Garden Design & Landscaping

• History of garden design and garden design principles
• Soils and plants
• Pre-design information and drawing
• Landscaping products, walls, fences and gates
• Surfacing
• Garden structures and irrigation
• Garden styles, lighting and water features
• Earthworks, marking out and job costing
• Client-designer relationships and major design project
• Starting your own business

History of Garden Design and Garden Design Principles

Historical garden design influences, English, French and American garden designers, Shaker gardens, the Victorian era, Chinese and Japanese gardens, botanical gardens in Australia and New Zealand, 5 basic principles of garden design, comparison of 2 designs. 
 

Soils and Plants

Aoils and soil improvers, soil preparation, plants and identification using scientific and common names, hybrid plants, climatic conditions, choosing plants, pot sizes, plant groups, hedges and avenues.  
 

Pre-Design Information and Drawing

Pre-design information and questionnaire, talking with your client, aspect, drainage, erosion, water management, measuring a garden, measuring slopes, preparing a scale drawing, making a planting plan, structural planting, computer garden design programs, planting terminology. 

Landscaping Products, Walls, Fences and Gates

Garden soils, compost, sand and gravel, rock and slate, mulches, sleepers, pavers, various types of walls and fences, hedges, gates and trellises.

Surfacing

Paving (natural stone, granite, slate, marble, cobbles and sand), timber decking, bricks, drainage, brick bonding patterns, trims and edges, lawns and lawn shapes, pointers for perfect lawns, step materials and designs, building steps and ramps.

Garden Structures and Irrigation

Arbours, pergolas, archways and tunnels, gazebos, summerhouses, awnings, tents and umbrellas. Garden sheds, greenhouses, tree houses and playhouses. Play equipment, seating and tables, containers, garden sculptures, rock gardens, barbecues. Glossary of Garden Terms. Irrigation - pipes, sprays and sprinklers, water pressure calculations.

Garden Styles, Lighting and Water Features

Cottage, bush, scented and Oriental gardens, garden lighting techniques, choosing lights, identifying lighting requirements, planning a lighting system, electrical requirements, Glossary of Lighting Terms, selecting a water feature, pools, fountains, cascades and waterfalls, pump size and pool volume, garden safety checklist. 

Earthworks, Marking Out and Job Costing

Contour drawings, shaping and contouring, cut and fill, bulking and compaction factors, coping with slopes, marking out, offsets, equipment and tools, job costing. Business operating costs, charge-out rate, estimates, quotes and contracts, estimating quantities, costing materials. 

Client-Designer Relationships and Major Design Project

Initial meeting, discussing and presenting the budget, Glossary of Designers' Garden Terms, major design project, choosing the products (landscaping products, surfacing, soils, structures, irrigating, styles and lighting, water features, drainage and costing. 

Starting Your Own Business

Types of business operations (sole trader, partnership, company), operating capital, record keeping, paying bills, petty cash, finding clients, terms and conditions, tax, insurance, formulating a business plan, location, services, market analysis and summary, projected cash flow, sample business letters (invoices, statements, letter of demand).