Learning with Experts

RHS Level 2: Planting Styles

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You can buy this course through your business or organisation for individuals and groups up to 20. To find out more contact us

Course overview

In the RHS Level 2: Principles of Plant Growth and Development: Planting Styles course we’ll look at how horticulturalists combine their plant knowledge with the ways people interact with gardens and landscapes.

This course is part of the new RHS Level 2 syllabus, and is only available as part of the complete RHS Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Plant Growth and Development collection of courses.

We’ll cover formal and informal garden and planting styles and look at historic garden design characteristics.

You’ll learn how to use the advantages of plants (for example to create shade) and how to combine plants.

This course will also include how horticulturalists can create edible landscapes and grow fruit and vegetables in ways that have a wider social impact.

Lesson summary

Historical contexts
We’ll look at the key design aspects of historic gardens and landscapes, and the influence on modern garden design and maintenance.
Formal Planting
This lesson covers the role of plant selection and location in garden and landscape design. We’ll look at features of formal planting including geometric shapes and the impact of formal planting on biodiversity and sustainability.
Informal planting
You’ll learn about the features of informal planting, plants which are more suitable for informal planting and the impact of informal planting on biodiversity.
Plant associations
In this lesson we’ll look at how to create plant groupings where each plant enhances the others and how to balance your plant selections. You’ll learn to look at plant foliage, heights, textures and flowers and how to combine plants to create the planting design and style.
Plant uses
This lesson looks at the multiple roles of plants in the garden. You’ll learn how to choose plants for their role – for example hedges, climbers and trees to create garden structure, and how plant choices can affect the design function.
Edible landscapes
Edible landscapes are growing in popularity, and in this lesson we’ll look at suitable planting styles for edible landscapes. You’ll learn how to select fruit, vegetables and herbs for your design style, the principles of growing systems and container gardening.
Short-term Plantings
This lesson looks at planting for short-term displays, how to choose plants for short-term use and the environmental impact of short-term planting.

Learn with Expert feedback

  • Learn directly from horticulture and RHS approved tutors Dr Noel Kingsbury, Tom Cole, Ki Tong, Dr Stephen Millan, and Chris Whitelock
  • Start your course at any time
  • Study at your own pace
  • Join a small friendly online classroom & interact with other students on your course
  • Complete mandatory assessments after each lesson and practice as you learn
Portrait of Tom Cole

meet the expert

Tom Cole

Experienced educator, horticulturist, BBC broadcaster, and RHS Associate specializing in land-based education.

Read more

Why choose Learning with Experts?

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.
Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.
Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!
Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.
Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Frequently asked questions

What is an online classroom?

Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.

When can I start my course and how long will it take?

You can start your course any time within 12 months after receipt of your purchase confirmation email. Once you start, you’ll have lifetime access — meaning you can revisit the lesson videos and notes whenever you want.

Our courses are designed so that you can study at your own pace, some prefer to binge learn while others like to spread their studying over a longer period of time - it’s completely up to you. To give you a rough time frame, each lesson video is approximately 30-40 minutes long, and we recommend that you spend around an hour on each assignment.

How often can I speak with the Expert?

If you opt for the Expert version of your course, the time you have to interact with your tutor is limited to course length. You will have one week per lesson to chat to your tutor and to have your assignments marked, and during this period you can ask them as many questions as you would like.

To find out the length of each course, head to the product page and look at the Course outline to see how many lessons it contains. e.g. a four lesson course assumes that you will have completed the assignments within four weeks.

Your tutor interaction period will start as soon as you enter the classroom. If you find that you are struggling to complete the assignments in the allocated time or you wish to put this function on hold, just get in contact with one of the team via the support button and we will help you out.

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If you need any help with a course, be it one you’ve started already, or one you are looking to purchase, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support email address, or view the full FAQ’s here.

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Awards and accreditations