HND Horticulture (Plantsmanship)

HND - SRUC Scotland's Rural College

Course overview

This course covers a wide range of horticultural skills, from botanical issues relevant to horticulture today to techniques for restoring historic gardens.

Delivered jointly by SRUC and The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), this course is strongly focused on ‘plantsmanship’ — the area of horticulture that covers knowledge of the diversity of plants and their cultivation.

It also provides a good understanding of other aspects of horticulture and plant science, integrating the management of plant collections with knowledge of plant distribution, classification, diversity, structure, identification, recognition and cultivation.

Course description

Year one consists of the HNC Horticulture. You'll have your own garden plot, and the opportunity to undertake extensive work experience in a range of garden sections at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

In year two, you'll choose and work on a specialist project in something that interests you, as well as specialising in subjects relating to the horticulture of botanic gardens.

For a little peak behind the scenes have a look at these videos, where students Anna Ciborowska and Sarah Powell show you some of the things they've learned during their first year on the course.

A week in the Life of a Plantsmanship Student Potting Bulbs Plant Recognition Pressing Plants