Dig that groovy garden, guys

Just over two years ago, Ciaran Burke gave up his permanent job in the horticulture industry to concentrate fully on developing the Dublin School of Horticulture. Burke trained in horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens and got together with nurseryman, Carl Dacus, to set up the school which prepares students for Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) examinations.

Initially, the partners thought they might be lucky to fill one evening class. In fact, they easily filled two and have since added a daytime version of the course.

The school currently has 46 students studying for the RHS's general certificate examination in horticulture. The students range in age from 20 to people in their sixties, and there is a good balance between those who are already working in the horticulture sector and those who are doing the course out of interest or with a view to changing career.

Those who do the course at night attend classes two evenings a week, while those on the daytime course spend one full day each week working through the same material. The cost of the course is £500 and it covers a wide range of subjects from plant naming and classification to the principles of genetics and the growth and development of plant structures. Students are provided with notes and while there are no official written assessments during the course, self-test questions are supplied, which students are expected to work on in their own time.

What is clear from talking to both Ciaran Burke and several students is that it's quite a demanding course which requires students to put in a lot of study hours over and above the course lectures. "The course comprises 120 hours of lectures and the RHS recommends that students do about the same in study on their own," says Burke.

"I think it can stretch people a bit, but it's a good qualification to have and one which is well recognised for anyone thinking of looking for work in the industry. How much time students need to put in very much depends on their backgrounds. For example, if they haven't done science for a while, or at all, they may have put in a bit of time to get comfortable with this aspect of the course."

This is exactly what landscape gardener Mary Ryan discovered. "I had dropped science at school, but kept up Latin, which has been a big help. But with very little in the way of a scientific background, I've struggled a bit," she says. "That said, I am finding it very interesting to explore the scientific basis for a lot of what I already automatically do in the garden on a daily basis and I have found it very satisfying to be able to apply what I'm learning in a practical situation.

"I don't think it's a course for the faint-hearted. There is a lot of material to be covered and since starting the course I've been studying every weekend. Every day over Christmas I took out my books. I'm doing the day course and there is a very good rapport between the students, which I enjoy. My business is already up and running nicely, so I suppose that doing the course and hopefully getting the piece of paper is about personal fulfilment."

Sean Heffernan is also a day student on the course. Sean is assistant to the head gardener at the Airfield Trust in Dundrum. "I had worked in commercial nurseries before I came to Airfield and it's a very different environment because we have a strong educational slant to what we do here," he says. "I get asked a lot of questions and I felt it would be a good idea to improve and expand my knowledge and to get the little piece of paper people expect you to have.

"The course is very intensive and it covers a lot of ground. There's a lot of information to take in and I usually study for two nights a week and on Sundays. I find the teachers excellent and there's a very good atmosphere in the class and among the students. I was a bit concerned about my ability to still learn and remember things at my age - I'm 36 - but it's fine and I did biology at school, which has helped."

Liz Cowap was a night student on the course. She gave up her job as a pharmacist to forge a new career in horticulture. "I was working as a locum and I wasn't really getting much satisfaction from what I was doing," she says. "I couldn't bear the thought of doing the same thing for another 20 years and when I saw the course advertised, I decided to do it to see where it would lead. I loved gardening and felt the course would probably suit me."

Liz sailed through the examination and last September decided to hang up her white coat for good and to take a job in a garden centre. "I think the course gave me the confidence I needed to make the break," she says. "It also gave me a very good theoretical foundation. By just mixing with other students and the lecturers you pick up a hugh amount of practical information. I am really happy with my new job. I love the work and find it very enjoyable and satisfying."

For further information about the courses run by the Dublin School of Horticulture, contact Ciaran Burke at (01) 284 7387. There are plans to offer the advanced certificate, and Burke is currently working on a distance learning version of the general certificate course. He also hopes to be able to offer the course west of the Shannon later in the year.