear what our amazing students have to say about how they have succeeded within the industry once completing their Professional Garden Design Diploma with the National Design Academy.
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.
In our designs we take our inspiration from the juxtaposition of the natural and the man-made. All of our hard landscaping materials are ethically sourced or recycled to minimize their footprint..... We’re now working on a number of projects across the south-east of England....It’s going to be a busy year as I’ve also had my own second show garden excepted for RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival in July.
I finished my Garden Design Diploma with the NDA in May and having already completed a Diploma in Interior Design, I was ready to launch my business.... Soon after launching I was booked up until into the New Year which has been really encouraging. I strongly believe that transforming an interior and garden can have such beneficial consequences to the way we work, relax and spend time in our homes.
Student Gallery
A sample of work completed by our talented garden design diploma students.
Get Equipped
To complete your NDA garden design diploma course, you’ll need access to the right tools – and we’ve got you covered!
Be sure to read our full Equipment & Resources page before you apply. All essential and recommended equipment is availabe to buy from the NDA Art Shop at exclusive student prices!
Upgrade Your Study Option & Qualify Faster!
Alongside ‘Online Flexible’ study, NDA also offers our accelerated ‘Online Fast-Track’ study option for the Professional Garden Design Diploma; find out more below…
Online Flexible
Diploma
- Start whenever you like & study flexibly at your own pace
- Fully online with no scheduled classes
- Perfect for balancing work, family, or travel
- No entry requirements & no exams
- Fully accredited & globally recognised
- Work legally as an garden designer anywhere in the world
- Instalment options available
- UK Fees part subsidised by UK Government
Online Fast-Track
Diploma
- Live online lessons twice a week for 8 weeks, plus guided independent study
- Learn alongside a tutor and classmates in real time
- A faster, more supported route to completion
- No entry requirements & no exams
- Fully accredited & globally recognised
- Work legally as an garden designer anywhere in the world
- Instalment options available
- UK Fees part subsidised by UK Government