Course CodeSGH3Fee CodeSGDuration (approx)20 hoursQualificationCertificate of Completion Know More about Plants and Where they will Grow Better understand how to choose an appropriate plant for any purpose you have in mind. This course is all about improving your capacity to choose the best plant for every situation you confront. You learn by studying the factors that come into play in a wide range of different situations. You then consider plants that may be appropriate (ir inappropriate) in different situations. Lesson Structure There are 13 lessons in this course: Plant Selection Planting strategies Review what you have been learning Plant Establishment Methods Ways to help plants get established Techniques for planting sloped areas Planting arid sites Rehabilitating damaged soils in the home garden Review what you have been learning Detecting Problems Pests Diseases First: conduct an inspection Second: take note of the environment Third: identify the problem Fourth: treat the problem Review what you have been learning Solutions for wet areas What can cause wet areas in your garden? Problems with wet areas Overcoming problems with boggy or wet areas Plants for wet/boggy sites How to keep the soil wet all year Plants that grow in permanently wet soil Plants that tolerate wet in winter and drier soil in summer Creating a bog garden Construction of water gardens Plants for water gardens Review what you have been learning64 Gardening in the Shade Ferns Shade trees Deciduous or semi deciduous trees Evergreen shade trees Review what you have been learning Windbreaks Hedges and Screens Hedges Windbreaks Review what you have been learning Plants for Dry Gardens Gardening in dry conditions Design and planting a fire break Review what you have been learning Coastal Gardens Dealing with salt Creating wind breaks Hardy seaside plants Review what you have been learning Trees and Shrubs Evergreen trees Cool conifers Deciduous trees for autumn colour Shrubs in the landscape Examples of long flowering plants Shrubs that flower in autumn What flowers in winter Living Christmas trees Review what you have been learning Fitting More in a Small Garden How to fit more in a small garden Small trouble free plants Space-saving decoration Go up Expand your garden Colours Design your garden to appear bigger Review what you have been learning Plants for Various Situations Frost hardy plants Hardy plants for inner city gardens Plants for pets Long narrow areas Review what you have been learning Lawns Choosing the right lawn Turf varieties Review what you have been learning Living Garden Art Living art How to make a hedge Miniature/table top gardens Using junk in living gardens Review what you have been learning Learn to Choose the Best Plant For Each Situation Plants grow in all shapes and sizes, with different degrees of vigour. Some plants like the sun, others don't. Some like it wet, and others don't. Some produce very vigorous root systems, which can be an advantage if you are trying to prevent soil erosion, but may be a disadvantage if vigorous roots cause damage to a wall or paving. Consider Long Narrow Corridors One of the most difficult areas in any garden is the long narrow area between the front and back of the house. For most home owners, this "side passage" is 2 metres or less wide with a fence on one side and the wall of the house on the other. It is shaded for a large part of the day, and without careful landscaping, can be very stark and unattractive. The biggest problem with such areas is that most plants which have appropriate height will also grow so wide that they block access through the area. The solution is often paving or a gravel path bordered by climbing plants. Some climbers will if not pruned frequently, move increasingly towards the centre of the area (eventually blocking access as large shrubs would (e.g. Kennedya rubicunda or some Lonicera spp. these need pruning several times each year to keep under control). Other climbers have prickles (e.g. roses and bramble berries), which can be a danger in a restricted area. The best climbers for these areas are probably clinging plants such as Ficus pumila or Hedera (Ivy) which are less likely to impose. Be aware that these plants can cause damage if left to grow for many years on the wall of a house (You should cut them back every few years). The occasional tall narrow tree which can be walked under can be useful in these positions, as long as it is placed close to the fence line and does not develop a large butt. Pittosporum phillyraeoides or Eucalyptus caesia are good for such situations. Low shade loving plants along the path can also be used from place to place (e.g. hosta, hellebores, ferns etc.). There are so many sitiations to learn about. Enrol today and start your learning ACS Has Utimate Flexibility At only 20 hours. this is different to our other 100 hour courses; being not only shorter and with a lower fee, but with the assessments at the end of each lesson being fully automated. At the end of each lesson, you are given a short interactive test to undertake, to provide an indication of how your learning is progressing. You have access to a help desk for support from a horticulture tutor if you need it in any point in your studies. When you finish the final lesson, you are given a more thorough automated test or examination. If you achieve an overall pass; in this final online test; you are provided with an electronic copy of a "Certificate of Completion", with your name and the course name and date, to print and store electronically in your permanent records. Who Will Benefit From This Course? Garden designers Landscapers Nursery staff and owners Enthusiastic gardeners