About
Join our student team to enjoy national success and stay abreast of fast changing technology.
Scientist to landscape architect, parks manager to garden designer – it’s the sheer diversity of careers that makes horticulture and landscape so exciting and appealing.
Whether your workplace is a field of growing crops, a desk in a high tech city centre office or a championship golf course, you’ll have plenty of options to branch out and specialise in one of the world’s fastest growing industries.
At Reaseheath we’ve recognised how important the ‘green industry’ is going to be in the future and we’ve invested £8.3 million into our National Centre for Horticulture, the Environment and Sustainable Technology. If you join Reaseheath Horticulture you’ll be introduced to cutting-edge technologies and science in the only college facility of its kind!
In 2021, the UK’s largest training and research centre for vertical farming was completed on our campus. The facility consists of three floor to ceiling growing chambers while a separate research growing room allows for micro scale testing and trials.
Courses
Further Education
Higher Education
Landscape Architecture
Adult Learners
Student Success
Matt Wood
Current job role: Founder and owner of The Tiny Plant Company
Previous courses: BTEC First Diploma in Horticulture
National Diploma in Commercial Plant Production 2008
“I launched The Tiny Plant Company five years ago to supply dwarf varieties of familiar plants to gardeners who are short of space.
“It’s a niche market which is growing fast, as gardens are getting smaller and there are also more people living in flats and town houses who have just window boxes or containers. I learned how to grow good quality plants during my work placement with Hillier Nurseries, which was set up through Reaseheath while I was studying for my National Diploma.
“Reaseheath opened other doors for me too. I used the knowledge and skills I learned at college when I competed in the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition and was placed third. I’ve also achieved medals at major RHS shows with my plant displays.”
Find out more
Why study?
Why study Horticulture and Landscape at Reaseheath?
Our courses are industry focused so you will develop skills to help you gain employment or set up your own business. Receive relevant training for a modern industry including work experience with our network of partners.
Become career ready by getting involved in the design and build of medal winning show gardens and community gardening projects to gain experience (you may even appear on TV!)
Our 21-hectares of formal gardens and grounds is the perfect learning environment for horticulture students, with specialist plant collections, unusual trees, designed landscapes and sports pitches.
Have the chance to compete in WorldSkills UK landscaping competitions and take advantage of the unique training workshops and masterclasses available to you to increase your career prospects.
Enjoy visits to gardens with nationally significant landscaping and planting schemes or get involved in industry-led projects on and off campus.
Study in our state-of-the-art commercial production unit with its automated glasshouses, computer controlled hydroponic system and innovative LED lighting and experience commercial crop production.
Career
Where could your career take you?
If you are interested in horticulture you’re likely to be fascinated by science and nature and enjoy working outdoors. Perhaps you can see yourself helping to feed a growing global population or transforming cityscapes for workers and residents.
Or maybe you’d like to be at the forefront of research, work at world famous botanical gardens or manage championship sporting venues abroad.
Here are just some of the choices waiting for you:
- Scientist
- Botanist
- Scientific researcher
- Landscape architect
- Field scale crop production manager
- Produce quality manager
- Garden designer / landscaper
- Head gardener
- Head greenkeeper
- Park supervisor
- Commercial nursery manager
- Nursery production technician
- Kitchen gardener
- Entrepreneur
- Self employed gardener
- Garden centre manager
- Sales and marketing manager
- Garden designer
Experience
Your Reaseheath Experience
Work placements, community projects, training workshops, competitions – our horticulture students certainly don’t let the grass grow under their feet!
In 2019, our student teams won a silver medal for their show garden at RHS Tatton Flower Show and two RHS Level 3 Diploma students were awarded gold at RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. We have also been helping to maintain relocated show gardens at the World of Wedgwood in Staffordshire.
Our students have designed a show garden for members at the Royal Cheshire Show, and carried out a variety of projects on campus and in the local community.
Industry
Benefit from our industry links
We have strong training partnerships with key organisations such as the Royal Horticultural Society, the Landscape Institute, the British Association of Landscape Industries, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and the Association of Professional Landscapers.
We also collaborate with key suppliers including Makita (power tools), Marshalls Paving, Green-tech Ltd (landscaping materials) and J A Jones and Sons (plant nursery). Thanks to these industry links, our students enjoy workshops supported by industry professionals, ensuring they have the technical skills and knowledge of working with the latest materials and equipment.
Facilities
Where you’ll be studying
You’ll be based in our Centre for Horticulture, the Environment and Sustainable Technology, which (as the name suggests) is dedicated to all things horticultural.
The centre houses our hi-tech commercial production unit, where we are trialling different systems of growing tomato and strawberry crops and a variety of herbaceous plants. We also have a dedicated design studio with the latest Mac computers and 3D design tools, landscape workshop, modern classrooms, a laboratory and our Feast café.
Click here to find out more about our facilities with a tour of our sustainable glasshouse on campus.
Apprenticeship
Earn while you learn
If you’d prefer to earn and learn at the same time, we offer horticulture apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3. Depending on your career ambitions you can choose to specialise in either amenity, landscape and production horticulture or golf greenkeeping and groundsmanship. You will be supported by our skills coaches in the workplace and either come in to college one day a week or in blocks depending on the apprenticeship you choose.
Course
Finding the right course
While many of our students opt to gain a good grounding on our lower level courses others start at a more advanced level, particularly if they have high academic grades or previous experience. Whatever your circumstances, our experienced staff will help you choose the course which is right for you.
University
University Study
After studying with us, many of our students choose to go on to study a related degree to further their knowledge and skills for their chosen career. You may choose to do this at University Centre Reaseheath for example, which offers courses in Landscape Architecture and Plant Science which would help you to stand out when applying for jobs in this industry.
Industry view
“Horticulture is one of the most fun, exciting, rewarding and diverse industries I can think of. For me, it’s so important that we inspire more young people to get into horticulture as a career.Gardening can potentially help to save the world.”
Jamie ButterworthRHS Ambassador, plants person and garden designer
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Further Education: 01270 613242
Higher Education: 01270 613284
Switchboard: 01270 625131
Higher Education: 01270 613284
Switchboard: 01270 625131