Level 2 RHS Certificate in Practical Horticulture

About the course

Introduction

Welcome, if you have just clicked on this link and considering this might be the course for you, then you are just about to set foot into the wonderful world of ‘Horticulture’! Be prepared to learn things about plants that will amaze you………you will also soon realize just how horticulture supports the environment, and it even has the added benefit of boosting your physical and mental well-being:

• Do you love everything relating to plants and love working outdoors?

• Are you looking to extend your own personal gardening skills, improve your job prospects, maybe even be considering a change of direction in your career?

• Do you want to actively learn with like-minded people, who have the same passion?

• Do you want to train at one of the leading land-based colleges in the North West?

• Do you want a course that is flexible enough to fit in with your career – e.g, part-time?

• A course that provides you with the opportunity of advancement in your horticulture career?

• Are you ready to be challenged?

Then this is just the course you are looking for.

There are many diverse careers in the horticulture industry and the benefit of taking the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) - Level 2 Qualification in Practical Horticulture, is that the RHS is widely respected in the horticultural industry and also has the benefit of being an internationally recognized qualification. So, you may also wish to consider enrolling onto the RHS Level 2 Principles of Horticulture (both these courses complement each other).

About the course

This is a part-time course delivered one day per week, over 30 weeks (about 7 months) during term time, from 9:30am - 3.30pm.

It states in the RHS specifications, that as part of the course, you would be expected to put in a 'total' of 180 hours to complete this course, and the revision element of that figure would be 60 hours. The balance is then made up of guided practical in house sessions, which does include an element of theory.

What will I learn?

This course follows the RHS syllabus, consisting of eight core units in the following subject areas:

Plant Identification - Provides the skills and knowledge to enable learners to identify a wide range of plants.

Plant Establishment - Provides learners with the skills involved in the establishment of plants in containers and the open ground.

Plant Propagation - Provides learners with the skills and underpinning knowledge to propagate plants professionally

Plant Health - Provides the skills to be able to identify and prevent a range of threats to plant health.

Plant Care - Equips learners with the skills and knowledge to be able to implement garden maintenance plans.

Plant Pruning - Equips learners with the horticultural skills and knowledge to prune a range of plants.

Garden Features - Provides learners with the skills and underpinning knowledge to be able to care for and maintain a wide range of garden features.

Grassed Areas - Provides learners with the skills required to establish and maintain grassed areas in private and public garden settings

NB Further details can be found on the RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture – Qualification Specification September 2024

In addition, to everything already mentioned, we want to ensure people are fully aware that this is a physical course, you will be planting trees, laying hedging, hedge trimming, single digging, plant propagation, lawn mowing, pruning, sharpening tools, etc. and more. We will be working outside as well as undercover and that is all year round, through the seasons.

Do I need any special equipment/clothing to be able to attend the course?

Must have: -

Waterproof Steel toe cap safety boots/wellingtons, with a steel mid-sole. Preferably anti-static and oil repellent sole.

Gardening gloves

Waterproof coat and leggings (please avoid expensive clothes as they may get damaged)

By-Pass secateurs (if you are left-handed, we recommend you have left-handed secateurs but not compulsory)

Pen/pencil/notebook

Drinking bottle

NB: The above will entail an initial outlay of approximately £150 - We will provide all other equipment required for your practicals. Please note that funded students are eligible to apply for bursaries to support the cost of equipment. For students in Liverpool and Manchester, groups will be supported through this process.

Be prepared with:

Layers of clothing

Hat

Knee pads (optional but recommended)

Packed lunch (though there is food on site)

How will I be assessed?

To complete the course, you will need to be formally assessed and achieve a pass, merit, or distinction. There will be three assessments consisting of:

• Two Practical Competence Assessment Tests (Spring and Summer)

• One Written Online Competence Assessment Test

Is there the opportunity for progression?

The qualification supports progression to further learning in horticulture. As already mentioned, you can sit the RHS Level 2 Principles of Horticulture, which provides more in-depth theoretical knowledge. By completing both elements, it can provide a boost to your career prospects. You can enhance those prospects even more by progressing to Level 3, which can advance you into the more technical and advanced areas of horticulture and management.

We also offer other short courses that complement your course and provide additional training which can be specific to your career choice. For example: Certificate in Competency in Mowing, Hedge cutting and Leaf Blowing plus pesticide qualifications.

Careers

By completing and passing this course, you have just opened up a world of opportunities in this industry. You will have gained a range of practical horticultural skills relevant to employment in various roles in the horticultural sector, such as a gardener in private, public, or botanic gardens or parks and urban green spaces.

Are there any other recommendations/specialist requirements I need to know about?

One of our recommendations, if you do not work in the industry, is to get some work experience. At certain times of year plant nurseries and gardeners can be rushed off their feet and might be willing to take on a learner. Also, there are numerous gardens and parks who have Friends Groups/RHS in Bloom Groups which are made up of volunteers, where you can gain some extra practical experience and many other places too. These can be more adaptable depending on your availability and personal circumstances.

One of the most asked questions by students on the course, is a recommendation for suggested learning material. So here are a few suggestions and why:

• As there will be weekly Plant Identifications where we use Latin/Greek, as well as common names, a great little book to have is 'Plant Names Simplified' by AT Johnson and H A Smith

• The other book that is popular among horticultural students and tutors alike is 'Principles of Horticulture Level 2' by Charles Adams, Mike Early, Jane Brook, and Katherine Bamford, who are all horticultural teachers – it certainly helps with the theoretical side of the subject and reinforces the knowledge behind the practical element.

• The RHS website itself has reams of great training material too and here is a link to their web-site science page which has links to various practical material, which will be relevant and or compliment the course work: https://www.rhs.org.uk/science

• There are also a variety of books written for the RHS including the A to Z of Garden Plants, which provides all the information you may require about any garden plant, including a section on the diseases that affect different plant families.

(NB: Some material can be purchased more cheaply second hand on-line)

Lastly, it is amazing how many people do not realise the number of job roles there are in the horticulture industry – if you are interested, Google RHS Careers in Horticulture and see the variety of jobs – they are more diverse than you might realize.

We hope you choose to join us; this is a wonderful subject to learn and Myerscough Adult Skills look forward to hearing from you…let us start that journey together!

Funding

Please see our adult fees page on the website for more details. Funding is dependent on individual circumstances however this guidance can help you understand what your fees may be. The funding relies on your situation on the first day of the course.

• You must live in Lancashire, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester or an area of the country that does not have devolved government. This postcode finder can help you identify this if you are unsure. You must live in a postcode area coded 105, 110 or 111. https://skillspostcodecheck.com/

• You must be 19+ on or before 31st Aug of your start year.

• You must not be completing a government funded course such as an apprenticeship.

• You must not be a prisoner or on remand.

To be eligible for full funding you must also:

• Earn under £30 600 per year (Liverpool and Manchester Residents- Funding code - 111 and 110) OR £25 000 (Lancashire, Cumbria and other 105 coded residents)

OR

• Be unemployed and completing this course to support finding paid or voluntary work)

If you meet the general criteria but not the specific fully funded ones, then you will need to pay a subsidised course fee. If you do not meet the general criteria then you will pay full course fees. A list of course fees can be found on the adult courses section of the website.