# Online learning courses/Horticulture, landscaping, garden design



## matt (3 Sep 2015)

Hi.
Has anyone on here had any experience with online learning courses.

I really want to expand my understanding of landscaping, garden design and Horticulture.
I've been messing around with family and friends gardens for years now just as a hobby, but it's one thing to chuck in a few plants and bushes and have them say "oh that looks good" and "you should think about starting your own business" and actually taking it further.

Being in full time employment, single and having a mortgage makes giving up work to go back in full time education off the cards, but there seem to be a few online courses about.

So what I'm asking is has anyone here ever done an online learning course in this, or indeed anything else,
good or bad experiences, waste of time and money or well worth effort and expenes.

Any help and advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Matt.


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## dw1305 (3 Sep 2015)

Hi all, 
I haven't got any practical experience of them, but my suggestion would be to have a look at the RHS courses <"https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning">. 

cheers Darrel


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## matt (3 Sep 2015)

Thanks for the link dw

RHS....... why didn't I think of that


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## foxfish (3 Sep 2015)

Good luck with you intensions, I managed to make a full time carer from landscape gardening although I found a niche in the market by specialising in Japanese inspired designs.
I don't have any formal qualifications  in that line but  designing gardens was something  that I desired to do with a huge passion!


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## matt (3 Sep 2015)

Thanks foxfish,
It's not so much that I'm chasing formal qualifications, it's just I would like to understend more about......well.....everything lol.
I'm after the training and understanding.

Forinstance, in my mothers garden I have 4 acer palmatum's, all in pots and all in there 3rd or 4th year. Now I know they are acid loving plants and require being kept moist at all times along with all there other needs (as you well know specialising in Japanese style) but I want to know why, more of an understanding if you get what I mean.

I would like to learn more about styles, formal, cottage etc. Design and construction, soil types, irrigation. I know a little about alot, but not enough to be confident to start out on my own.

Do you happen to have any photos of any gardens you have landscaped, I also love Japanese style gardening although from what I've read, it's can be hard to get right, and the maintenance is never ending.


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## foxfish (4 Sep 2015)

There is a link in my signature that shows the last project I built but I am retired now.
My work was largely based upon hard landscaping, I had employees who were experts on soft planting!
I was lucky to be involved in several large ongoing projects that then offered permanent  maintenance  contracts.
I started off on my own, in a similar way to your situation, mowing lawns and weeding borders etc. 
I then got a job working on a koi farm that had become a tourist attraction, I was offered full time employment and actually became manager of the koi farm for about 5 years!
The farm closed down but I had been inspired by the Japanese  theme, the bonsai, the ponds and the fish.
So at around 25 years old I started my own landscaping business with a whim and a hope..... I retired at 50....


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## LondonDragon (5 Sep 2015)

Not sure if they cover those subjects, but I always use this list to find stuff to learn, have done a few in the past and they are usually very good. But then again I concentrate on the IT side of things.

*edX*— Take online courses from the world’s best universities.

*Coursera* — Take the world’s best courses, online, for free.

*Coursmos* — Take a micro-course anytime you want, on any device.

*Highbrow* — Get bite-sized daily courses to your inbox.

*Skillshare* — Online classes and projects that unlock your creativity.

*Curious* — Grow your skills with online video lessons.

*lynda.com* — Learn technology, creative and business skills.

*CreativeLive* — Take free creative classes from the world’s top experts.

*Udemy* — Learn real world skills online.

Enjoy!
Paulo


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## Brian Murphy (9 Sep 2015)

I would love to do a course at Sparsholt college in Fish Management/Aquatics but living in Northern Ireland, married and a mortgage it isn't really something I can do, unless we sold up and moved


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## Newbiedoobydo (13 Sep 2015)

LondonDragon said:


> Not sure if they cover those subjects, but I always use this list to find stuff to learn, have done a few in the past and they are usually very good. But then again I concentrate on the IT side of things.
> 
> *edX*— Take online courses from the world’s best universities.
> 
> ...


 This is a really useful list - thank you!

I know the Open University also do some free online courses, but I have no idea if gardening is among them.


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## PARAGUAY (14 Sep 2015)

Most important thing to remember wherever you go "who" recognises the value of any diploma/certificate what you may achieve, anybody can set up courses for financial gain and the diploma might look authentic.Some of these, firms exposed by documentaries and the OFT as scams. Go with the advice given and even if you have to pay you know its authentic.


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