Please note that the session starting in March is fully subscribed. We will be taking bookings for the 2010/11 sessions when booking for the new 2010/11 Adult Education and Professional Courses programme opens in June. The new course handbook will be available from this webpage at the beginning of June.
This programme provides students with all the fundamental horticultural skills for a large botanic or amenity garden. It is ideal for continuing professional development for early career horticulturists, or for keen amateurs.
The RBGE Certificate in Practical Horticulture is also a great complement to the theory-based RHS level 2 Certificate in Horticulture, or for those studying the RHS Advanced Certificate. It is currently available to the public as a series of eight day Saturday workshops which can be booked as a whole or individually.
This course forms a core part of the first year of our HND/BSc degree, and we can also deliver it as an overseas development package to botanic gardens, conservation nurseries or similar organisations across the globe.
The CPH was developed by RBGE in 2006, then in 2008 we joined in partnership with the Eden Project in Cornwall to deliver and further develop the programme. The course can be undertaken at both venues and staff from the two institutions collaborate greatly on the creation of course materials, programme delivery and overall quality. We believe this partnership is a perfect match, with the botanical and horticultural history of RBGE combining well with the contemporary horticultural and educational vision of Eden. We hope you agree.
Course outline
The RBGE Certificate in Practical Horticulture consists of eight full-day taught units plus an assessment. This format ensures that students gain the core practical horticultural skills. The course can be booked as a whole or units can be booked individually.
Units:
- CPH-01 Understanding Plants
- CPH-02 Soils and Composting
- CPH-03 Seed Propagation
- CPH-04 Vegetative Propagation
- CPH-05 Potting and Growing Media
- CPH-06 Plant Care
- CPH-07 Plant Maintenance
- CPH-08 Plant Health Problems
Additional units can be developed for specific groups depending on specialised horticultural requirements for the institution or local climate.
Assessment
Assessment consists of two parts:
- Course workbook: in which students must record what they learn on the day, as written notes, sketches or diagrams.
- Practical exam: students are expected to carry out a significant amount of practice after the taught section of the course is completed, before they take a Practical Test to gain certification.
Total time to complete the course is a minimum of 60 hours, and includes eight taught sessions (c. six hours each).
How to apply
You can download the Applicant's Handbook from the 'Downloads' box on the right. This contains further information and an application form. For further details or to find out how we can tailor this course to your institution, contact the Education office via our enquiry form (select 'Education') or direct at:
Education Department
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
20A Inverleith Row
Edinburgh
EH3 5LR
Telephone: 0131 248 2937