NEW: RHS Level 2: Principles of Plant Growth and Development

RHS Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Plant Growth and Development (previously Principles of Horticulture) is an internationally recognised qualification from the Royal Horticultural Society.

This RHS course is based on the new syllabus and the RHS will confirm when the course is available to start in September 2022. Each course is shown below – some lessons or tutors may change slightly depending on the course and filming structure.

You'll be taught by Dr Noel Kingsbury and Tom Cole - both qualified horticulture experts with experience teaching RHS students, and RHS approved tutors.

The RHS online course is suitable for everyone; from gardeners looking to expand their knowledge of plants, garden design and wildlife, to those already in horticulture careers or planning a career change.

Choose the Expert option for personal feedback from the tutors on your projects and coursework.

Why study with Learning with Experts?

• Learn directly from horticulture and RHS approved tutors Dr Noel Kingsbury and Tom Cole
• Start your course at any time (after launch in September 2022)
• Study at your own pace
• Join a small friendly online classroom & interact with other students on your course
• Complete assessments after each lesson and practice as you learn
• Choose Expert option for personal feedback on your projects from the tutors

The collection includes the following classes (each class can also be bought individually):

1. RHS: Plant Science 1 (1)
2. RHS: Plant Health (2)
3. RHS: Plant Nutrition (3)
4. RHS: Plant Specification (4)
5. RHS: Plant Science II (5)
6. RHS Planting Styles (6)
7. RHS: Horticulture and Society (7)
8. RHS: Biodiversity (8)

RHS Level 2 Course Tutors

Dr Noel Kingsbury

Writer, designer and horticultural consultant, Noel lives and breathes gardening. A true expert in his field, Noel has worked closely with world famous designer Piet Oudolf (among others). He is best known for his ecological approach to planting design.

Tom Cole

Tom Cole is an RHS Associate. He regularly lectures and has his own landscape and maintenance business. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Essex and a contributor for many garden magazines.

You'll learn

Each of the RHS Level 2 courses is listed in detail below but in summary you'll learn:

• the principles of horticulture
• plant health
• propagation, plant growth and development
• garden planning
• plant nutrition
• maintenance of garden plants
• garden features including lawns

• how to use garden plants

What is the RHS Level 2 Online Course?

The Royal Horticultural Society's Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture is an internationally recognised RHS qualification designed for those just starting out in gardening as well as experienced gardeners.

To complete your RHS qualification you need to sit the RHS Level 2 exam. Distance learners of RHS Level 2 (all Learning with Experts qualify for this) can now apply to take RHS Level 2 exams online (there are additional costs to sit the online exams).

How is the course structured?

To obtain the RHS Level 2: Principles of Horticulture qualification you study the RHS courses with us and then sit exams with the RHS independently.

Our course, both at peer and expert levels, will leave you fully prepared for the final exam. However the expert level of the course will mean that you can interact with the world-class tutors, having them mark your assignments and provide you with your own personal feedback.

Each unit will be assessed by a separate written exam covering all learning outcomes specified in the unit. Examinations take place twice a year - normally in February and June.

Is this qualification right for me?

This qualification is available to anyone over 16 years of age, from anywhere in the world. Our tutors are used to teaching people for whom English is a second language. All that is required is a keen interest in gardening.

We have students of all levels on our RHS courses - from people starting out in their horticulture careers to those who already have other professional horticulture qualifications.

The RHS have designed this course to be ideal for:

• anyone who is working as a professional horticulturist,
• anyone who wants to make a career change into gardening and horticulture,
• anyone who wants to expand their gardening knowledge.

How long does the course take?

This collection is entirely flexible and fits around your schedule, so you can go at your own pace. To fully qualify you'll need to sit exams which normally take place either in February or June.

Each lesson includes:

• On-demand video lesson (around 30 minutes) - presented by the expert
• Assignment (which takes on average an hour to complete)
• You have 1 week per lesson, which means up to 46 weeks to complete the entire course, however you can study as quickly as you like.

Do I need to have completed RHS Level 1?

No, RHS Level 2 is run entirely separate to RHS Level 1 and you don't need to have completed RHS Level 1 (or plan on completing it) in order to study RHS Level 2.

RHS Student Membership

As a Learning with Experts' student, you qualify for the £10 RHS student membership (saving you £39.95 annually).

The membership includes personal advice from the RHS to supplement your study, The Garden magazine, priority booking and discounted ticket rates for RHS Shows (including RHS Chelsea Flower Show and RHS Hampton Court), unlimited days out at the RHS Gardens and over 200 partner gardens across the UK and abroad. Contact us for more details.

Buying for your gardening business or employees?

Contact us for VAT invoices or buying multiple courses (click the speech bubble in the bottom left).

More RHS qualification questions?

Just click the speech bubble in the bottom right of your screen to ask us about RHS qualifications and the RHS Level 2 online course - we'd love to hear from you!