PCDI for Landscape Design Courses online

[lawn hopper]

Wondering if anyone has taken the PCDI online Landscaping courses because learning more landscaping is my goal. I've been mowing four years and can see how the maintenance market compares to landscaping.

PCDI offers a seemingly comprehensive course for around $700. Wondering if this can help get me outa mowing quickly. Feedback would be apreciated.

Is this course recommended by anyone? Or not recommended?

Thanks

Ryan

PS My goal would be to run a full time crew, including myself and at least one more individual. Services like renovation and mulching are understood well. Hardscapes, contracts and plantings need improvement.

[jrservices]

You got a link for that course? I am probably not the only one interested.

[lawn hopper]

http://www.online-education.net/courses/landscape-design-courses.html

There is lots of detailed info for the class, 17 lessons. They are in Adobe format

Click on the career kit-> enter your personal info and you'll get class info.

[lawn hopper]

Enrolled today, no one has responded with info about these courses.

[highlander316]

wow, thanks for the link. I'm in school studying turf management right now. That would help so i could offer more services

[highlander316]

could you list everything that the site said? Listing of classes and stuff? For some reason, it stopped loading the page when I would send my info.

[lawn hopper]

The landscape design course covered plants, site preperation, design, irrigation, lights, industry. Seemed pretty comprehensive.

I'll have to wait for my first lesson to arrive in the mail. Not sure how long that will take because the site didn't say. I'll try to find out now...

[highlander316]

ok thanks. I thought you u had meant in a previous post that it explained everythin detailed in the course, i.e. individual parts of each area.

[lawn hopper]

I didn't want to type all that info. The site does desribe in detail each of seventeen lessons. check out www.pcdi.com and select courses and landscape design. Guessing that the last link didn't work out well. My mistake

[highlander316]

The link did work, but the problem was, when I entered my personal info to download the packet, the page wouldn't load and would time out. You could always just copy/paste instead of typing, but if not, that is fine. I'll try again later.

[lawn hopper]

Your comprehensive lessons are clear and well-organized; easy to follow, yet challenging and stimulating at the same time. Each lesson begins with an introductory note from your instructor, plus a preview outlining the subject matter and study objectives.
Next comes the reading assignment from your text, lesson book, or supplemental references. Practice exercises and optional hands-on projects help you check and review the key concepts you've learned. Then, turn in your open-book exam for the lesson, whenever YOU are ready.

As you progress through The Professional Landscape Design Program, you'll receive the following supplies at no extra cost: Drawing compass, French curve, Protractor, Four drawing pencils, Triangles, Twelve-inch ruler, Twelve-inch T-square, Engineer's scale, Drawing paper and vellum, Eraser, Erasing shield, Illustration board, Pencil sharpener, Sandpaper pencil-sharpening pad, Drafting tape with dispenser and Black felt-tip marker.

Use these tools as you complete the hands-on projects in your lessons—and later after graduation! All these items are included with your course tuition—at no additional cost.



Dr. Richard Ludwig is the author and chief instructor of The Professional Landscape Design Program. He has an extensive background in horticulture, landscape design, and garden center management. He's also an experienced college educator. He looks forward to sharing his vast expertise with you in this fascinating home study course!





Lesson 1: YOU AND THE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY. What landscape designers do; the scope of landscape design projects; professional organizations for the landscape industry.

Lesson 2: LETTERING AND DRAWING TOOLS. Using drawing tools; how to read architect's and engineer’s scales; measuring and interpreting dimensions to scale; lettering; using pen and ink; drawing plans.

Lesson 3: GRAPHIC TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS. Using markers, pens and pastels in designs and presentations; how to show elevation, perspective, and plant placement in plans; rendering symbols for plant materials and hardscape features; labeling plans; listing plants.

Lesson 4: SITE ANALYSIS AND THE LANDSCAPE DESIGN PROCESS. Site evaluation; reading and grading the terrain; project development; functional diagrams; preliminary drawings; final plans; the design cycle.

Special Report: TIME MANAGEMENT GUIDE. How to work efficiently and productively both as a student and in your career.

Lesson 5: DESIGNING “THE OUTDOOR ROOM.” The outdoor wall, floor, and ceiling; understanding balance; focalizing interest; simplicity; rhythm; line; unity; architecture, plants and hardscapes as design elements.

Lesson 6: SELECTING YOUR FLOWERS AND PLANTS. Woody and herbaceous plants; selecting trees, shrubs and ground covers; creative ways to use flowers, annuals, perennials and biennials; how to naturalize bulbs.

Lesson 7: SURFACING AND ENCLOSURES. Designing enclosures for protection, privacy, climate modification, and directing foot traffic; enclosure styles; materials for enclosures; the four basic surfacing types; ramps and steps.

Special Supplement: LANDSCAPE ILLUMINATION. Advantages and disadvantages of the major types of lighting systems; effects of downlighting, uplighting, backlighting, and shadowing.

Lesson 8: LANDSCAPE ENRICHMENTS. Natural and fabricated enrichments; tangible and intangible enrichments; the economic, environmental, and aesthetic advantages of creating landscapes that conserve water.

Lesson 9: USING COMPUTERS AND PRICING A DESIGN. Using the computer in the design process; popular software for landscape designers; CAD systems; video imaging; figuring cost vs. price; preparing estimates, bids, and specifications.
Lesson 10: CALCULATIONS FOR LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS. Calculating quantities from plans; taking linear and surface measurements; calculating volume, time, quantity, and conversions; soil compaction; “pit and ball” calculations.

Lesson 11: SPECIFICATIONS AND CONTRACTS. The components of a landscape design contract; common contractual arrangements; dealing with the competitive bidding process; types of specifications; specifying work methods; specifications forms and documents; project manuals.

Lesson 12: INSTALLING PLANTS AND GRASSES. Essential planting tools; soil conditioning methods; how to install trees, shrubs, and ground covers; bedding plants and bulbs; turf grasses; blending grasses; single-species lawns; seeding, sodding, plugging; mulching; sprigging; cutting water loss.

Lesson 13: IRRIGATION. Sprinkler and trickle irrigation systems; sprinkler heads; precipitation rates; matching water flow and pressure with pipe size; locating your sprinklers; replacing equipment parts.

Lesson 14: INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING. The growing medium; creating containers for plants; interior plant installation; fertilization; controlling humidity, water, air pollution, insects, diseases and vandalism; grouping compatible species.

Lesson 15: MAINTAINING PLANTS AND LAWNS. Watering and fertilizing trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawns; edging the lawn; pruning methods; mulching; controlling lawn weeds and pests; aerating and mowing techniques for lawns.

Lesson 16: MAINTENANCE TIPS AND SERVING CLIENTS. Reducing injury to plants in winter; features of a landscape maintenance cost analysis; unit pricing; preparing a complete cost estimate; total quality management; improving service.

Lesson 17: STARTING A BUSINESS OF YOUR OWN. Being the boss; acquiring the necessary supplies; starting out a landscaping business; administrative matters; advertising services; maintaining a professional image; hiring a crew.

Special Report: CAREER SEARCH MANUAL. Helpful tips for starting toward a career in the field

[highlander316]

ah, thank you a lot. I appreciate it.

[Alpine Naturescapes]

I smell a plant.
Was that a pun?

[SodBuster]

I Know Dr. Richard Ludwig personally. You are very fortunate, as he is the best professor imaginable.

Here is a pic of the new Lawrenceville, Georgia horticulture campus. Dr. Ludwig is program director for Envionmental Horticulture.




Gwinnett Technical College’s horticulture program has added a state-of-the- art classroom facility on the Lawrenceville campus. The 300-plus students that participate in the horticulture program each year will gain additional classrooms, new greenhouse space and top-quality laboratory space in the new building. The building is designed to be environmentally friendly. Water conservation methods and daylight lighting are just are few of the features that adhere to an environmentally conscious design. The new laboratories feature the latest equipment for the environmental horticulture industry. The soil lab and botany lab will enable students to experience a wide variety of laboratory activities, such as micropropagation and soil analyses.

[lawn hopper]

That's the professor Dr. Ludwig. I would like to start or buy a nursury ASAP because of the things I've been learning about the market. There are nursuries that do more plant exporting than retail or wholesale. Neat stuff.