Groundwork School · Core Course
The Planting Design Studio
Eight weeks to planting plans with structure, seasons, and staying power — with your own garden as the project.
8 weeks · 3-4 hrs/week Cohort-based · doors close when full Capstone reviewed by a designer
What you'll learn
Leave with a plan, not just notes.
- Read any site: sun, soil, slope, and sight lines
- Compose planting that survives your climate
- Structure beds for four-season interest
- Present concepts clients (or spouses) say yes to
- Stage a build across seasons and budgets
- Avoid the five mistakes that kill new gardens
Curriculum
Eight weeks, four movements.
Weeks 1–2
Reading the Site
Measure-ups, sun mapping, drainage, and the site analysis that decides everything after it.
Weeks 3–4
Structure & Form
The bones of a planting plan — trees, hedging, and masses that hold the garden in winter.
Weeks 5–6
The Living Palette
Seasonal succession, texture, and combinations with maintenance honesty built in.
Weeks 7–8
Documentation & Capstone
Your own garden, drawn to a standard a builder respects — reviewed line by line.
Enrollment
Join the next cohort.
$449one-time · lifetime access
- — Every module recorded forever
- — Capstone reviewed personally by a designer
- — Templates for every drawing you'll make
- — One month of Community included
How much time each week?
Plan for 3–4 focused hours. Every module is recorded, so life can interrupt without penalty.
Do I need drawing skills?
No. We teach a paper-first method and provide every template — software is optional, taste is not.
What if I fall behind?
Lifetime access to materials, and you can roll into the next cohort for the live parts at no charge.