Discovery day - So You Want to be a Garden Designer?

Are you contemplating changing your career to train as a Garden Designer, but don’t really know where to begin? This day has been devised especially for you!

THIS EVENT IS USUALLY FULLY SUBSCRIBED AND THERE ARE ONLY 30 PLACES SO PLEASE ENROL AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT!

Join experts from the London College of Garden Design to find out more about planting design, construction design and how designers communicate visually, including with Computer Aided Design. In addition you will learn about career opportunities and receive tips and advice on how to pursue a successful future career as a garden designer.

Your tutors for the day

James Aldridge is an award winning landscape and garden designer with a long established reputation. Through a fascination for plants combined with diverse passions for modern architecture, contemporary art, progressive design and music, these form the essential driving force behind his work. He will lead our Garden Design Diploma from September 2025 having been a senior tutor on the course for many years.

James will be joined our Director Nina Baxter who leads the Planting Design Diploma, recently graduated designers who can tell you how their first years have gone as well as CAD, Planting Design and Construction Design experts.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLING STUDENTS FOR OUR GARDEN DESIGN DIPLOMA STARTING IN SEPTEMBER 2025. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT WE WILL HAVE MANY PLACES AVAILABLE FOR OUR GARDEN DESIGN DIPLOMA STARTING IN 2024, IF AT ALL, IF YOU WAIT TO APPLY UNTIL AFTER THIS EVENT.

FAQs

Entry to Kew Gardens is included. Refreshments through the day can be purchased from the Orangery restaurant that adjoins our training room.

You will be sent instructions in advance of the day with where to go in order to gain free entry to Kew Gardens and how to find our training room at The Orangery Conference Room to the side of the Orangery Restaurant. Kew Gardens’ gates open at 10am and we will start at 10.15am. We will finish by 4.30pm.

Please visit our main website for location details on how to get to Kew Gardens, public transport and parking options.

Image John Howlett (above) and Laura Potten (below) SGD Student of the Year

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom