Horticulture
It’s a very friendly college and it feels like you’re in one big, happy community
-
Horticulture
The historic and listed grounds at Bicton College provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about amenity horticulture and to work with the College’s extensive plant collections. Over the past few years, the College has earned a reputation for producing learners who have the skills necessary to carry out a wide range of horticultural tasks, and we are keen to improve and expand on this status. We are also one of the few Colleges to have links with the famous Victorian plant hunters.
Many of our past students are now successfully working in, or running their own, businesses in landscaping and garden maintenance or working with organisations such as the Royal Horticultural Society, National Trust or many other well-known gardens.
On our full-time horticultural programmes, learners may have opportunities to gain additional qualifications such as spraying certificates and emergency first aid qualifications.
Facilities- English Heritage Grade 1 listed landscape
- Formal gardens; extensive plant collections including the national collection of Pittosporum and important other collections of agapanthus, camellias, cherries, eucalyptus and magnolias
- Arboretum; created in the 1820s containing many mature and unusual species and a significant number of 'Champion' trees. A large number of specimens collected by the Veitch plant hunters
- Walled kitchen gardens; 1Ha and 0.5Ha
- Historic parkland; 25Ha containing many specimen of mature native tree species and the longest avenue of monkey puzzle trees in Europe containing many rare lichen and home to a wide range of fauna
- Glasshouses; 100m2 of heated glass containing tropical and house plant species. 200m2 of unheated glass utilised for propogation. 100m2 of poly tunnel
- Sport turf; 3Ha of football, hockey, rugby and cricket pitches
- Orchards; 2Ha of mature fruit orchards
- Lake; 3.6Ha of freshwater lake
- Alder Grove; wet woodland area including wildlife pond and managed coppice area. Wildlife trails and board walks
- Conservation areas; numerous areas of diverse conservation value have been established around the grounds and farmed areas
- Forestry; easy access to extensive areas of hard and soft wood forestry in various states of maturity