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.
Dealing with requests and providing advice to other gardeners and customers in a horticultural workplace.
How to propagate plant material by taking stem cuttings, as well as propagating from seeds. Tree planting, and how to plant seasonal containers
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:
Free Places
We have a number of free places on these courses available to unemployed and/or low income Londoners, which also come with other support offerings to help you into employment. Please complete the registration of interest further down this page, and we can check your eligibility and send you more information. Further information on this process can be found in the FAQ section below.
Don’t meet this criteria but want to self-fund?
Course places are occasionally available on a paid basis. Please visit this page to register your interest in self funding a place.
Looking for something shorter? Check out our weekend workshops.
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
The next term will begin in late April 2024. If you are interested in joining us please complete the form below. We also 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-4pm on either Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays) or 2 evenings per week (Mon and Thurs 5-8pm.)
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.
Register your interest on our Level 2 course
We currently have free places available to Londoners, and particularly Southwark residents, meeting the eligibility criteria. Please complete this form so that we can determine your eligibility, and we will add you to our course waiting list so we can be in touch when a place becomes available.
Your responses will be kept private and secure, and are for Walworth Garden use only.
If you work for a local organisation and would like to refer a client or service-user to us, please also submit this same form, and be sure to answer the final question with your own details.
Frequently asked questions:
Am I eligible for a free place?
We use a points-based system that prioritises applicants who are historically excluded from horticulture, including those identifying as Black, Asian, and/or from a minoritised ethnic group and/or identifying as a person of colour, members of LGBTQIA+ communities, and those with disabilities, as well as those who are economically disadvantaged including individuals who are long-term unemployed or on a low income. If you are a member of one or more of these groups, we particularly encourage you to apply, and you will be given priority access to any available free places. If you are not a member of one or more of these groups, it is unlikely we will be able to accommodate you this year.
However, we are constantly working to improve this system, and working with new funders with varying priorities, so this criteria may change in the future. We will hold applicant details should you become eligible for a free place at a later date. In either case, please complete the Registration of Interest form to the right.
What if I’m not eligible for a free place? Can I pay to attend?
Eligibility criteria occasionally change, so if you are not currently eligible under the criteria above, you can still register your interest on the form to the right and we will reassess all submissions if/when requirements change. We will hold your information until you tell us otherwise. Alternatively, self-funded/paid places on the course are occasionally available. To register your interest in self-funding a place please visit this page.
What time/day do the classes run?
The course runs part-time, with participants attending 1 day per week (9am-4pm on either Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays) or 2 evenings per week (Monday and Thursday evenings 5-8pm.) If we are able to enrol you, we will let you know where places are available and try to accommodate your preference.
When will I hear back about my submission?
We have now completed enrolment for the September term, if a place becomes available in the next term you will hear from us in December.
What does each term cover?
The course runs on a rolling cycle through the seasons, so what you study first will depend on when you start the course. Please see here for some further details.
When does the term start?
There are 3 terms each year, and the course runs on a rolling basis, with students joining at the start of every term, sitting alongside more experienced students. Generally, the academic year starts with Term 1, September-December, followed by Term 2 in January to April, and Term 3 in April to July.
I have no gardening experience, can I still take part?
Absolutely! All we ask is an interest in gardening, and a desire to enter work in the industry - as well as an ability to commit to the length of the programme.
I work for a community group/healthcare provider/charity/etc, can I make a referral to your services for one of my patients/clients/service users?
Yes! We welcome all referrals. Please complete the form to the right on behalf of your client (or encourage them to do so), and be sure to answer the final question to let us know that you are referring them to us. You may also be interested in making a referral to our Gardening Therapy groups or back-to-work support groups.
My question isn’t answered here - who can I ask?
If your question is urgent please contact comms@walworthgarden.org.uk. Please note, that we are a charity with a small team, and so may not be able to respond immediately. Your patience is appreciated!