ESSENTIAL COURSE MATERIAL
Here is a list of materials you will need to complete our Certificate and Diploma Course. However, I would recommend to all the professionals and amateur enthusiasts for Landscape and Garden Design, to have good quality material.
Some of the listed materials are quite expensive, because they are highly professional, and top of the notch quality. Nevertheless expense is well worth it in the long run. Professional presentation requires professional material.
Places to get material are also highly professional, even though you will be able to find certain pieces in regular stationery shops. Your options of shops are specialized Art & Craft shops, professional stationery shops, and even the Internet.
Limperts Academy of Design also offer them for sale on our website
at www.limpertsacademy.com in case you have difficulty locating some of these items.
- Drawing board with parallel motion (size A3 is sufficient for Diploma Course, however if you intend continuing with the Higher Diploma Course then you would be wise to purchase an A2 or A1 board (depending on the higher course chosen) at the outset.
- Below: Drawing board with parallel motion
- Below: Scale ruler (metric units)
- Below :Adjustable set square
- Clutch pencil with spare leads; and/or selection of H, B and HB pencils different sizes of lead;
- Fine-liner black pens, different sizes of the tip;
- Mounting boards (for sample & mood boards);
- Below: Diagram of different paper sizes
- Below: Scalpel and metal ruler (for cutting strait edges on pictures etc...);
- Below: Metal tape measure
Here is a list of additional items that you will find
helpful but which are not necessary to complete the course:
- Cutting mat (largest size available, to protect tables when cutting mounting boards etc...);
- Below: Cutting mat
- Rotary cutter;
- Below: Spray mount adhesive
- Below: Multi – coloured pen for notes & surveys;
- Sketch book;
- Sketching pencils (2B – 4B);
- Sketching pencils;
- Coloured pencils;
- Below: Fun colour pencils
- Below: Paint Colour Swatch book (fan deck), or Colour Wheel.
Magazines
We would also recommend that you regularly purchase Garden Design and Gardening magazines and books, which will provide you with a constant source of inspiration and reference material.
Keep up with trends and changes in Garden Design by regularly visiting our website, and searching the Internet for additional information.
Survey, assessing and planning the garden
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Accessing the space you are commissioned to design is first step in the garden design. Thorough work is needed, and every detail and element must be covered in your survey. |
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Use check lists you have previously drafted to clear up as many issues with the client as possible.Your task is to understand the client’s wishes, needs and requirements, even if they cannot envision them themselves. |
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Take numerous measurements and notes about the property and its surroundings. Use checklists, draw sketches and take a lot of notes. Everything is important at this stage. |
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Preparation is crucial in the process of designing the garden. Remember: there is no information too small or trivial. Explore and experiment with different ideas, and you will find your creative juices flowing. |
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Don’t leave the next stage of design too long after the survey and assessment. Planning is best to be done whilst your brain is still fresh with memory of the space you are about to transform. |
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INTRODUCING REFERENCE LIBRARY: |
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We are strongly recommending forming your personal reference library. Start collecting images and notes from different sources: |
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Your previous work files, projects you are satisfied with and have similar profile as your present project; |
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Ideas that were left incomplete, or didn’t sit well with particular clients can be useful in one of your next projects, so never dispose of your old sketches and notes, they can prove useful; |
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Magazines, books and publications from the fields of design regardless of the aspect of design. Sometimes you will find a perfect solution in the places you are not considering your main source of inspiration. Keep your mind open to new possibilities. |
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Images! Collected from any source possible, but most importantly your own taken with your trusted camera... Again, do not limit yourself in taking pictures of gardens; anything can become your inspiration in the right moment: sand blown by the wind; sunset colours, interesting pebbles, wild grass pattern by the sea... |
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As well as collecting the images, collect your notes. Record thoughts and ideas, write about things you have seen, and experienced. You might be able to recreate a personal moment in the remarkable garden one day! |
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On this point, start by browsing through your reference library. Constantly compare existing garden survey notes, and client’s wishes and requirements with your thoughts and ideas, searching for the perfect match. Put aside all the material (notes, images...) you think might be useful. Don’t worry if you have a big amount of material. You will discard most of it during the process, but you’ll be sure you have choices around you. |
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Draw Existing Garden Plan to scale. This will help you to envision given situations in right proportions. Include all the relevant details and notes of the current situation, what do you want to be “getting rid of”, what do you want to be left in the garden, and what to be altered. |
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A good idea is to make copies of your Existing Plan, leaving out anything you will leave out in your design. This will be your “empty canvas”. Many copies will enable you to experiment freely. Be careful not to lose accuracy of the scale by copying/ using badly adjusted copying machine. |
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Now, when you have a lot of copies of “empty canvas” garden, you can start to experiment your ideas. Don’t be afraid to write notes, constantly checking your original Existing plan. Use of the “bubble diagram” is great idea: allocate separate spaces of the garden, and experiment with different layouts. Make sure to include all the requirements and needs your client has, transferring from the assessment and survey notes and sketches. |
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