Learning with Experts

RHS Level 2 Cert: Principles of Plant Growth and Development

£955 GBP
Level: Expert






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Level: Expert

Course overview

RHS Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Plant Growth and Development is an internationally recognised qualification from the Royal Horticultural Society.

This RHS course is based on the new 2022 syllabus and the outline of course content for each course is shown below.

This price includes online RHS exams and registration.

You'll be taught by Dr Noel Kingsbury and Tom Cole - both qualified horticulture experts with experience teaching RHS students, and RHS approved tutors.

The RHS online course is suitable for everyone; from gardeners looking to expand their knowledge of plants, garden design and wildlife, to those already in horticulture careers or planning a career change.

Why study with Learning with Experts?
  • Learn directly from horticulture and RHS approved tutors Dr Noel Kingsbury and Tom Cole
  • Start your course at any time
  • Study at your own pace
  • Join a small friendly online classroom & interact with other students on your course
  • Complete mandatory assessments after each lesson and practice as you learn
  • The collection includes the following classes:
  • RHS: Plant Science 1 (1)
  • RHS: Plant Health (2)
  • RHS: Plant Nutrition (3)
  • RHS: Plant Specification (4)
  • RHS: Plant Science II (5)
  • RHS Planting Styles (6)
  • RHS: Horticulture and Society (7)
  • RHS: Biodiversity (8)
  • RHS Level 2 Course Tutors

    Dr Noel Kingsbury

    Writer, designer and horticultural consultant, Noel lives and breathes gardening. A true expert in his field, Noel has worked closely with world famous designer Piet Oudolf (among others). He is best known for his ecological approach to planting design.

    Tom Cole

    Tom Cole is an RHS Associate. He regularly lectures and has his own landscape and maintenance business. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Essex and a contributor for many garden magazines.

    You'll learn

    Each of the RHS Level 2 courses is listed in detail below but in summary you'll learn:

  • plant science
  • plant naming
  • plant adaptation
  • internal and external plant structures including leaves, stems, flowers and roots
  • pollination and fertilisation
  • photosynthesis and respiration
  • plant health
  • plant nutrition
  • plant specifications for design projects
  • horticulture and society including garden volunteers and community gardening and wellbeing
  • encouraging biodiversity as a horticulturalist and Biodiversity Action plans
  • What is the RHS Level 2 Online Course?

    The Royal Horticultural Society's Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture is an internationally recognised RHS qualification designed for those just starting out in gardening as well as experienced gardeners.

    To complete your RHS qualification you need to sit the RHS Level 2 exams (there are 2 exams for this course).

    How is the course structured?

    The course includes on-demand video lessons, downloadable course notes, mandatory assignments for each lesson and access to our small interactive classrooms (limited to 20 students).

    To obtain the RHS Level 2: Principles of Horticulture qualification you study the RHS courses with us, complete the mandatory assignments and then sit exams with the RHS.

    Our course will leave you fully prepared for the final exam. You can interact with the world-class tutors, having them mark your assignments and provide you with your own personal feedback.

    Each unit will be assessed by a separate written exam covering all learning outcomes specified in the unit. Examinations take place normally in February, June and October.

    Is this qualification right for me?

    This qualification is available to anyone over 16 years of age, from anywhere in the world. Our tutors are used to teaching people for whom English is a second language. All that is required is a keen interest in gardening.

    We have students of all levels on our RHS courses - from people starting out in their horticulture careers to those who already have other professional horticulture qualifications.

    The RHS have designed this course to be ideal for:
  • anyone who is working as a professional horticulturist,
  • anyone who wants to make a career change into gardening and horticulture,
  • anyone who wants to expand their gardening knowledge.
  • How long does the course take?

    This collection is entirely flexible and fits around your schedule, so you can go at your own pace. To fully qualify you'll need to sit exams which normally take place either in February, June or October. When you start the course we'll register you for your exams.

    Each lesson includes:
  • On-demand video lesson (around 30 minutes) - presented by the expert
  • Mandatory assignments (which takes on average 3 hours to complete)
  • Downloadable lesson notes with slides
  • Do I need to have completed RHS Level 1?

    No, RHS Level 2 is run entirely separate to RHS Level 1 and you don't need to have completed RHS Level 1 (or plan on completing it) in order to study RHS Level 2.

    RHS Student Membership

    As a Learning with Experts' student, you qualify for the £10 RHS student membership (saving you £39.95 annually).

    The membership includes The Garden magazine, priority booking and discounted ticket rates for RHS Shows (including RHS Chelsea Flower Show and RHS Hampton Court), unlimited days out at the RHS Gardens and over 200 partner gardens across the UK and abroad. Contact us for more details.

    Buying for your gardening business or employees?

    Contact us for VAT invoices or buying multiple courses (click the speech bubble in the bottom left).

    More RHS qualification questions?

    Just click the speech bubble in the bottom right of your screen to ask us about RHS qualifications and the RHS Level 2 online course - we'd love to hear from you!

    Watch the trailer

    Choose how you want to learn

    Expert-level

    Develop your learning further with marked assignments and personal tuition:

    • Start the course whenever you like
    • Tutor access for personalised assignment feedback & coaching
    • Certificate of completion and CPD learning hours
    • Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
    • Lessons with expert videos & notes
    • Group chat & direct message with tutor & classmates
    • Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

    Peer-level

    Get the most from shared knowledge and community study:

    • Start course whenever you like
    • Practise what you learn with your peers
    • Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
    • 4 lessons with expert videos & notes
    • 4 course assignments
    • Group chat & direct message classmates
    • Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

    Why choose Learning with Experts?

    Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.
    Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.
    Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!
    Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.
    Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

    Frequently asked questions

    What’s the difference between PEER and EXPERT options?

    At Peer and Expert level, you get access to the same core content and features:

    • Video lesson tutorials led by your expert tutor
    • Downloadable lesson notes
    • Option to practise what you learn with lesson assignments
    • Group learning within an online interactive classroom of up to 20 classmates
    • Lifetime access to videos, notes and classroom

    If you choose Expert level, you get all of the above plus the following:

    • Personalised assignment feedback and coaching from your expert tutor
    • Opportunity to interact with your expert tutor through a private messaging system
    • Certificate of completion.
    What is an online classroom?

    Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

    You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

    This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.

    When can I start my course and how long will it take?

    You can start your course any time within 12 months after receipt of your purchase confirmation email. Once you start, you’ll have lifetime access — meaning you can revisit the lesson videos and notes whenever you want.

    Our courses are designed so that you can study at your own pace, some prefer to binge learn while others like to spread their studying over a longer period of time - it’s completely up to you. To give you a rough time frame, each lesson video is approximately 30-40 minutes long, and we recommend that you spend around an hour on each assignment.

    How often can I speak with the Expert?

    If you opt for the Expert version of your course, the time you have to interact with your tutor is limited to course length. You will have one week per lesson to chat to your tutor and to have your assignments marked, and during this period you can ask them as many questions as you would like.

    To find out the length of each course, head to the product page and look at the Course outline to see how many lessons it contains. e.g. a four lesson course assumes that you will have completed the assignments within four weeks.

    Your tutor interaction period will start as soon as you enter the classroom. If you find that you are struggling to complete the assignments in the allocated time or you wish to put this function on hold, just get in contact with one of the team via the support button and we will help you out.

    Support and full FAQs

    If you need any help with a course, be it one you’ve started already, or one you are looking to purchase, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support email address, or view the full FAQ’s here.

    You can also use the orange speech bubble on your page to start a conversation with us.

    For privacy or data questions, please contact us here.

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