Landscape Design School Diploma

Diploma in Landscape Design

You can earn your Diploma and become Qualified in Landscape and Garden Design while studying at home. Our Diploma program is fully comprehensive and offers the ideal training for a professional career, covering every aspect of landscape design clearly and thoroughly. In line with changes in the industry, we support and teach the full use of CAD for landscape design work.

How much does it cost - click here for latest fees

The Aim of the Program

We are committed to training creative, confident and professionally superior Landscape Designers. On completion of your studies you will be entitled to use the letters Dip LD after your name and be fully competent to undertake the following tasks:

Planting designs for flowerbeds and other planted areas and designing the layouts of paved areas, paths, lawns, and planted areas
Creating sustainable and eco-friendly designs
Designing concepts and plans for garden structures, steps, patios, decks, water features etc
Producing Concept Plans, Planting Plans, and Plant Care Schedules
Preparation of concept drawings for land re-contouring and retaining
Solving minor site drainage problems
Preparation of construction and working drawings for hard landscaping items (not requiring specialist engineering and when permitted by law)
Managing the contractor bidding and the installation of the design on behalf of the Client
Running a professional landscape design business

What you will learn

The Diploma program covers every aspect of garden and landscape design as well as other topics concerned with the setting up and running of a professional landscape design and consulting business. You will learn everything a professional landscape designer needs to know.

Project Assessment: You will learn how to talk with the Client about their landscaping concerns, assess the potential of the site, ascertain the Client's needs, suggest the best course of action, and give a written quotation for design work.
Site Survey: You will learn to measure a site, including surveying ground levels, and use this data to draw an accurate and useful survey (base) plan.
Concept Plan: Showing a ‘birds eye’ view of the proposed design, this drawing is the starting point in the development of a new garden. You will learn to create exciting and functional designs and present them to your Clients as attractive Concept Plans.
Planting Plan: You will learn to design the perfect planting scheme to complement the new design. Preparing detailed planting plans and schedules are covered fully.
Hard Landscape Construction: You will learn about hard landscape construction and materials. This will enable you to design viable hardscapes and structures to enhance your designs.
Ground Contouring and Retaining: You will learn to recognize a site's greater potential through re-contouring, and how to produce concept plans detailing the new ground levels, including retaining walls.
Running a professional design and consulting business: You will learn all the aspects of running your own business in a professional manner. This includes dealing with Clients, effective communication, getting new business, industry protocols, working to a Client's budget, bidding and tendering, and writing technical specifications.

And so much more as well.

How long does it take?

This varies depending on the individual, and how much time you have to devote to your studies. Very committed students can complete 3 to 4 lessons a month. Others, with full time jobs or busy lives, might complete only one lesson a month. Many students complete the entire program in less than 12 months, but we allow you a full 24 months.

Program Content

This is a brief outline of the main topics included in the program. The course material is intensive and highly informative with many pictures and diagrams used to illustrate concepts. You will be taught and encouraged to think and solve problems.

25 intensive, information-packed study modules covering all aspects of professional landscape design
25 highly relevant, hands-on assignments reflecting the actual work done by landscape designers
several useful portfolios to aid you in developing your designs
3 full, real-life landscape design projects (no installation is required for any projects)
several small garden design projects (no installation is required)
continual assessment and feedback to keep you informed of your progress
a free CAD course to quickly get your CAD skills up to speed (for those using the recommended CAD software)

The Study Modules

Course overview; Equipment and Materials; Drawing to Scale
Classification and Naming of plants; Plant physiology; Soil; Weed control
Introduction to the different types of Landscape Drawings; Learning to draw
the Design process; the Garden in its Setting; Analyzing a Site; Discovering the Client's needs; Introduction to Site Surveying; Writing a Design Proposal
Site Surveying - theory and practical
the Drawing sheet and Titleblock; Lettering and Titling; the Concept Plan
the Zoning Diagram and Functional Placement of areas; History of the modern garden
Major landscape design project #1
Design Principles and Design Development
Solving Site Problems; Garden Styles and Themes; Function and Safety
Surveying ground levels - theory and practical
Drawing Elevations, Cross-sections and Working Drawings
Major landscape design project #2
Planting design; Color theory, Shape and Texture
Designing a border; how to choose the right plants; the Planting Plan
Water Features, Pools and Ponds
Hard Landscaping Materials; Site Contouring and Leveling; Land Drainage
Retaining walls; Paving and other Horizontal surfacing
Introduction to Timber Construction; Steps and Ramps; Walls; Fences and Screens
Decorative Structures and Garden Buildings; using Trees, Shrubs, Hedges,Vines
Natural and Native Gardens; Wild Flower Lawns; Bulbs; Plant Schedules
Major landscape design project #3
Natural Habitat Gardens; Low maintenance gardens; Eco-friendly design
Small Gardens and Theme Gardens; Functional planting; Irrigation, Lighting and Accoutrements; Estimating installation costs for budgetary purposes
Business procedures; Documents and Contracts; the Client-Designer-Contractor relationship; Specification writing; the Bidding process; Project Facilitation; Costing your design services; Getting Started; Promoting your Business: Final design project - an exploration of Design Creativity.

Landscape Design with CAD

Our Diploma in Landscape Design program requires the use of CAD for the production of landscape drawings and plans.

Using CAD to produce landscape design plans increases productivity by making drawings quicker to produce and easier to change. Most employers prefer that their landscape designers are CAD proficient.

For those new to CAD, we recommend and teach the use of 'AutoSketch release 10' (easy to use and our personal choice in CAD software). Alternately you can use TurboCAD Designer 17. If you already know how to use CAD then you can use any suitable CAD software you choose.

Our Diploma program includes a free CAD training course written especially for AutoSketch and TurboCAD Designer. The lessons instruct you how to use the software step-by-step, as you learn how to design landscapes and gardens professionally. A reasonable level of computer competency is expected.

PC or Mac

If you intend to use AutoSketch or TurboCAD Designer then you must have a computer installed with MS Windows XP, MS Vista or MS Windows 7. If you use a Mac then you will have to install special Mac software such as Boot Camp or Parallels to enable it to run in PC mode, and also install Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.

To view part of a landscape plan (PDF format) produced with AutoSketch click the link below. Please allow a few seconds for the file to open. Best viewed at 100% zoom.

View CAD plan ...

Read about the Landscape Design School ...