Garden Designer
A career as a Garden Designer can be immensely creative and rewarding.

Garden Design is a highly rewarding discipline that requires attention to detail, plant knowledge, technical competence and artistic flair.
Garden Designers have emerged as a recognised profession in their own right and its influence on our lives has spread from our small private gardens into the wider landscapes and grander designs of more public places.
The courses offered by SRUC approach Garden Design very firmly from the perspective of developing a strong appreciation, understanding and knowledge of horticulture. A strong horticultural background produces designers that are appreciated by future clients, many of whom look for designers because of their love of plants and gardening.
Our students get to design gardens for real, live projects. They will gain experience of the industry by working with clients who have commissioned work.
We also like our students to gain a blend of hand drawing and computer aided design skills, which are critical in creative and bespoke industry.
Our Garden Design students have participated in the annual Gardening Scotland show for many years often earning gold certificates for their show gardens.
As well as being offered at our Edinburgh campus, Garden Design is now also available at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
But don't just take our word for it - you can read about the experience of some of our Garden Design students in their own words.
Learn about Amie Routledge's experience doing a Garden Design HND with SRUC and setting up her own garden design business, Margaret Wright changing her career from banking to garden design and Heath Urqhart who came from the other side of the world to study with SRUC.
Featured courses

Garden Design
Highly practical and industry-approved, a qualification in Garden Design will allow you to enter one of the largest and fastest growing employment sectors in the UK and beyond.
- HNC
- HND

Garden and Greenspace Design
These programmes offer a broad perspective on garden design, from domestic gardens to public greenspaces and the wider environment.
- BSc/BSc (Hons)

Horticulture
a qualification in Garden Design, Landscaping, Horticulture or Horticulture with Plantsmanship will allow you to enter one of the largest and fastest growing employment sectors in the UK and beyond
- MA at SCQF level 6
- MA at SCQF level 5
- BSc/BSc (Hons)
- HNC
- HND
- NC

Rural Skills
Develop the basic skills you need to work in land-based disciplines like agriculture, horticulture and countryside management.
- NC
- Skills for Work