Practical Organic Gardening Course

We are currently accepting new applications for our Level 2 Practical Organic Gardening course, running from September 2026 – June 2027.

Please express interest by completing the Initial Enquiry form (link below), and a member of staff will be in touch with you soon.

Initial Enquiry for Level 2

Practical Organic Gardening is a Level 2 course, designed by Sydenham Garden and accredited by the Open College Network (OCN).

The course is open to adult learners with some experience in gardening, who would like to further develop their knowledge and understanding of plants, soil and sustainable, organic gardening techniques.

The course takes place on Thursday afternoons from 14:00-16:30. Students are expected to attend on a weekly basis for the duration of the 9-month course which runs from Thursday 3rd September to Thursday 3rd June (with 2-week breaks at Christmas and Easter)

Places will be offered on a first-come first-served basis to any applicants who meet the following criteria:

are living with a mental and/or physical health issue

can commit to a weekly session for the full duration of the course

have an interest in horticulture and a desire to be in a structured learning environment.

The teaching takes place in beautiful, peaceful surroundings and is set at a steady pace so it’s accessible to learners with additional support or learning needs.

Through a mix of classroom-based and practical activities, students will help to maintain our kitchen garden, greenhouse, wildlife ponds, nature reserve and market garden. They will take part in ‘hands-on’ activities such as building crop structures, raised beds and wildlife habitats.

The course is assessed by Sydenham Garden’s facilitators who will observe students carrying out practical gardening tasks and encourage discussion and skill-sharing. Support with written aspects of the course content will be provided wherever necessary.

The course is divided into 5 units: