Capel Manor College's new Introduction to Garden Design course starts at its Mottingham Lane campus on 7 January: 10 Thursdays, beginners welcome, £742 at 19+.
A new beginners’ course in garden design starts at Capel Manor College’s Mottingham campus in January, on Mottingham Lane.
The Introduction to Garden Design (Level 1) course runs on Thursdays for 10 weeks from 7 January 2027, according to the college’s course listing, checked on 27 October 2026. The college describes it as “a brand new course, taught by industry experts” and says it is “perfect for anyone with a love of gardens or an interest in pursuing a career change.”
What the course covers
The course page says it is “ideal for complete beginners, new to drawing.” Students learn:
- how to draw a garden design plan and section elevations
- how to complete a garden design project
- freehand drawing and skills of observation
- the principles of design
- the role of plants in a design, and the use of hedging
Assessment is by coursework: a design for a garden space, with sketches and plan drawings, across three modules. The college says completing all three guarantees a pass, and that students should allow time each week for research and work at home. The qualification is a Certificate in Garden Design from Gateway Qualifications.
The college suggests it as a taster for anyone weighing up a career change. People already set on a garden design career are pointed instead to its Garden Design Certificate (Level 2), and those who finish Level 1 can move on to that course or to one of the RHS Level 2 certificates.
Who can apply, and what it costs
Applicants must be 19 or over and need at least basic maths and English to GCSE standard or equivalent. No previous experience is needed.
The listed fee for the Mottingham course is £742 for students aged 19 and over. The college says the course is part-funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency or the Greater London Authority for those who are eligible, and that people on employment benefits, on a low income, or studying towards their first substantial qualification may be entitled to free tuition, though a materials fee may still apply. Details are on its fees and funding page.
Applications go through the college’s online application for the Mottingham course. The same course also runs at Enfield, Gunnersbury Park, Regent’s Park and online, on different days and start dates.
The Mottingham campus
Capel Manor, which calls itself London’s only environmental college, has five campuses. The Mottingham site teaches animal management, floristry, garden and landscape design, horticulture, and wildlife and environmental conservation, and the college says the River Quaggy runs through its grounds, which are a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation.
Garden design students have already left a mark on it. This summer, horticulture and garden design students and teaching staff planted a new garden area there to a design by Rebecca Paddock, who won a planting competition among 30 of the college’s adult garden design learners, as the college reported in August. Her scheme mixes Mediterranean, subtropical and prairie planting, and the beds are now used for teaching on the college’s RHS courses.
“It was an amazing experience to design a planting scheme, not only based on enhancing the aesthetics and sustainability of the site, but also to produce a design that will help both educate and inspire a future generation of people entering horticulture,” she told the college.
Getting there
The campus is at Mottingham Lane, SE12 9AW, two minutes’ drive from the A20 Sidcup Road and South Circular roundabout, with parking on site. The Jevington Way, Alnwick Road and Mottingham Way bus stops are within five minutes’ walk, and Mottingham station is about a 23-minute walk away, the college says.
What it means for you
If you have been meaning to do something with a garden, or are wondering whether design could be a second career, this is a 10-week way to find out without signing up for a full certificate. Check whether you qualify for funded tuition before you pay the full £742.
The college is also holding an Advice Morning on Saturday 28 November, 10am to 12pm, to meet tutors and get application and funding advice for courses starting in 2027.
Source: Capel Manor College, by email to Bromley Online on 27 October 2026, and the course listing and Mottingham campus page.
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