RHS courses

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Just wondered whether anybody on here has been on a RHS course? i'm looking at doing a Year 1(level2) course this autumn

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Must be a popular course then

[knautia]

Hi,
I have been on the RHS course 2001. I went to Grimsby college, I found the course very good, we had an excellent teacher. People on the course ranged from young to retired. The course covered everything in gardening though I understand you could go on and specialise in certain areas. Some people on the course went on to start business's as gardeners and garden centres of their own. I have worked as a gardener before I went to college but had the chance to get some qualifications through my job so I took the opportunity and passed.Hope this is of some help.

[Alan]

Yes the Grimsby college has a good name for Gardening courses. The peoples park site is pretty good, though I haven't been there for a while. Hope it's still running!

By the way, welcome the site knautia if I haven't said so already!

I see you've taken your username from your avatar pic..

Alan

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Many thanks for the reply knautia it's a Grimsby College course i'm looking at, i would probabl have gone for the Gardening course had it not been a day time one, but the Horticulture one still seems interesting, and will hopefully aid me in my quest to get a outdoorsy type job

[Charlenesbunnies]

Hi There
I'm looking for a change of Career and want to go into gardening. I've been looking at the RHS courses and i'm not sure which one to go for. I would like to do the Level 2 certificate at the very least... would it be worth me doing the Advanced certificate or would it not give me any more oppotunities than the Level 2?

Thanks for looking! hope you can help

[ChrisJB]

Just stumbled across this thread. Are these courses run all over the country? Also, can they be done whilst you are still at work?

Regards, Chris

[elleme]

I've took a Level 2 course last year. I loved it and I'd like to do the Advanced but there's not one near me right now. I did my course 1 day a week part time over a year, so those of my fellow students with full time jobs had to come to an arrangement with their employers. You may find some institutions offer it as an evening course and I think you can also do it as a correspondence course.

[ChrisJB]

Thanks for that Elle. It's part of a long term plan; to pay off the mortgage, jack teaching in, then train to be a gardener!

Regards, chris

[rainmaker]

I had a good look round and couldn't find anywhere near me that did night classes, so I enrolled in a distance learning: it's dificult to motivate yourself, I have to admit.

As an aside, don't plan on gardening paying anything like a teacher, the pay is shocking (I'm doing volunteering at a local RHS garden). Head gardeners of big stately homes looking after >10 staff & >10 volunteers only get paid less than £30K....