Interested in Gardening? Do an Online Home Garden Course

Online home garden courses are ideal for gardening enthusiasts looking to brush up their gardening knowledge as well as beginners looking for information to start home gardens. These courses may also be used as a starting base for careers in gardening.

Here are some of the things that are usually imparted in online home garden courses:

• Learn to identity plants and understand plant classification
• Learn how to grow vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, shrubs, and trees
• Learn different plant propagation methods
• Understand planting and pruning methods
• Identify plant health problems and how to deal with them
• Identify weeds and pests and learn how to deal with them
• Understand plant soil and nutrition requirements
• Learn about different garden styles and how they came about
• Learn how to go about designing a garden
• Learn about starting a garden
• Learn about gardening implements and irrigation systems
• Learn about natural and chemical fertilizers and pesticides
• Learn how to harvest and store fruit, vegetables and flowers
• Learn how to set up and maintain a lawn

It is a good idea to research home garden courses online and check out the lessons offered. As different courses may concentrate on different aspects of home gardening, it might help to have an idea about what you want to learn. Are you looking for gardening information for your specific situation or looking for a comprehensive course?

Check the duration and tuition fees for the online home garden courses. Find out about the course material required---notes, books, video instruction, etc.---and the practical work expected. Find out how the courses are to be assessed. In some cases, practical examination may be conducted at a location convenient to you.

ACS Distance Education offers the following online home garden courses.

Home Garden Expert Course: 100 hours, 8 lessons, AUD $627 within Australia and AUD $570 outside Australia

• Basic Plant Identification & Culture
• Soils & Nutrition
• Pests & Weeds
• Landscaping
• Propagation
• Lawns
• Indoor Gardening
• The Kitchen Garden

Home Fruit Growing: 100 hours, 6 lessons, AUD $627 within Australia and AUD $570 outside Australia

• Introduction
• Soils, Site Preparation & Planning
• General Cultural Practices
• Tree Fruits
• Nuts and Vines
• Berries

Home Propagation (Beginner's): 100 hours, 10 lessons, AUD $693 within Australia and AUD $730 outside Australia

• Methods of Propagation
• Propagating Structures and Techniques
• Propagating Materials
• Seed Propagation
• Propagating by Cuttings
• Miscellaneous Propagating Techniques
• Budding and Grafting
• Propagation of Specific Plants
• Nursery Management
• Layout and Organisation of a Propagating Area

Home Vegetable Growing: 100 hours, 8 lessons, AUD $627 within Australia and AUD $670 outside Australia

• Introduction
• Cultivation and Planting
• Review of Major Vegetable Varieties
• Pest, Disease and Weed Control
• Hydroponic and Greenhouse Growing
• Lesser Grown Varieties and Herbs
• Irrigation
• Harvesting, Storing and Using Vegetables

Landscaping Home Gardens: 100 hours, 10 lessons, AUD $627 within Australia and AUD $670 outside Australia

• Designing Gardens
• Styles of Gardens
• Drawing Plans
• Understanding Soils
• Basic Landscape Construction
• Weeds & Pests
• Planting and Pruning
• Lawns, Paving and Other Surfacing
• Garden Features
• Developing Your Garden

RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture

Per unit £35, no formal entry requirements

Horticulture I – Planning, Principles and Production

• The Plant Kingdom
• Plant Propagation (Flora)
• Outdoor Food Production
• Garden Planning

Horticulture II – Ornamental, Principles and Maintenance

• The Root Environment and Plant Nutrition (Flora)
• Protected Cultivation
• Plant Selection, Establishment and Maintenance
• Plant Health Problems

Working at your own schedule is one of the definite benefits of studying online. While practical work is of essence of gardening, learning can be facilitated through online videos and online instruction. This means, apart from learning about gardening, students also get experienced in using current computer technologies.

Career Prospects with an Online Home Garden Course

Online home garden courses can be taken to enhance your own garden at home or as stepping stones to a career in gardening. Here are some gardening related careers:

• Gardener
• Garden Designer
• Landscape Consultant
• Gardening Writer
• Fruit and Vegetable Farmer
• Floriculturist

Salary depends on type of work, skill, experience, and location. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics give the median hourly earnings for first-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and grounds keeping workers as $17.93.

• ACS Distance Education: http://www.acs.edu.au/COURSES/Home-Gardening-courses.aspx
• Royal Horticultural Society: http://www.rhs.org.uk/