Why Study With Us?

Students and Tutors Share Their Experience

We are proud to have been training aspiring garden and planting designers since 2010, helping students from a wide range of backgrounds develop their skills, confidence and creativity.

We specialise in helping complete beginners discover their creative potential, while also supporting those with existing gardening or design experience to take their skills further.

At The Cotswold Gardening School, we believe everyone has creativity within them. Our role is to provide the guidance, encouragement and professional techniques needed to help students bring their ideas to life.

A Design Process That Lasts Beyond the Course

At the heart of our teaching is Caroline’s creative design process - a way of working that helps students develop ideas, explore possibilities and gain confidence in their own design decisions. 

Many students begin the course wondering whether they are creative enough or whether they have the skills needed to become a garden designer. Steve Williams, graduate and visiting lecturer at The Cotswold Gardening School, explains how Caroline’s teaching helped shape his own approach to design and provided the foundation for his continued success.

Hear From Our Students

Choosing to study garden design is a big decision, and hearing from previous students is one of the best ways to understand what the experience is really like. 

Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds, with many joining us without previous design experience. They share how the course helped them develop their creativity, confidence and practical design skills, while becoming part of a supportive group of like-minded people who encouraged one another throughout the year.

Explore the One Year Professional Garden Design Diploma

If you would like to take a deeper look at our flagship course, Caroline introduces the structure of the One Year Professional Garden Design Diploma, including the creative process, practical projects, feedback and the skills students develop throughout the year. 

This video provides a detailed overview of what makes the course unique and what you can expect from your year of study with The Cotswold Gardening School.

Use the chapter guide below to jump to the sections that interest you most.

Video Chapters

00:37 – About us and our team

Meet our Principal, discover more about our visiting lecturers, and learn about our external examination process.

04:37 – Why choose us?

Find out what makes the Cotswold Gardening School unique, from our inspiring setting and live projects to our creative approach to garden design. We also explore common concerns such as “I’m not creative”, “I can’t draw” and “I don’t have enough plant knowledge” — and how we help students overcome these barriers.

22:54 – The course

An introduction to our professional qualification, course structure, student experience, Units 1–7, volunteering opportunities, and how we prepare students for life after the Cotswold Gardening School.

49:52 – The next steps

Find out what happens after completing the course and how we support students as they progress.

51:42 – Our students share their experiences

Hear directly from our students about their journey, including how the course has shaped their careers, developing creativity, private tutorials, live projects, workload, online support, and real-life case study lectures.

Ready to begin your own garden design journey?

If you have been thinking about studying garden design, we would love to welcome you to The Cotswold Gardening School. 

Explore our courses, discover what you will learn and find out how you can take the next step.