Dear all,

My wife is extremely interested in gardening and is considering starting her
own garden design / consultancy service.

However, before she starts, she would like to gain a gardening qualification
to prove her knowledge, the thing is there seems to be quite a few different
courses available.

So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

Many thanks,

Paul.

In message , Paul Whitmore
writes
Dear all,

My wife is extremely interested in gardening and is considering starting her
own garden design / consultancy service.

However, before she starts, she would like to gain a gardening qualification
to prove her knowledge, the thing is there seems to be quite a few different
courses available.

So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

TBH, if I was going to employ a garden designer, I don't think I'd be
that bothered about the qualifications, I'd be more interested in their
experience, their designs, etc.

Where have they worked, what sort of gardening experience, some examples
of their work (preferably see some in the flesh)

I think she should choose a course that will give her what she feels she
wants and needs
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html

Chris French and Helen Johnson wrote:
In message , Paul Whitmore
writes
Dear all,

My wife is extremely interested in gardening and is considering
starting her own garden design / consultancy service.

However, before she starts, she would like to gain a gardening
qualification to prove her knowledge, the thing is there seems to
be
quite a few different courses available.

So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or
respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

TBH, if I was going to employ a garden designer, I don't think I'd
be
that bothered about the qualifications, I'd be more interested in
their experience, their designs, etc.

Where have they worked, what sort of gardening experience, some
examples of their work (preferably see some in the flesh)

I think she should choose a course that will give her what she
feels
she wants and needs

That's sound. But for the confidence of having had some training, and
meeting others in the business, the county college is the place to
start.

Mike.

"Paul Whitmore" wrote in message ...
Dear all,

My wife is extremely interested in gardening and is considering starting her
own garden design / consultancy service.

However, before she starts, she would like to gain a gardening qualification
to prove her knowledge, the thing is there seems to be quite a few different
courses available.

So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

Many thanks,

Paul.

I have looked into this a little, and I have to agree that experience
is the best thing she could have. Unfortunately there are no courses
that will give you this.

So, alternatives include City & Guilds. They have a Certificate in
Gardening, this is theoretical. They also hace a Practical
Certificate in Gardening, basically the same stuff but you get to wash
mud out from under your fingernails.

Also you have the RHS exams. RHS General would be the starting point,
I guess. As your request asked for the most respected of
qualifications this would be the one I would respect.

The gulf / differenece between the C&G and RHS is vast. For example
C&G suggest it would be neat if you knew Betula=Birch, Taxus=Yew etc,
while the RHS set their requirements a little higher than that.

Hope that helps

Phil

Thanks for that, we are starting to think that the RHS General would be the
best starting point. There appear to be a lot of people offering courses
that study towards the RHS general.

At the moment we are favouring the Institute of Gardening's Diploma in
Horticulture, which is a certificate in it's own right, but the course
material prepares you for the RHS General, which you take at the end if you
wish. Has anyone had an experience of this qualification ?

Many thanks for the info so far,

Paul.

"Philip" wrote in message
m...
"Paul Whitmore" wrote in
message ...
Dear all,

My wife is extremely interested in gardening and is considering starting
her
own garden design / consultancy service.

However, before she starts, she would like to gain a gardening
qualification
to prove her knowledge, the thing is there seems to be quite a few
different
courses available.

So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

Many thanks,

Paul.

I have looked into this a little, and I have to agree that experience
is the best thing she could have. Unfortunately there are no courses
that will give you this.

So, alternatives include City & Guilds. They have a Certificate in
Gardening, this is theoretical. They also hace a Practical
Certificate in Gardening, basically the same stuff but you get to wash
mud out from under your fingernails.

Also you have the RHS exams. RHS General would be the starting point,
I guess. As your request asked for the most respected of
qualifications this would be the one I would respect.

The gulf / differenece between the C&G and RHS is vast. For example
C&G suggest it would be neat if you knew Betula=Birch, Taxus=Yew etc,
while the RHS set their requirements a little higher than that.

Hope that helps

Phil

Dear all,

My wife is extremely interested in gardening and is considering starting
her
own garden design / consultancy service.

However, before she starts, she would like to gain a gardening
qualification
to prove her knowledge, the thing is there seems to be quite a few
different
courses available.

So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

Many thanks,

Paul.



Paul as a practical person, may I point out that experience and proof of
what 'has' been done, is far more important than qualifications. If she is a
keen gardener she already knows a lot!!

Let her design and 'do' gardens for friends and neighbours and then
photograph them :-))

Mike

In article ,
"Paul" writes:
| Thanks for that, we are starting to think that the RHS General would be the
| best starting point. There appear to be a lot of people offering courses
| that study towards the RHS general.
|
| At the moment we are favouring the Institute of Gardening's Diploma in
| Horticulture, which is a certificate in it's own right, but the course
| material prepares you for the RHS General, which you take at the end if you
| wish. Has anyone had an experience of this qualification ?

Not directly, but a friend did it. She found it extremely interesting,
as well as a useful qualification.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from "Paul Whitmore"
contains these words:

/snip/
So my question is :- What would be the most "recognised" or respected
gardeining qualification that someone could acquire ?

For me, experience.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

For me, experience.


Couldn't agree more.

A few years ago I was promoted to a design and desk job because of my
'practical experience and knowledge'. On the very first day I was presented
with a problem which 'Qualified Chartered Electrical Engineers' were unable
to solve and the client was withholding £50,000 until it 'was' solved. 'How
the Hell am I going to solve it then?' I thought to myself.

'Practical knowledge' and 'going back to basics' gave me the answer and the
problem was solved.

Mike FEP

Mike FEP


FEP?

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