Testimonials - Longer Courses
“ The One Year Garden Design Diploma was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life and graduating with a commendation as ‘most improved student’ award was the icing on the cake! Caroline’s teaching style brings out the best in students and allowed me to unlock my creative potential and benefit from her wealth of knowledge, experience and friendship. It helped build my self-confidence and introduced me to wonderful new friends and my new knowledge and understanding of garden design will prove invaluable with my garden writing. “
Susie H One Year Garden Design graduate.
“ I was first introduced to the Cotswold Gardening School after I attended a one day taster course in garden design.
I then won a competition and mentored my Caroline my entry won my first medal, an RHS Silver award. I really got to know Caroline Tatham and the fantastic team at the Cotswold Gardening School. Having then enrolled on the yearlong Garden Design Diploma, I experienced first-hand the professional guidance and tuition of Caroline and I have learned a great deal.
It was whilst on the Diploma, I decided to enter to design and deliver a full-size show garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2015; competing with seasoned professionals and here I won an RHS Silver Gilt medal.
I am now a full-time professional garden designer and a consultant in flood risk management and am currently designing gardens in the Cotswolds and for large corporate clients and have just been commissioned to design and deliver a garden in Sydney…Australia.
Thanks to the Cotswold Gardening School for all of their support, guidance and the opportunity to learn with such a professional and supportive team “.
Martyn W One Year Garden Design graduate.
“If like me, you are unable to commit to a whole year of study for the One Year Diploma in Garden Design and you are still needing to work while you study, then the individual ten week courses in Garden Design , Planting , Design and Horticulture are perfect. I initially studied the ten week course in Garden Design a few years ago and I’m now returning to do both the Planting Design and Horticulture. These courses are neat, intensive packages bursting with all the information and skills you require, to hit the ground running, when completed. The flexibility of being able to do each module in isolation or in combination has proved to be the most practical way, both in time and money, for me to obtain my qualification in Garden Design. Also, Gossington Hall has to be one of the nicest places to study and the standard of tuition is absolutely excellent, so it’s a win, win.”
Pippa S One Year Garden and Planting Design with Horticulture
"Thank you for being such a great and inspiring teacher. I have thoroughly enjoyed the course : it has confirmed my hunch that I could find garden design a satisfying and challenging alternative career. Each Friday I have found myself grappling with new ideas and concepts but they have then absorbed every spare minute of the week that followed. Days spent doing homework were exhausting but utterly rewarding. It has all been such fun : creative , intellectual , sociable and rewarding."
Sue C Ten Week Garden Design
"Many thanks for running such a fantastic garden design course. I feel I have really benefited with all that extra knowledge that I have learnt over the 10 weeks. It has been challenging and intensive but well worth all the effort! I wish you all the success with future courses and with developing your year diploma course, which I'm sure will be a great success."
Wendy S Ten Week Garden Design
"I have to tell you that this course is the best thing I have done for a long time. You are very inspiring and I think that I would like to seriously pursue garden design as a separate activity to the interior design business."
Nicky S Ten Week Garden Design
"The 10-week Garden Design Course has been absolutely amazing, I am really sad that it has come to an end. The setting of the School is inspirational, as are you, and I cannot believe how much I have learnt in what is a relatively short period of time. You really know how to get people motivated and get the best out of them by empowering them with the knowledge to tackle all aspects of the process, even those areas that they thought they could not handle. I am already planning my next course with you and am looking forward to more of your inspired teaching."
Dawn C Ten Week Garden Design
“ I came on the 10 week Planting course with no previous gardening or drawing experience but with a love for plants and colour. This course opened my eyes to the idea of design and the process of creating a planting plan. It was hard work but I loved it and learnt a tremendous amount in a very short time! It inspired me to pursue a career in Garden Design and I then enrolled onto the 1 year Garden Design Diploma.”
Anthea B Ten Week Planting Design
“ I looked forward every week to my Friday trips back to school, to learn about all things horticultural! The Cotswold Gardening School felt like a little oasis of calm, far removed from the rest of my extremely hectic life. Somewhere I could learn brand new skills in an environment that was warm, welcoming, positive and full of laughter. Most importantly Caroline has instilled in me a love of plants and flowers. She has given me the
confidence and belief that I can turn my own little scrap of land into something beautiful and nourishing. Since completing the 10 week horticultural course I have signed up for planting design, been accepted onto a gardening re-training scheme and taken on an allotment. Quite a transformation for an absolute gardening 'newbie'! “
Michele H Ten Week Horticulture Course
“ I will never see plants in the same way again after doing this course. It sounds dramatic, I know, but it's true.... looking at plants on a practical level but also in great detail, the colours, form, textures and the varying colour palettes at different times of the year. This course teaches you all the elements that you need to consider to make the most beautiful and interesting planting plans. Very inspiring!”
Sarah L One Year Creative and Practical Planting
I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 week garden design course with you. It was inspiring and the enthusiastic style of teaching made it a fun experience. I can't believe how much we learnt in such a short period of time! Keeping up with the homework was at times challenging (and I still have some work to finish off, but am on to it and still plan to hand it in for making ASAP!). Thank you Caroline for your enthusiastic and comprehensive teaching and also to Lorenzo, Sarah and Martyn for all that you shared with us too. The lunches were delicious too, thank you :).
Suzi M Ten Week Garden Design Course
“I just wanted to say a big, big thank you for all of your encouragement and support over the past academic year.
It has been such a wonderful experience, which has been magnified by each and every one involved with CGS (office staff, lecturing staff and the visiting professionals). I have fully appreciated the friendly, professionalism you have all brought to the learning environment.
The graduation evening was absolutely delightful. Both Charlotte & myself thoroughly enjoyed it but it went far, far too quickly (a bit like the whole teaching year)!!
Once again, a hearty big thank you to you all.”
John H One Year Garden Design
“Can I say just how much I am enjoying (that’s actually too mild a word) the course. Aspects have been revelatory, particularly the initial sketchbook work and the pathways into creativity. As a self taught designer in a rather narrow field, I’d never thought to work this way and was puzzled as to the extent of inspiration available to those who were constantly viewing and reviewing the work of others. Now I’m beginning to see!
Experiencing once again (it’s been a long time coming) the value of being with and learning from others has been a real joy so far.”
Jo C Planting Design
