"Specialising in fragrant plants is a good option for garden design. You can get the best of both worlds with this course - fragrant ideas and horticultural knowledge!" - Tracey Morris Dip.Hort., Cert.Hort., Cert III Organic Farming.

Learn to identify, grow (propagation and culture), and use different types of scented plants. You will find out how to harvest and dry scented plants, and through practical assignments actually make a whole range of exciting herb crafts (e.g. pot pourri, soaps, candles). Learn also how to landscape a scented garden and expand your knowledge of dozens of types of scented plants.

Potential Employment Opportunities:

• Starting your own business with scented plants
• Designing gardens with scented plants
• Working for a company that specialises in scented plant products

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Review of the system of plant identification, general characteristics of the group, information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.).
2. Culture
   • Planting, staking, mulching, watering, pest and disease, feeding, pruning, protection from wind, salt air, etc.
3. Propagation
   • Methods of propagating this group of plants; creating a scented garden; growing in pots, inside, or in the open ground.
4. Using Scented Plants
   • Crafts, cooking and other uses; fresh and dried herbs and scented plants.
5. The Most Commonly Grown Varieties
   • Roses - how they can be used; Lavender and Gardenias.
6. Other Important Scented Plants
   • Fragrant natives, boronias, the Lamiaceae family.
7. The Lesser Grown Varieties
   • Use of lesser known scented plants for craft or cooking.
8. Special Assignment
   • Students must complete a special assignment on one selected plant or group.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

• Know the plant naming system and the uses of scented plants, indicate the genus, species and variety in a selection of plant scientific names.
  • There are many ways you might classify scented plants.
  • By plant part -scented flower, scented foliage, scented fruit, scented root, etc.
  • By plant group -scented bulbs, scented climbers, scented trees, scented shrubs, etc.
  • By type of scent -strong scent, subtle scent, sweet scent, foul scent, etc.
  • By use -edible herbs, plants for landscape use, for use in perfumes & cosmetics, etc.
  • By plant family -plants which have similar botanical characteristics.
• Identify groups of scented plants according to families and the characteristics of those families
  • Many scented plants tend to fall into one of the several particular plant families. By becoming familiar with these families, you will develop a foundation for understanding and identifying scented plants.
• Understand the cultural requirements of a range of scented plants
• Manage the health of Scented Plants
  • Prevention is always the best cure. Try to keep the environment friendly to the helpful insects, a healthy soil structure with added compost, and maintain suitable environmental conditions for the plant. If you don't have the right plant in the right place, they tend to struggle more.
  • Heat, cold, wind, rain, frost, shade, pollution and other environmental problems can have disastrous effects on plants. Learn how it affects them.
• Harvest and process a range of scented plants.

• Make up a list of at least 50 sources of information, about the identification and use of scented plants.
• Obtain one soil sample typical of your local area; name the soil and test the drainage of the soil.
• Obtain (or make up) a potting mix appropriate for growing herbs in.
• Make up a propagating mix, appropriate for striking seed or cuttings in.
• Visit a nursery or garden growing scented plants.
• Obtain any materials which are needed for propagating scented plants by grafting, stem cuttings, root cuttings, aerial layering and seed.
• Harvest and dry parts from at least three different herbs.
• Make the following scented products: pot pourri, a cosmetic product, a herb vinegar, a herb salt and one other craft product.
• Make a bottle of either herb oil.
• Prepare hot and cold herb teas.
• Prepare one edible product, using a part of a scented plant for flavouring.
• Produce one sample of a scented oil, using fresh harvested material from a scented plant.