Share’s horticulture courses take place in a 2.5-acre walled garden in the grounds of Springfield University Hospital, Tooting. Students work year round to produce bedding plants, food crops, herbs, plants from bulbs, and decorative plants.
Students learn about health and safety and how to communicate in a working garden environment. They grow in confidence and self-esteem, enjoying the therapeutic benefits of gardening, getting fresh air and exercise in a stimulating and friendly environment. Horticulture training is available Monday to Friday.
Students learn:
- Basic gardening skills (filling pots, seed sowing, potting on and watering)
- More advanced gardening skills (taking cuttings, feeding plants, seasonal crop rotation)
- How to grow and maintain a personal flower or vegetable bed
- Growing plants for sale or for vegetable boxes
- Garden maintenance (mowing, growing and planting)
- Soil and compost production
- Team working and customer service
- Safe equipment use
- Loading and unloading a commercial gardening vehicle
Qualifications
For students that want to gain qualifications to help them move closer to employment, we offer the following vocational qualifications:
- Skills for Working Life in Horticulture
- Level 1 in Practical Horticulture Skills
- Level 2 in Practical Horticulture Skills
Our approach
Students are supported to work at their own pace based on their individual needs.
People who join purely for the therapeutic benefits of gardening and those working on Skills for Working Life in Horticulture don't need any previous knowledge of gardening. The Level 1 qualification does requires previous horticulture experience.
Students also have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience at our on-site social enterprise, Share Garden Centre.