How do you Design a Mediterranean, Oriental or Formal Garden?

The art of gardening is diverse, and gardens around the world will reflect respective cultures from the countries they originate in. The Chinese and Japanese have developed their own traditional style, as have the Europeans and Middle Eastern cultures. Over more recent times; modern styles of gardening have developed in Australia, America and even South America, to reflect the influences of culture, climate, art and fashion.

This course explores the many styles of garden that can be found across the globe; and the ways in which a garden designer can recreate gardens that reflect a particular style.

"There are so many wonderful styles that can be adapted to gardens today and this course outlines the most popular ones."- Tracey Morris Dip.Hort., Cert.Hort., Cert III Organic Farming

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Creating the Mood
2. Historic Gardens
3. Formal Gardens
4. Oriental Gardens
5. Middle Eastern and Spanish Style
6. Mediterranean Gardens
7. Coastal Gardens
8. Modern Gardens
9. Eclectic Gardens
10. Other Styles

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.

• Explain the use of colour, light, shade, temperature, water, foliage and other elements in establishing the mood of a garden.
• Describe gardens from different places and periods in history; and in doing so explain how to renovate and/or recreate gardens that reflect the style of different historic periods.
• Apply the principles, design features and elements that make up a formal garden.
• Discuss cultural and historical traditions that contributed to the development and style of the oriental garden.
• Discuss cultural and historical traditions that have contributed to the development and style of the Middle Eastern and Spanish garden.
• Discuss the historic, climatic and cultural influences which have contributed to the style of Mediterranean gardens.
• Discuss design styles of coastal gardens
• Explain the limitations and potential of coastal sites when preparing a landscape design.
• Discuss contemporary garden design styles and possible future trends in garden design.
• Identify the range of diversity possible in garden design.
• Identify characteristics of different garden styles including eclectic, dryland, permaculture, rainforest and tropical garden styles.
• Design different styles of gardens.

• Visit different gardens to assess the mood of each garden. Take time to observe each garden and try to identify the different elements that contribute to the garden mood.
• Observe how colour has been used in the three different gardens. Observe the colours of both plants and hard surfaces, and the way the colours have been combined.
• Visit an historic garden in your area. Identify different features that make this an historic garden.
• Visit a formal garden in your area. Identify features that make this a formal garden.
• Visit an oriental garden either in person or by research.
• Search for more information on gardens that reflect the styles.
• Make notes of anything you find which is interesting and could be used in development of a Mediterranean style of garden in the locality in which you live.
• Visit (make a virtual or real visit) a coastal region near where you live (coast of a lake or sea) and observe the type of plants that are growing near the seashore. Also observe the plants and design elements of nearby gardens. (If you are unable to visit a coastal region, use descriptions of coastal sites and gardens from books, magazines and the internet.)
• Visit a modern courtyard garden (if there is no suitable garden in your area, use a garden described in a book, magazine or on the internet). Identify and describe the elements that make this a 'modern' garden. How has the designer overcome the restrictions of the site to create a feeling of spaciousness?