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1. RHS Level 2 Certificate
Year 1 Week 26 –
Garden planning: site
appraisal. Revision
techniques.

2. Learning Objectives
 Site Appraisal
 1.1 Describe potential restrictions which may limit work on the site,
including financial constraints; difficulties with access for plant,
equipment and materials; topography (degree and extent of slopes);
boundary constraints; and restrictions on the time the works can be
carried out.
 1.2 State what existing garden features need to be identified, including
buildings, hard landscape features, and the trees and plants that are to
be retained.
 Plants
 2.1 Name FIVE evergreen and FIVE deciduous trees (large shrubs),
suitable for planting in a domestic garden. State details of their
decorative merits, height and spread and site requirements; describe a
situation where each could be used effectively.
 Revision
 Identify THREE active revision techniques
 Identify TWO less effective revision techniques

3. Site appraisal
 A methodical review of the site
 Use questionnaires and a sketch plan to
gather the information.
 Consideration of the views, aspect and
climate, soil, existing features and services
and a measured survey to produce a scale
plan.

4. Site characteristics
 Make a sketch plan and take notes – keep careful
records.
 Location and physical character– aspect, climate,
micro-climates, views, slope, drainage
 Existing features – to keep or to remove?
 Soil – pH, depth, structure and texture. Several
samples needed across the site as it will not be
uniform.
 Existing services – issues for safety and for
construction.

5. Environmental factors in design
 Prevailing wind – where should windbreaks go?
 Aspect – where does the sun fall at different times of
day? Where should seating areas be positioned,
what need for shade is there?
 Views – borrow favourable views and hide ugly ones.
Views into the garden – creating privacy
 Soil – pH (hard to change and will therefore affect
what can be planted); depth (if insufficient then
raised beds can be used).

6. Limitations on design process
 Budget – a properly defined and controlled
budget prevents failure to complete
 Access – lack of access for machinery or
deliveries will impact on what can be
achieved; better to design with this in mind.
 Boundary constraints – ownership, planning
restrictions etc.
 Timing – for excavations and building works;
planting etc. The design process should
include a plan for implementation.

7. Exam Preparation - introduction
 Registration – complete form, fee, to be
returned ASAP.
 Revision – how to get started?
 Revision planning – ‘if you fail to plan, you plan
to fail’
 Revision techniques – reading, remembering
and ‘doing’. The more active your approach the
more you will remember.
 Get started now!

8. Revision – Getting Started
 Do what you can. If you only have half an
hour a day then study for half an hour.
 Plan how you will cover the material – aim for
three reviews of each topic
 Just reading the material is not effective – try
working with the information, making
connections and using varied approaches
 Little and often is better than hours on end
and then nothing for days.

9. Revision techniques
 Teach someone – if you can explain it, then you know
it.
 Mind maps – the learning is in the ‘doing’, make them
fun. Useful as an overview.
 Index cards – force you to focus on the key points. Use
them to test yourself.
 Self testing – use the questions in the Red Book,
Moodle quizzes, exam past paper questions.
 Three repetitions in different forms = information moves
from short to longer term memory.

10. Learning outcomes
 Site Appraisal
 1.1 Describe potential restrictions which may limit work on the site,
including financial constraints; difficulties with access for plant,
equipment and materials; topography (degree and extent of slopes);
boundary constraints; and restrictions on the time the works can be
carried out.
 1.2 State what existing garden features need to be identified, including
buildings, hard landscape features, and the trees and plants that are to
be retained.
 Plants
 2.1 Name FIVE evergreen and FIVE deciduous trees (large shrubs),
suitable for planting in a domestic garden. State details of their
decorative merits, height and spread and site requirements; describe a
situation where each could be used effectively.
 Revision
 Identify THREE active revision techniques
 Identify TWO less effective revision techniques