University offers green degree

The course will look at creating gardens and studying plants

Students interested in becoming the next Alan Titchmarsh or Monty Don are being urged to enrol on a new degree course in Cornwall.

The BA Honours in Garden Design, which is to be offered at the new Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), is the first of its kind in the county.

Students will spend some of their time in specially-designed classrooms at the CUC's new centre at Tremough in Penryn.

The rest of the time will be studying in greenhouses and laboratories at the Duchy College in Rosewarne near Camborne.

Cornwall offers a unique resource for the study of gardens and landscape The Combined Universities in Cornwall

The course, which starts in October, will include the principles of creating gardens and an in-depth study of plants.

It is hoped Cornwall's links with historic gardens will encourage more research into the horticulture methods of the past.

There will also be a strong emphasis on environmentally-friendly garden design.

The CUC said: "Geographically, Cornwall offers a unique resource for the study of gardens and landscape.

"The environmental and climatic conditions provide a wealth of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate locations for historical study and horticultural project work.

"This new integrated discipline in garden design will nurture environmentally sensitive and sustainable design processes.

"The framework for design practice will be based on environmental concerns, community responsibility and innovative solutions to design problems."

The CUC is a partnership combining the universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Falmouth College of Arts, the Open University, the College of St Mark & St John, and the Peninsula Medical School, with some of the county's further education colleges, including Cornwall College, Truro College and Penwith College.