Garden Design Diploma – Full Time

Introduction

The Garden Design Diploma is a one-year full-time programme designed for those aiming for a career in garden design. 

It takes place at the Orangery conference facilities within the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, with an option to join via real-time online classroom sessions. 

Experienced practitioners, including James Aldridge and Andrew Wilson, lead the course. 

Skills & Knowledge You Will Gain

Throughout the diploma, you will develop:

• Professional garden‐design skills, including site survey, client brief development, hand and digital visualisation, plan and section drawing, and CAD techniques.
• Technical and horticultural knowledge: construction design for hard landscaping, planting design, soil and plant science, sustainability and ecology in garden design.
  
• Business and career skills: understanding professional practice, marketing, contracts, fees and launching a design business or joining a studio.
• Access to live projects and industry links via the Kew location and network of tutors working in the field, supporting real-world learning and portfolio development. 

Time / Workload

• The programme is delivered over one academic year and usually starts in September each year.
• Classes take place at the Orangery at Kew, with students expected to attend in person or synchronously online.
• Outside of formal class hours, students are expected to work on studio projects, self-directed study and portfolio development (though exact hours are not publicly stated).
• The online study option ensures flexibility for those unable to travel to London regularly.
  

What It Can Lead To

Graduates of the diploma can proceed into careers such as:

• Joining a garden design or landscape design studio as a junior designer or assistant.
• Establishing their own garden design practice, working on private residential gardens, commercial landscaping or thematic planting projects.
• Specialising in areas such as planting design, ecological gardens, outdoor living spaces or therapeutic landscapes, the diploma supports broad career pathways in the industry.
• The course supports alumni through professional development, and reports that around 30% of its graduates go into design studios, with others setting up their own businesses.

Conclusion

If you are committed to turning a passion for gardens and design into a professional career, the Garden Design Diploma offers a rigorous, studio-based training embedded in one of the UK’s most prestigious botanical venues. It combines creative, technical, business and horticultural learning in a supportive environment. 

The workload is significant, but the potential professional outcomes and network are strong.