Neill Ludmon

Professional Planting Design

£330.00
£330.00
Tax included.
Level:



Hilary Thomas and Neill Ludmon teach you how to create a professional planting design for any style of garden — moving beyond a restless collection of plants to a cohesive, well-considered scheme with lasting structure and year-round interest.

You'll learn how to assess your site, select plants for their visual, aesthetic and structural properties, combine colours and forms across all seasons, and create a planting plan on paper. The course also explores different garden styles — naturalist, minimalist and cottage — and offers guidance for those considering setting up in business.

Suitable for all levels. Includes 8 on-demand video lessons, lifetime access, downloadable notes, practical planting design assignments, and a small interactive online classroom.

Hilary Thomas and Neill Ludmon teach you how how to create a professional planting design for all types of gardens.

Choose the Expert option for personal feedback from Neill on your designs

It's all too easy to have a garden full of wonderful plants that feels more like a restless collection than a well thought-out design. Discover how to plant a garden for all seasons, combining plant structures, colours and forms.

Learn how to select plants for their visual, aesthetic and structural properties, how to assess your site conditions, and how to create a planting plan on paper.

Explore different styles of garden such as naturalist, minimalist and cottage garden, and get tips on things to consider if you’re setting up in business.

This course is run by Hilary Thomas, and your assignments will be marked by Neill Ludmon.

You'll learn:

  • how to choose and use plants
  • understanding visual qualities of plants
  • creating planting schemes with lasting structure
  • selecting the right plants for the right place
  • how to create a planting plan

Suitable for students of all levels - from gardeners just getting started to professionals looking to learn more about using plants in garden design.

The course includes:

  • 8 on-demand video lessons - presented by Hilary Thomas
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical planting design assignments (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Time to complete the planting design course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 28 hours to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 4 hours in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your planting design assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Neill on your planting design assignments.

If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

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Learn on demand, at your own pace
Lifetime access to classroom
Lessons

What You’ll Learn

Explore the lessons and topics covered across the course.
Learn how the size, shape and surface of leaves influences our perception of plants.
Understand how colours influence the mood of a garden and how we perceive the dimensions of a space.
Explore the role of structural planting and focal point plants in a planting scheme.
Consider the different techniques for utilising seasonal colour and excitement, from seasonal bedding plants to the more naturalist meadow style.
Explore all the factors that will determine the success of your planting scheme, and how to garden ecologically.
Learn how to create a three-dimensional planting plan.
Assess the different ways that plants can be used to create a particular style or theme, such as cottage garden, modern or Mediterranean style planting.
Understand how to prepare a plant schedule, and why you need to consider suppliers, maintenance, and your neighbours.
Learning options

Choose How You Want to Learn

Recommended
Expert
£330.00

A guided learning experience with expert support, feedback and recognised outcomes.

  • Expert Assignment Feedback
  • Private Tutor Messaging
  • Certificate & CPD Hours
  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
Peer
£85.00

Learn alongside others with a collaborative, flexible learning experience.

  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
COURSE TUTOR

Neill Ludmon

Neill Ludmon is a qualified teacher who spent 13 years teaching Plants and Planting Design and Drawing and Graphics to prospective garden designers at the prestigious Capel Manor College in London. In addition, Neill holds both an MA in Garden History from the University of London and the RHS Level 3 Horticulture, which includes the study of propagation and pests and diseases. Alongside his teaching and academic studies, Neill works as a freelance planting designer. He runs the short courses at Woottens of Wenhaston and delivers planting design workshops for Crocus.

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SUCCESS

What Our Learners Achieve

See the impact our courses are delivering for learners.
80%+

Completion rates

Our courses consistently achieve 80% learner completion rates versus a 20% industry average
4.5/5

Learner Satisfaction

High learner ratings for quality, support, and exam preparation
100's

CPD Learning Hours

Earn recognised CPD hours through expert-led courses designed to support your ongoing professional development.
Benefits

Why Choose Us

The advantages of Learning with Experts and a supportive community.

Learn on Demand

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.

Practice what you learn

Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.

Talk directly to experts

Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!

Track Progress & Achievements

Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.

Be part of a community

Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Reviews

What Learners Say

Genuine feedback and experiences from learners.
5.00

“It is extremely beneficial to have feedback on your own understanding of the topics and to have input on the detail required in an answer. Learning with Experts has been a really good experience.”

Bronwyn
5.00

“Outstanding content - I have gone back into the course videos many times and had many hours worth of incredible insight even before doing the assignments, which have forced me to really think about the experts' guidance.”

David
5.00

“The course has given me lots of tips and ideas. It was helpful being able to speak to others in the class about assignments and the feedback from the expert was very inspiring and has given me the confidence to try new things in my own garden.”

Helen
5.00

“I would not hesitate to recommend Learning with Experts for the RHS Level 2 Certificate. They provided thorough, comprehensive study materials alongside each individual video lesson presented by highly regarded experts in the field of horticulture, who are also engaging communicators."

Amanda
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Common Questions

Answers to the most common questions about learning with us.

Our online classroom is designed to help you learn from experts in a collaborative, social environment alongside a small group of learners.

Each lesson combines expert-led videos with optional assignments, giving you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and share your work with others. You can take part in ongoing discussions, ask questions, exchange feedback, and learn from a community of like-minded people from around the world.

By learning together in a small, supportive group, you benefit not only from expert guidance but also from shared ideas, perspectives, and experiences—helping you stay engaged and retain what you learn.

You can start your course at any time within 12 months of purchase. Once you begin, you’ll have lifetime access, so you can revisit lesson videos and notes whenever you like.

Courses are designed to fit around your schedule, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Each lesson video is typically 30–40 minutes, and we recommend around an hour for each assignment.

Both Peer and Expert options give you full access to the course content, including lesson videos, downloadable notes, assignments, and a collaborative online classroom with up to 20 learners. You’ll also have lifetime access to revisit the material at any time.

The Expert option includes everything in Peer, plus personalised assignment feedback, direct messaging with your expert tutor, and a certificate of completion.

With the Expert option, you can interact directly with your tutor throughout the course. You’ll typically have one week per lesson to ask questions and receive feedback on your assignments, with as much interaction as you need during that time.

Your tutor access begins when you enter the classroom and follows the course schedule (for example, a four-lesson course usually runs over four weeks). If you need more time or support, our team is here to help.