Horticulture - Level 1 Practical Horticulture Skills

Horticulture is all about growing plants and working outdoors. You’ll learn how to design and care for gardens, grow plants from seeds and cuttings, and look after different green spaces. People who work in horticulture use creativity and practical skills in places like garden centres, plant nurseries, landscaping businesses, farms, and public or historic gardens.

There is a growing need for skilled people in horticulture, which means this course can lead to exciting job opportunities in the future.

How You Will Learn

You’ll learn by doing. Most of your time will be spent in realistic horticulture spaces, including:

Gardens and flower beds

Polytunnels

Planting containers

Lawns and outdoor areas

You’ll work as part of a team to build your skills and confidence, just like in a real job. Classroom lessons will help you understand the science and theory behind what you are doing and prepare you for assessments. During the year, you’ll also take part in trips and visits to see horticulture in action.

Work Experience

Please note:

There will be opportunities to take part in work placements to help you gain real-world experience.

This study programme will cover a range of the topics and units at each level, some of which are listed below:

• How to prepare soil and mulching
• Planting
• Designing gardens
• Effective watering
• Soil pH and structure
• Planting hanging baskets and containers
• Creating displays from bulbs
• Caring for planted areas
• Making new plants from seeds and cuttings
• Growing fruit and vegetables
• Supporting plants effectively
• Painting and preserving wooden structures
• Potting up and growing on plants
• Identify plants and weeds
• Cutting grass safely

You’ll complete short, easy-to-understand written questions to check your knowledge, and your tutor will also assess you while you carry out practical tasks to show what you can do.

3 GCSE's at Grade 9-1.