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RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture - EveningApply Now »
Location: Broomfield Hall
Years: 1
Weeks: 34
Hours: 3.00
Start: Roll On Roll Off - Contact Us
Days / Times: Contact Us
Concessions: 600.00***
Interview: Y
Course Summary
This qualification provides a route to employment in professional horticulture by assessing knowledge of the principles underpinning horticultural practices. It also supports career development for those already working in the profession. In addition, it provides a foundation for further learning or training in the field of horticulture.
Entry requirements
You will need a keen interest in horticulture plus Maths and English at Level 1.
Course Content
The course will cover:
- Plant propagation
- Soil testing
- Practical skills in establishing and maintaining a range of different plant forms
- Care and pruning of plants
- Identification of a range of common garden plants, weeds, pests, diseases, disorders and beneficial organisms
- Vegetable gardening.
The qualification has a credit value of 15 and consists of seven units. Credits for the unit will be awarded to a candidate once they have reached the level of competency for all the specified tasks.
How will I be assessed?
The course will be assessed throughout to meet RHS criteria.
Are there any additional costs or specialist equipment required?
You will be required to supply your own:
- Steel toe-capped boots/wellingtons
- Overalls
- Secateurs
- Wet weather clothing
- Writing materials
What can I do after this course?
After the course, students can take the RHS Level 2 in Garden Planning and RHS theory. There is also the Level 3 Practical Certificate in Horticulture.
Derby College offers a range of one-day, weekend and evening courses relating to horticulture, as well as a wide range of other land-based topics - please see the Derby College Part-time Prospectus for a full list and details.
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*** Co-Tuition - This figure is the fee to be paid if you are entitled to any partial concessions.
Stuart Thom
Stuart shelves the bookshop for a high level gardening career
Former mature horticulture student Stuart Thom has reinvented his entire career through hard work and the support of Derby College. Just over ten years ago, Stuart was unhappy in his work at bookshops in Ashbourne and Derby. He decided he needed a change – to find a career where he could see the seasons change and work outside.
Stuart attended an open evening at Broomfield Hall, where tutors pointed him towards Level 2 National Certificate in Horticulture. He liked the course and enrolled. Nervous about "going back to school", Stuart said the environment was welcoming and encouraging. The course provided "tasters" of the sector and helped him decide which areas he wanted to pursue.
At an early stage he found the "plant side" of horticulture really appealed, as opposed to other areas such as hard landscaping. His tutors encouraged him to go on to take the two year Level 3 Diploma. And seeing his potential, they supported his application to study for the Royal Horticultural Society's prestigious Wisley Diploma in Practical Horticulture at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey.
He was one of just ten people accepted on the course in his year. Now aged 41, Stuart has worked for the Crown Estate as a fulltime gardener at the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. He and his gardener wife Nadine are now working in Scotland, where Stuart is RHS co-ordinator at the National Trust for Scotland-run Threave Garden in Dumfries and Galloway.
Derby College was invaluable, and I wouldn't be where I am now without it. Being a mature student, I was quite nervous because you are going back to school, effectively 10 years or something after leaving for the first time. But everybody was so welcoming, and so encouraging. If you put in the effort you get it returned.
I can't thank the tutors enough: I'm so happy with my career now. It was a bit of gamble to change career but I worked hard and college really supported me and it paid off.
