Introduction to Landscaping and Garden Maintenance

Master the basics of garden creation and maintenance – from exploring design options through to caring for chosen plants.

Native flowers produce a colourful garden design.

Course details

This course has 10 sessions and will be run over the following dates in 2023:

Mondays, 28 Aug – 30 Oct

CERES Community Environment Park, corner of Roberts & Stewart Streets, Brunswick East, Victoria

$650*
– Concession available
– ACFE subsidised course placements are available. The cost for ACFE Eligible participants is $85.

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Keen to transform your garden from the design phase up? Want to do it in a sustainable, ethically minded manner that’s kind to the earth? Then this is the course for you.

Learn how to transform your garden from the design phase through to implementation and maintenance while keeping your carbon footprint to a minimum. Trainer Belinda Kennedy will take you on a hands-on journey into closed loop garden systems. As part of the journey, you will get the opportunity to actively design, implement and maintain areas of the CERES habitat gardens, work with local indigenous plants and learn the importance and know-how of building and maintaining your own soils. There will also be exploration into further training, volunteering and employment opportunities for those wanting to focus on a sustainable career change or pathway.

Course content

Course length

10 sessions, running from 10am – 3pm

Sessions:

Design 101a: site analysis
Design 101b: daydreaming, doodling and conceptualising (creating the plan)
The life of the garden part 1: soils and compost
Plant selection and identification
Garden implementation: site preparation
Garden implementation: the build
Garden implementation: greening the space
Watering systems
The life of the garden part 2: green ‘waste’, mulch and plant food
Pruning, trellising and training
Sustainable pest and weed management
Future pathways

ACFE subsidised course places

* This is an ACFE Approved Pre-accredited Course where the cost is subsidised for eligible participants.

ACFE Eligible participants are deemed eligible through an interview process with our career pathways officer. To learn more check out our Learning Pathways. The costs for these participants are $85.

Contact Karen Mengell on 9389 0127 or karen.mengell@ceres.org.au for more information and to book an interview.

Trainer profiles

Belinda Kennedy has been working in the horticulture industry for over 15 years, specialising in sustainable garden design and management utilising permaculture principles. Belinda is currently employed as the site horticulturist at CERES Environment Park and runs a sustainable garden design and maintenance company outside of CERES. Along with her hands-on experience, she delivers training courses in indigenous plants; bush food and fibre plants; sustainable gardening methods; composting and permaculture systems. Belinda has completed an Advanced Diploma in Horticulture, two Permaculture Design Certificates, a Bachelor of Fine art majoring in ceramics and a certificate in business management.

What to bring and expect

What will I learn?

How to create and maintain a garden
Career and volunteer opportunities in horticulture
Garden design and how to care for chosen plants

What will I take away?

Plenty of hands-on activities
Opportunities to learn from a real working farm
Ability to engage and interact with CERES horticulture expertise

What should I bring?

Comfortable enclosed shoes/boots
Gardening gloves
Appropriate weather gear eg sunhat
Pen and paper
Lunch
Enthusiasm to learn and get your hands dirty

What should I wear?

Casual clothing (Warning: This might get messy)

Refund policy

CERES reserves the right to cancel workshops due to insufficient numbers.

If we cancel the workshop you will be entitled to a 100% refund, or you may choose to transfer to another date, subject to availability.

If you decide to withdraw 7 or more days prior to the workshop date CERES will retain a 10% administration fee.

If you decide to withdraw less than 7 days prior to the workshop date CERES will retain 100% of your workshop fee.

Should CERES have to cancel the course due to Government changes relating to the COVD-19 response, we will let you know as soon as possible. Affected participants will be sent a notification that includes details on how to re-book another date or workshop. While cancellations on our part remain refundable within the specified time period, we do hope you will consider bearing with us in these precarious and trying times, and consider the rescheduled date where possible.