Expand Your Plant Knowledge
Horticulture includes a wide range of specific job roles and specialties. Regardless of those positions, a deep understanding of plants is highly valued. The more you can learn to recognise plant families and groups, the more easily you can determine their likely growing needs, habits and uses.
Study this course to add to your plant knowledge. Find out more about classification and identification of plants. Delve into different groups of plants from exotics to natives, and annuals to indoor plants. Brush up on your knowledge of cultural practices and find out about different growing techniques.
What this Course Covers
The content of each of the ten lessons is outlined below:
1. The Groups of Plants - setting a framework for the whole subject. Learn to identify plants from a wide range of taxonomic and cultural groups, using a range of different techniques.
2. Use of Plants - plant selection, soils.
3. Australian Native Plants -growing of native shrubs and trees, including the selection, culture and use of different species.
4. Exotic Ornamental Plants -growing of exotic ornamental shrubs and trees, including the selection, culture and use of different species.
5. Indoor and Tropical Plants -growing of indoor plants, including selection, culture and use of different varieties
6. Bedding Plants - growing of bedding plants, including selection, culture and use of different varieties.
7. Vegetables -techniques for the growing of edible crop plants, including selection, culture and use of vegetables, fruit, berries and nuts (Part A).
8. Fruits, Nuts & Berries
9. Herbs
10. Alternative Growing Techniques - hydroponics, container growing, terrariums. Determine appropriate applications for a range of alternative growing methods.
Workload
Study when, where and however much you want. For most students, the course can be completed with a total of around 100 hours of study; and a commitment close to that may be needed to achieve desired learning outcomes.
Extra Reading
The following books, available through this web site may be relevant supplementary reading for this course
- Plant Language
- Trees and Shrubs
- Plant Pests and Diseases
- Garden Design Part I
- Starting a Nursery or Herb Farm
- Weeds
Assessment
Self Assessment Tests are presented throughout the course. These are essentially an automated quiz. When you undertake a "SAT" or "Self Assessment Test", you will be able to see what you got correct, and what was incorrect; and in that way, you can identify your weaknesses.
Assignments are given at the end of each lesson. You should complete this assignment, paying careful attention to follow what is asked of you. It can be just as important to learn to work to specification, as it is to learn about the topic you are studying. Graduates who develop a habit of working to specification in the field of horticulture, will impress employers, and will be more efficient when self employed.
A Final Exam is offered upon satisfactory completion of all assignments. This is optional. If you choose to apply for and do this exam, you will have the possibility of obtaining a "formal credit" or "Pass Certification" for this course. A fee applies. The exam may be sat under prearranged conditions anywhere in the world. This college will award you a formal transcript, upon successful completion of the exam, as proof of your results.
Recognition and Ethics
This college is a member of the ACS Affiliates Network; a group of colleges from several countries, affiliated with each other through ACS Distance Education.. Courses are developed with input from all of these colleges, aspiring to reflect internationally accepted standards and needs.
A strict "No Plagiarism" and "No fraud" policy exists. Assignments are checked for plagiarism, and assignments will not be deemed to have been completed, if work is not your own original creation, and is found to have been copied from elsewhere. If the person doing the course is discovered to be different to the name enrolled, the enrolment and any results will be recorded as invalid and any fees paid will be forfeited.
Refund Policy
A full refund less expenses (up to 15% of fees applied) is provided to anyone wishing to withdraw from a course, within 2 weeks of enrolment. This does not apply after the first assignment has been submitted and marked; or after the two weeks has expired.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS INSTITUTION?
We believe that we have an ethical responsibility to make good use of the fees you pay and the time you invest into an education through our college. To this end, our first priority is always your learning. This comes before issues such as formal accreditations, speculative marketing and bureaucratic processes which all too often add considerable costs to the running of colleges, and take resources away from the provision of more valuable services to the student.
This college focuses on facilitating your learning and support to optimise that learning. We recognise that learning is all about improving knowledge and skills in your long term memory. While some colleges may focus on getting you to pass exams, by committing knowledge to short term memory; we understand that such an approach is not true education, and does little to improve your long term career or business prospects.
How This Course Could Help You
This course is essential learning for anyone who wishes to work in any aspect of horticulture. It build on the introduction to the key principles and practices in horticulture provided in Horticulture I. It will add significantly to your plant knowledge and will underpin your horticultural career.
Use this course as part of your foundation studies in horticulture. Consider it as a starting point for a career or business. Study this course by itself or as part of a certificate or higher level qualification in horticulture.