Learning a practical profession, like horticulture, via an online course might seem strange and unlikely at first sight. However, at ACS we have developed a very simple way of incorporating practical work into the assignments that are prepared after each lesson for the tutors to mark. It works in this way.

Each lesson covers a different topic. The teaching materials provided contain a great deal of basic and detailed information. The student reads all of this and then has to perform a set task or tasks. After the task has been completed part of the assignment is to report on the task. This best understood with some examples.

Students taking the Water Gardening course will study different aspect of the subject such as pond design and choice of plants. At the end of lesson 7 the students undertake this set task.

Here's our special offers for July:

Aquafitness
Bed and Breakfast Management
Carpentry
Certificate in Creative Writing
Health and Wellbeing
Home Vegetable Growing
Horticultural Therapy
Hotel Management
Mechanics 

Do you need a break from your break and want to get your brain cells firing again? Why wait? Get in touch with us- you can start your studies with ACS Distance Education when you are ready. Courses for people who love to learn!

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Beans belong to a group of plants called legumes. Legumes are members of the Fabaceae plant family grown mostly for their fruits which are produced as pods. Usually the pods are picked before the seeds inside have fully matured. For green beans, the whole pod is picked and consumed. With broad beans the immature seeds are removed from the pods and eaten. Sometimes beans are left to mature and dry in the pods, in which case the hardened bean seed is known as a ‘pulse’. Examples of beans grown as pulses include butter beans (lima beans), kidney beans, and mung beans. However, sometimes broad beans are also grown as pulses, particularly horse beans which is a name given to some varieties with smaller bean seeds.

Is having knowledgeable, trained and helpful employees who can provide your customers with valuable advice and plant knowledge important to your business?

Plant taxonomy is the scientific identification of plants. Understanding taxonomy is essential for anyone working with plants, yet it is becoming increasingly rare to find. This 20 hour course was developed to fill this gap. It trains people to observe the finer details that separate one plant cultivar from another. It provides a framework that makes the process of identifying plants systemic.

Now your customers can be confident that you provide not only great products but can back it up with plant knowledge and advice. It can add a point of difference to your business and establish you as plant experts giving you a competitive advantage over larger retailers that might not invest in this level of staff training.

In a Changing World - Keep Your Options Open

Horticulture is a large, diverse industry, that impacts in every corner of our lives, from the gardens that surround our homes, and the street trees and parks we pass on the way to work, to the food we eat for lunch and the flowers we bring home for a loved one at the end of a day.