RHS LEVEL II CERTIFICATE
This course provides a route to employment in professional horticulture by assessing knowledge of the scientific principles and underpinning horticultural practices, and supports career development for those already working in the profession. It also provides a foundation for further learning or training in the field of horticulture. There are no prerequisites required for entry into this course.
There are 10 lessons, spread across 4 units:
- Unit 1 – Garden features, plant selection and planning.
- Unit 2 – The choice, establishment and maintenance of garden plants and lawns.
- Unit 3 – The production of outdoor vegetables and fruit.
- Unit 4 – Protected environments and their use in plant cultivation.
LESSON STRUCTURE
There are 10 lessons in this course:
- Principles of Garden Design
- Introduction
- Landscape Principles (Unity, Balance, Proportion, Harmony, Contrast, Rythm)
- Design Elements (Line, Form, Mass, Space, Texture, Colour, Tone)
- Landscape Effects
- Colour in Garden Design
- Formal Gardens
- Informal Gardens
- Cottage Gardens
- Minimalist Gardens
- Natural Landscapes
- Oriental Gardens
- Mediterranean Gardens
- Tropical Gardens
- Plant Identification, Culture and Use -Reviewing a range of plants
- Conducting Garden Surveys and Planning
- Appraising a Site and Collecting Data for Planning
- Components of the Pre Planning Phase
- Use of Hard Garden Features and Hard Surfaces
- Scale for Landscape Plans
- Triangulation
- Surveying Slope
- Direct Contouring
- The Grid System
- Levelling Terminology and Procedure
- The site Plan
- Concept Plan
- Final Plan
- Other Plans
- Design Procedure
- Landscape Graphics
- Putting Pen to Paper
- Lettering and Graphics
- Use of Hard Landscaping Features
- Hard and Soft Landscaping
- Surfaces in the Garden
- Paving
- Using Pebbles
- Rockeries
- Mulching and Erosion Matting
- Barriers and Walls
- Trellis
- Types of Fencing
- Patios
- Seating
- Garden Structures
- Garden Art, Features and Furnishings
- Pools, Ponds and Water Gardens
- Environmental Sustainability
- Use of Soft Garden Features
- Choosing Plants
- Purchasing Plants
- Trees in the Landscape (Deciduous, Semi Deciduous, Evergreen)
- Shrubs
- Perennials and Herbs
- Types of Herb Gardens
- Wildflower Meadows
- Perennial Displays
- Annuals
- Flower Bed Design
- Cottage Gardens
- Scented Plants
- Climbers and Growing plants on Trellis
- Lawns and Turf varieties
- Plant Establishment and Maintenance
- Plants in the Landscape
- Plant Selection
- Environmental Factors
- Improving Environmental Conditions
- Selecting the Right Plant
- Which Plant to Buy
- Understanding Soils and Fertility
- Plant Nutrition
- Preparing a Garden
- Transplanting Techniques
- Fertilising and Staking
- Planting Bare Rooted Plants
- Time of Planting
- Planting Mistakes to Avoid
- Gardening in Dry Areas
- Colourful Year Round Foliage
- Establishing Annual and Herbaceous Plants
- Seed
- Selecting Herbaceous Plants and Bulbs
- Dividing and Separating Perennials
- Herbaceous Borders
- Maximising Flower Displays
- Selecting Woody Plants
- Trees and Tree Health
- Selecting Flowering Shrubs
- Hedges
- Climbers
- Water Plants and Pond Management
- Plant Health
- Weed Management
- Pruning
- What, Where and Why Prune
- Removing Dead and Diseased Wood
- Controlling Type of Growth
- Distinguishing between Bud Types
- Controlling Shape and Size
- Pruning to Rejuvinate a Plant
- Winter Pruning
- How to Prune
- Pruning Different Specific Plant Genera
- Espaliers
- Dead Heading
- Tree Pruning
- Stopping, Disbudding, Root Pruning, Dead heading etc.
- Lawns; Establishment and Maintenance
- Turf Establishment
- Soil Preparation
- Seeding, Stolonising, Sodding, Sprigging, Plugging
- Mowers and Mowing Turf
- Fertilising Turf
- Renovation: aeration, scarification, top dressing etc
- Outdoor Food Production; Vegetables
- Introduction to Growing Outdoor Food Crops
- Growing Techniques for Vegetables
- Planning a Crop
- Starting a Vegetable Garden
- Managing the Crop (Weed Control, Pests, Water etc)
- Special Techniques: No Dig, Green Manure, Cover Crops, Compost etc)
- Sustainable Cultivation Techniques
- Planting Techniques
- Review of major Vegetable Crops
- Managing Water and Irrigation
- Outdoor Food Production; Fruit
- Choosing a Site and Establishing an Orchard
- Location, Climate, Rainfall and other Site Considerations
- Deciding what to Grow
- Scope of Fruit Growing
- Pest and Disease Management on Fruit -Chemical and Non Chemical
- Environmental Problems and their Management
- Pruning Fruit Trees
- Pollination
- Review of Sigificant types of Fruits, Berries and Citrus
- Developing a Production Plan
- Protected Cultivation
- Introduction to Protected Growing
- Types of Growing Structures
- Factors Affecting Light Transmission in Growing Structures
- Management of Greenhouses: Benches, Hygeine, Watering, Temperature Control etc
- Shade Houses
- Computerised Environmental Control
- Heating Systems
- Controlling Light
- Irrigation & Nutrition Control
- Feeding Plants
- Pest and Disease Control in Greenhouses
- Containers for Growing in
- Potting Media
- Indoor Plants and their Management
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
AIMS
- Develop an understanding of: design principles and how to apply them; basic surveying; garden features, plant selection; garden planning.
- Develop an understanding of plant selection, establishment and maintenance of a range of ornamental plants and lawns.
- Develop an understanding of basic cultural operations and production methods for outdoor vegetable and fruit crops.
- Develop an understanding of: environmental controls, uses and appropriate applications of greenhouses and other protected plant growing structures; the production of a range of plants in protected structures and the care of plants in the house and conservatory.
EXAMS
To obtain the certificate, awarded by the RHS in England, the student needs to sit and pass written exams conducted under supervision, and assessed by the RHS.
This is one of several new RHS Qualifications being phased in to replace older courses over the second half of 2010.
The older courses can still be studied with ACS, but there will be cut off dates on their accreditation; and the possibility of sitting an RHS exam for the older qualification may be missed. Opportunities will be made available to upgrade from the older courses to the new qualifications, irrespective.
REFERENCE BOOKS
ACS operates a student bookshop that supplies a range of horticulture texts to supplement our courses.
Many are written by the principal (well known gardening author John Mason), or other staff. All have been reviewed and approved by our academic experts (to be accurate and relevant to students studying our horticulture courses).
- Student discounts are available to anyone studying with ACS Distance Education.
- Both printed books and ebooks (as downloads) available
GARDEN DESIGN Part I by John Mason (publisher ACS) EBook
GARDEN DESIGN Part 2 by John Mason (publisher ACS) EBook
GROWING TREES and SHRUBS for SMALL GARDENS by John Mason
T
ROPICAL and WARM CLIMATE GARDENING by John Mason (publisher Bay Books) Printed Book
ORCHIDS: A BEGINNERS GUIDE by John Mason (publisher: Highland House) Printed Book
GROWING CONIFERS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed book
GROWING FERNS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed book
NURSERY MANAGEMENT 2nd Edition by John Mason (publisher :andlinks Press) Printed Book
GROWING AUSTRALIAN NATIVES 2nd edition Printed Book
COMMERCIAL HYDROPONICS 3rd Edition by John Mason (publisher: ACS) Ebook
- Click on above link for info
- Sample pages available to download for all ebook
- E Books can be purchased online for immediate download (Can be read on a computer, ipad, iphone, lap top, most book readers or similar devices).
- GO TO www.acsbookshop.com for more titles
