RHS courses;

[Corris]

Has anyone done one?

A college fairly local to me does a level 2 one evening a week option I'm considering.

[piskieinboots]

I did RHS Level II a couple years ago one day a week a college - I really enjoyed it, not least because I was going out (I work from home) and being with other people.

The content was very good, although I found the botanical bit a little hard and tended to glaze over a bit on that. Our tutor was excellent, a great mix of funny and 'oi behave you lot'.

I would do one if I hadn't already (if that makes sense!) - I am now doing a different horticultural course which involves a lot of drawing.

[mcsee]

It's a bit different here to a RHS Course, but I'm 85% through a Certificate 3 Course in Horticulture (3 days a week for 1 year) with subjects ranging from Growing and Harvesting broadacre crops, Soil Analysis, Plant Nutrition, Hydroponics, Plant Establishment, Irrigation etc. It's quite a hard course, but I've enjoyed it and the end is (almost) in sight.

[perkin]

I did the Level 2 course last year - did a one-day-a-week course and took my exams in Feb this year. I really enjoyed it, loved the plant and soil science side of things, was less interested in the maintenance and landscaping parts and found the learning of latin plant names challenging but very useful. I'm now 4 weeks into the Level 3 course, despite not originally intending to go any further with it!

[mcsee]

If you're interested in growing things - then I don't think you can go wrong. Well done perkin.

[Corris]

Thankyou - did you do the theory one or the practical one?

I think I'll do the theory because I'm a bit handicapped (gammy right leg) and I'm not sure I want to be heaving myself up and down or doing that straight bending thing I have to do because my knee doesn't bend with any type of audience Fortunately my garden isn't overlooked - I'm not very elegant!

[barney]

I'm on the second year of the RHS Certificate in Horticulture-theory based, studying 1 evening/week. I've managed to pass all exams so far- 2 in February and 2 in June. I have found the work required challenging, it's much more different than I thought it would be. I have found it hard work to read around the subject as I have a very busy job plus a large garden and a large allotment. I am however enjoying learning the theory and putting into practice.

[mcsee]

Thankyou - did you do the theory one or the practical one?

My Course is both Theory (Classroom & Homework) plus hands on eg Planting Crops, Driving a tractor, Picking and pruning hydroponic tomatoes in a $1.2m Glasshouse plus lots of other things as required.

[Two_Sheds]

* bumped for Insy