Garden design courses can help you figure out the best options for your garden space, both in terms of which plants to cultivate and how to cultivate them. Choosing the best garden design courses starts with determining your overall goals: some gardeners simply want to find out more information about gardening in their area or region, while others want to work toward a degree that will qualify them for certain gardening or landscaping jobs. Your overall goals will dictate which classes will be most useful for you. Once you have your set goals in mind, research different learning options, such as online courses, classroom instruction, and hands-on classes held outdoors.
One of the most important considerations you will need to make when choosing garden design courses is whether you are going to take credit or non-credit classes. Generally speaking, if you are not working toward a degree, you will not necessarily need to take garden design courses for credit. Certificates can be earned through non-credit courses, and if you are simply trying to gain a better understanding of garden design for your own home garden, these classes will be suitable for you. Non-credit classes are usually less expensive, and the course schedule will be less rigorous.
Look for garden design courses that are applicable to your gardening needs. If, for example, you are trying to create a xeriscape, look for gardening courses that will teach you the specific techniques associated with this kind of garden. Gardeners in dry climates will need to learn different design techniques than someone gardening in a very moist climate, a cold climate, or a climate with pests and predators that will eat the plants in a garden. Make sure the gardening courses you choose will cater specifically to the area in which you are planting as well as the type of garden you intend to plant.
The costs associated with garden design courses can vary according to the length of the course, the materials included with the course, and whether the course is part of a degree program or not. Choose a course that is within your budget, and make sure your money is going to a worthwhile course that will give you the skills necessary to improve the design of your garden. Read as much as possible about the instructor or instructors of the class, and pay attention to the syllabus or course curriculum so you have an understanding of what you will learn during the course and how you will learn it.