RHS: Garden Plants & Lawns (6)

Course outline

• Seasonal Displays, Bedding Plants, Borders, Hanging Baskets

  This lesson begins with defining plants suitable for bedding. You will then learn which plants are suited more to edging beds or to basic groundwork within borders. Additionally, you will cover the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid plants, coupled with the seasonal rotations necessary for maintaining any one of these planting systems.

• Herbaceous Perennial Plants and Bulbs

  Here you will learn the factors to consider when selecting herbaceous perennials (e.g. shade and soil). From here you will learn how to prepare soil for herbaceous perennials, and how to then maintain them once planted. By the end of the lesson you will also have an understanding of which bulbs are suited to which planting methods (e.g. borders or containers).

• Trees and Shrubs for the Domestic Garden

  In this lesson you will tackle the possible uses of trees in the garden. You will then be presented with an in-depth guide as to how to prepare sites for trees and shrubs, how to then plant out trees and shrubs, and then how to maintain and prune them once they are planted.

• Modern Roses and Wall Shrubs for the Domestic Garden

  This lesson incorporates both types of bush roses (floribunda and hybrid tea roses). Looking at both these groups, you will explore their suitability for rose beds and the correct methods for planting them and even attaching them to structures, such as pergolas. The same will then be covered for wall shrubs. Additionally you will look at the pests and diseases that face these two plant groups, learning how to spot the signs and control them.

• Alpine Plants, Rock Garden Plants, Water Plants, Bog Plants

  You will learn the key distinctions between these four groups and their suitability to certain regions and climes. Strong emphasis in this lesson is on how to choose rock garden sites, so you will learn how to prep and plant out the area, as well as how to maintain the rock garden. Additionally you will learn how to grow alpines in containers, and how to choose, plant and maintain aquatic plants.

• Establishment of Lawns

  In this lesson you will discover the importance of lawn placement in terms of its interaction with the rest of the garden. Once you have mastered this concept, you will look at how to grow both from seed and from turf, examining the advantages and disadvantages of each method, before looking at how to prepare the lawn site.

• Maintenance of Lawns

  Lawn maintenance doesn’t just end with mowing. Consequently you will cover in this lesson, not just the types of mower, but other aspects of lawn maintenance. These include: killing moss; fertiliser spreading; levelling lawns; and aerating lawns. You will also be informed of how to deal common lawn problems such as: weeds, fairy rings, and moles.