School of Heritage Gardening
Cultivating the art, craft and science of practical horticulture
Course information & application pack
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School of Heritage Gardening
Cultivating the art, craft and science of practical horticulture
Contents
Page
Introduction................................................................................3
Training Locations......................................................................3
Bursaries & Accommodation.......................................................7
Courses Available.......................................................................8
Course Details............................................................................8
Part Time Study Options...................................................................11
Certificate in Heritage Gardening Course Syllabus....................12
Diploma in Heritage Gardening Course Syllabus......................13
Internships................................................................................14
Contact Details.........................................................................14
Course Application Form..........................................................15
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Introduction
Learn skills such as pruning, grafting, glasshouse cultivation and fruit and vegetable
cultivation to professional standards. Improve plant identification skills and learn how to
use tools and machinery correctly to industry standard.
We take students with an academic horticultural qualification and turn them into
employable professionals by designing our courses to ensure each student has a great deal of
practical tuition and gains experience throughout the spring, summer autumn and winter in
a wide range of skills.
Our staff are seasoned experts in their field, who care for many of the nation’s most
significant gardens.
The School of Heritage Gardening’s practical courses are offered in several of our gardens
across Scotland, covering all the heritage and modern craft skills necessary to back up the
artistic and scientific knowledge gained in an academic qualification in horticulture. Some of
our courses are run in partnership with other organisations. Please contact us to discuss
part-time study options on our full time courses, or to discuss any of the information in this
pack by emailing shg@nts.org.uk
Training locations
Threave Gardens
Threave has been the home of our School of practical
gardening for many decades.
In spring, the magnificent gardens are carpeted with over 200
varieties of daffodil complementing the spring-flowering shrubs
and trees. Later you can admire succulent fruit and vegetables
in the walled garden and glasshouses. There is a rock garden,
rose garden, heathers, conifers and herbaceous perennials.
There are ponds and water gardens, and beautiful specimen and
champion trees in the parkland surrounding the Scottish baronial Threave House. The Certificate in Practical
Heritage Gardening course and the first year of the two-year Diploma in Heritage Gardening course is offered
from Threave. The second year takes place at one of the heritage gardens listed below, and each student will
have the option to state their preferred heritage garden.
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Kellie Castle
The magical four-hundred-year-old walled garden containing
a mixture of old roses, beautiful herbaceous borders, shrubs,
wall-trained fruits, and orchard and vegetables was restored
by the eminent Lorimer family in the late 19 th Century. The
garden is in the Arts and Crafts style with many delightful
design features, including a catmint and delphinium border, a
secret garden and a beautiful carved stone bowl. The elegant
summer house was built to Sir Robert Lorimer’s design in
1900. The wider estate contains parkland, a pond, woodland, a fernery and meadow walks. The garden has
been run organically since 1990.
Hill of Tarvit & Falkland Palace
The gardens at Hill of Tarvit were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, who also
designed the Edwardian country house there. With formal lawns, yew hedging,
flowering borders and a sunken rose garden and the walled garden to the north
which contains sumptuous mixed borders – this is a plantsman’s garden. There
is also a range of glasshouses with vines in the former kitchen garden – walled
on three sides.
At Falkland Palace, the gardens contain
borders designed by Percy Cane between 1947
and 1952. There are colourful herbaceous
borders, lush green lawns and many unusual
shrubs and trees, as well as a small herb garden featuring quotations from John
Gerard’s book Herbal (1597). There is also an orchard, water features and a
charming ornamental glasshouse.
Drum Castle
The Garden of Historic Roses is remarkably peaceful. It
contains roses from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
The garden is divided into rooms by high hedges with a
central walkway leading to a charming gazebo. There are
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herbaceous borders, a small vegetable garden, pond and a beautiful parkland style garden around the castle
with stunning specimen trees and interesting shrubs. Beyond the garden is the ‘old wood of Drum’.
Crathes Castle
This large and stunning walled garden is separated into eight smaller
gardens by massive Yew hedges, and topiary ranging from formal to the
modern. There are the two famous ‘June’ borders, interesting topiary,
unusual plant collections, a ‘gold garden’, a ‘red garden’, terraces, fine
lawns, glasshouses with exotics, superb shrubs, trees, herbaceous borders
and beautiful parkland.
Inverewe Garden
Osgood Mackenzie’s garden, created from windswept moorland on
a rocky peninsula beside loch ewe is truly awe inspiring. With some
of the world’s largest growing trees planted into holes hewn out of
the bedrock, the site was well chosen. The garden is nurtured by
the warm currents of the North Atlantic Drift, and is set amidst
some of the country’s finest scenery. Over time a kaleidoscope of
exotic plants has been cultivated, giving colour and interest
throughout the year – a plantsman’s paradise with four National
Plant collections in the mix of Chinese Rhododendrons, Tasmanian
eucalypts, Himalayan blue poppies, New Zealand daisy bush,
Chilean lantern-trees, Californian dog’s-tooth violets, South African bulbs, and Mediterranean rock roses, and
many more besides. There is also a collection of Wollemi pines – the most northerly in the UK. This remote
garden offers an outstanding and unique learning opportunity for students of horticulture.
Branklyn Garden
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This attractive garden is a haven of peace within walking distance of Perth. There is an outstanding collection
of plants – in particular Rhododendrons, alpines, herbaceous and peat-garden plants. Branklyn also holds
national collections of Casiope and Lilium (Mylnefield Lilies) and is developing a collection of Rhododendron
taliense.
Pitmedden Garden
This garden, planted on an extravagant scale, is a 1950’s recreation of a 17th Century formal garden, with over 5 miles of
box hedging arranged in intricate patterns to form six
parterres. These parterres are filled with some 40,000 plants
bursting with colour in the summer months. Extensive
herbaceous borders provide an abundance of colour and
texture throughout the season and there is a spectacular Lupin
border and topiary and sundials. 80 varieties of apple trees
adorn the high granite walls, offering a spectacular show of blossom and scent in spring. In addition
honeysuckle, jasmine, roses, an herb garden, and fountains add to the sensory experience.
Geilston Garden
Geilston is an intimate and tranquil garden best enjoyed at an
unhurried pace. On entering the walled garden, the giant
Wellingtonia tree will instantly impress, as will the spring
displays of azaleas, followed in summer by colour on a grand
scale in the herbaceous border. There is a woodland garden
complete with waterfall, bridges over the Geilston Burn and
mossy paths. Beneath the tree canopy, the pathways are
carpeted in spring with wood anemones and bluebells. A large vegetable and fruit garden supplies fresh
produce for the popular sales area.
Bursaries & Accommodation
Students, who are offered a place on a full-time School of Heritage Gardening course
may also be eligible for a Trust bursary, as well free self-catering accommodation at
the training site.*
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*Bursary payments and accommodation provision applies to the Certificate course and the 2-year Diploma in
heritage gardening course.
For students enrolled on the NTS/RBGE Diploma in Botanic and Heritage Gardening, the Trust will only
consider paying a bursary on years 2 and 4 (providing students are placed at an NTS heritage garden for year
4 of the course).
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School of Heritage Gardening
Cultivating the art, craft and science of practical horticulture
Courses Available

Certificate in Heritage Gardening (one year, full-time / two-years part-time)

Diploma in Heritage Gardening (two years, full time)

NTS/RBGE Diploma in Botanic and Heritage Gardening (four years, full-time)
Course Details
1. Certificate in Practical Heritage Gardening
Location:
Certificate courses offered are available at Threave Gardens in the south-west of Scotland and are
occasionally at the heritage gardens (listed under training locations) beginning in September each
year.
Entry Qualifications:
RHS level-2 course or HNC in horticulture.
Whilst entry qualifications are flexible and dependant on the individual circumstances of applicants,
it is essential that potential students are currently taking or have completed a course in further or
higher education (outlined above) and have a minimum of six months practical experience in
amenity gardening in a general context.
Content:
A comprehensive range of practical gardening skills to professional gardener standards are covered.
Please see attached syllabus. Students are assessed on practical skills and are also required to
undertake regular plant identification tests and a number of course work assignments to enhance the
practical training.
Financial support for studies:
Students can apply for rent-free self-contained accommodation on-site and for a £5000 bursary to
assist with living costs during the course.
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2. Diploma in Heritage Gardening
Location:
Year one of the diploma course is held at Threave Gardens in the south-west of Scotland and year
two takes place at one of the heritage gardens listed under training locations – beginning in
September each year.
Entry Qualifications:
RHS level-2 course or HNC in horticulture.
Whilst entry qualifications are flexible and dependant on the individual circumstances of applicants,
it is essential that potential students are currently taking or have completed a course in further or
higher education (outlined above) and have a minimum of six months practical experience in
amenity gardening in a general context.
Content:
Year one follows the Certificate in Heritage Gardening syllabus at Threave Gardens.
Year two is based at a heritage garden, and completes consolidation of practical skills learned in year
one whilst focusing on developing garden management skills. Garden history (informing
conservation and management decisions) is included, and a project focused on an aspect of
management relevant to the individual garden will be carried out. Supervisory and staff
management skills along with a range of other garden management skills are included.
Financial support for studies:
Students can apply for rent-free self-contained accommodation on-site and for a £5000/annum
bursary to assist with living costs during the course.
3. NTS/RBGE Diploma in Botanic & Heritage Gardening
Entry Qualifications: Please see the RBGE webpage for entry qualifications to year one of the course:
http://www.rbge.org.uk/education/professional-courses/hnd-bsc-horticulture-with-plantsmanship
Applicants who have completed an HNC in horticulture from other colleges will be eligible to apply
for entry to year-two of the course.
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All applicants must have a minimum of six months practical experience in amenity gardening in a
general context.
Content:
The duration of the Dip.BHG will be four years and students will need to have completed:
Year
Programme
Venue
1
HNC in Horticulture
RBGE (or another UK college)
2
SHG Certificate in Practical Heritage
SHG- Threave
Gardening
3
4
RBGE HND in Horticulture with
RBGE and Scottish Agricultural
Plantsmanship
College, Edinburgh
SHG Diploma in Heritage Gardening:
National Trust for Scotland garden, or
12-months 2nd practical year in a heritage other approved heritage garden
garden – with garden managementlinked assignments
Financial support for studies:
Please see the Bursaries and Accommodation section for details on the support available for years to
and four of the course. Please contact RBGE for details on financial support available to students on
years one and three.
The closing date for applications is 22nd April for September entrants.
Part-time Study Options
The Certificate in Heritage Gardening can be studied part-time over two years, and the
Diploma in Heritage Gardening can be studied part-time over four years, giving students
the flexibility to continue other commitments, or to undertake paid work to support their
studies.
NTS bursaries or accommodation will not be available to students who attend these courses
on a part-time basis, however students may be eligible for bursary or financial support from
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external bodies. Assistance in sourcing external funding can be given on an individual basis.
Please go to the contact details section of this pack
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Certificate in Heritage Gardening Syllabus
The following list is intended to be indicative of the practical topics that may be covered during the
course; it is neither necessarily exhaustive nor binding.
1. Induction: - Introduction to Threave, The School of Heritage Gardening and the work of The
National Trust for Scotland.
2. Soils composts and manures: - Cultivation of soils, fertilisers and composts.
3. Safe use and maintenance of tools, equipment and machinery.
4. Glasshouse cultivation and maintenance.
5. Propagation: - Seed, and vegetative propagation techniques.
6. Pest and diseases.
7. Pruning.
8. Lawn establishment and care.
9. Fruit growing.
10. Vegetable growing.
11. Taxonomy and nomenclature.
12. Health and safety.
13. Visits to gardens of interest.
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Diploma in Heritage Gardening Syllabus
Year one – please see Certificate year syllabus.
Year two:
1. Induction: - Introduction to year two Heritage Garden training site.
2. Consolidation of practical skills taught in year one.
3. Employability.
4. Garden History: Informing Conservation and Management.
5. Supervising staff and volunteers.
6. Garden-specific management project.
7. Maintaining plant records, (including plant collection records) and using a plant recording
database.
8. Managing garden budgets.
9. Interview skills.
Internships
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A range of internship options are available within the Gardens and Designed Landscapes
Department of the National Trust for Scotland. Many of our heritage gardens are able to offer
practical professional gardening internships, and there are also project-led office-based internships
based in our central office, from between 6 and 10 weeks.
For further details please contact:
Gardens Adviser – School of Heritage Gardening.
Gardens & Designed Landscapes Department,
the National Trust for Scotland
Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road, Edinburgh, EH11 4DF
Email: shg@nts.org.uk
School of Heritage Gardening
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COURSE APPLICATION FORM:
CERTIFICATE / DIPLOMA IN HERITAGE HORTICULTURE
PLEASE COMPLETE ALL PARTS OF THIS FORM – FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN THE FORM NOT BEING ACCEPTED
Course applied for (Please indicate all training sites you wish to apply to if relevant:
Where did you see this course advertised or who told you about it?
Please complete this section in BLOCK
Title:
CAPITALS
Surname:
Date of Birth:
Forename(s):
Email Address:
Address:
Telephone Number:
Home:
Mobile:
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Occupation:
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PLEASE INCLUDE A COPY OF YOUR PASSPORT/PHOTOGRAPHIC DRIVING LICENCE WITH YOUR APPLICATION
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EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS
from
to
Schools & Colleges / University Attended
Course & Qualifications Gained
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EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Company Name & Type of
Business
Dates of
Employment
Reason for
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Leaving
IMMIGRATION STATUS,PERMITS & LICENCES (Please answer each point below & provide copies of supporting
documentation)
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(Enter Date
 Address where residing whilst in UK: (Please Specify)
 Do you have a driving
license?(Yes/No/Provisional)
 Valid health insurance?
 Necessary leave of absence?
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REASON & PURPOSE OF APPLICATION
Please state the reasons and purpose for your application to this course & detail all relevant information:
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REFEREES
Please give the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two referees, preferably one from a relevant
college or university, and one from a current or most recent employer.
APPLICANTS ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT THESE REFEREES IN ADVANCE TO OBTAIN PRIOR AGREEMENT TO BE INCLUDED
Name:
Name:
Address:
Address:
Email:
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Tel No:
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Position Held:
Position Held:
REHABILIITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 applicants for certain studentships (including those where you will
have access to children and vulnerable adults) require you to declare all your “criminal convictions” including all
convictions, cautions, reprimands, final warnings and any other information must be disclosed and you should not
withhold information about a conviction that would otherwise be regarded as “spent” under the Act. Only relevant
information shall be taken into account, so disclosure shall not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a Studentship. In
addition, a Disclosure Scotland check may be requested to be satisfactorily completed by the successful applicant.
Any failure to disclose this information may result in disciplinary action, dismissal and/or revocation of the
Studentship/Bursary. Please provide the following information. Any information provided will be completely
confidential:  Do you have any “criminal convictions”?
Yes/No
 Are you subject to pending criminal proceedings?
Yes/No
 If you answer “Yes” to either of these questions, please state the nature of your conviction/s or proceedings: (Insert details)
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I certify that the information contained on this Application Form and in any supporting documents is, to the best of
my knowledge and belief, complete and accurate and no information requested or material requested has been
omitted. I acknowledge that the information contained in this form and the materials supplied will be used in
accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 to process this application and may be shared with other grant giving
bodies but shall otherwise be held in confidence by the Trust and not divulged to any other third party without my
consent. I have no known illness or disability which would affect the safe and/or effective completion of the
Studentship. I understand that the Trust reserves the right to withdraw any offer of bursary or Studentship and seek
reimbursement of the full bursary or Studentship granted, if the information given by me is inaccurate, incomplete or
misleading in any way.
Signature:
Date:
Notes on Completing this Application Form
1. The National Trust for Scotland Courses and Bursaries do not provide funds to support academic
courses.
2. Closing date for this Application Form is 22nd April 2012. Late applications shall not be
considered.
3. Applicants who are not EU residents must ensure that they have the appropriate Immigration
Permits/Visas in their possession before submitting this Application Form.
4. This Application Form and any Supporting Documentation may be submitted electronically to the
following email address: shg@nts.org.uk .
5. Paper/Hard copy Applications Forms and any supporting documentation must be typed or
completed in clear legible handwriting on A4 paper: Sinclair Williamson, School of Heritage
Gardening Coordinator, The National Trust for Scotland, Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road,
Edinburgh, EH11 4DF.
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