Train to Become an Environmental Gardener in Central London
Start a sustainable career with our accredited courses
Free for local people
Accredited by City & Guilds, and available up to Diploma level, our part-time Environmental Gardening courses are a great starting point for a career in the industry. Delivering a recognised, industry-standard Level 2 qualification with an environmental edge, we support students into work across the industry, from landscaping and maintenance, to community gardening and environmental work. You’ll join us at our award-winning, biodiverse site to dig into the practicals of environmental gardening to begin your journey.
What the course covers
The course runs on a rolling cycle through the seasons, so what you study first will depend on when you start the course. If staying for 3 terms and earning a Diploma, you will discover:
How to assess soil texture and condition to prepare for planting in the garden, as well as providing care for planted areas so that the plants have the best chance of survival.
Identifying diseases and disorders within plants, and organic approaches to preventing these.
How to plant seasonal containers
How to propagate plant material by taking stem & leaf cuttings, as well as propagating from seeds.
Laying out plants for planting, and providing ongoing care, including applying (organic) fertilisers and identifying damage done by pests.
Identifying plants by their botanical names.
Why Walworth Garden?
As a Walworth Garden student, you will join us in being custodians of our own site, and the sites we manage for others. Your hands-on work will be completed amongst an exciting range of botanical species across our garden and greenhouses. We lead a ‘beyond organic’, environment-first approach to everything we do, including this course. Unlike other accredited Level 2 training, you will learn how to maintain plants and gardens whilst improving biodiversity and supporting wildlife with us, where you will discover the ‘whys’ as well as the ‘hows.’ You will be welcomed to the Walworth Garden community by our small, dedicated team.
Our Practical Approach
As a vocational qualification, your course is assessed by your teachers and Walworth Garden Assessors. Unlike other Level 2 Horticulture courses, this course has no long exams - great for anyone looking to get hands-on experience. The majority of the assessment will see our team observing you carrying out practical tasks while asking questions about the work. There will also be a short written test at the end of each unit, and no coursework.
What our students do next
Hyde Hall
Burgess Park
Horniman Museum & Gardens
& many more
Equipped for the industry after learning with us, our students go on to study and learn at horticultural and environmental organisations across London and beyond, including:
Course Structure
Our Environmental Gardening course teaches the City & Guilds Practical Horticulture Skills qualification with an environmental edge. The course is broken down into three 14 week terms, and you can study with us for one, two or three terms in total. The qualification you achieve will depend on the number of terms you complete:
1 Term - City & Guilds Level 2 Award in Practical Horticulture Skills
2 Terms - City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate Practical Horticulture Skills
3 Terms - City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills
We will need to know how long you intend to study for when you start the course.
Start Dates
If you are interested in joining us please complete the relevant form below. We enrol new students every term throughout the year (January, April, and September), so welcome submissions on a rolling basis and will hold details for future intakes until you tell us not to.
The course runs part-time, with the option to attend 1 day per week (9am-3:30pm on either Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays) or 2 evenings per week (Mon and Thurs 5-7:45pm.)
Would you like to support others to do this course? We’re always looking for generous individuals or organisations who recognise how vital the future of our sector is, and are able to fund, even in small part, our learning opportunities for Londoners. If this is something you might be interested in, please get in touch via info@walworthgarden.org.uk.
Funded Places
We have a number of free places on these courses available to unemployed and/or low income Southwark residents, which also come with other support offerings to help you into employment. Please complete the registration of interest linked below, and we can check your eligibility and send you more information. Further information on this process can be found in the FAQ section alongside the registration form.
Self-Funded Places
Don’t meet this criteria but want to self-fund?
Course places are occasionally available on a paid basis. To find out more and apply click below: