National Unit Specification: general information Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use NUMBER D3BE 11 COURSE Certificate in Garden Centre Operations SUMMARY Explaining plant groupings and plant labelling; identifying a range of plants and advising customers on plant selection. OUTCOMES 1 Identify a range of plants using common names and the binomial system. 2 Explain the broad groupings and sub-groupings of plants. 3 Outline the general usage of specific plant groups. 4 Explain symbols used on plant labels. 5 Explain common information on plants and advise on selection to customers. RECOMMENDED ENTRY There are no formal entry requirements for this unit. CREDIT VALUE 1 Credit. CORE SKILLS Administrative Information Superclass: SE Publication date: June 2000 Source: Scottish Qualifications Authority 2000 Version: 01 Scottish Qualifications Authority 2000 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that no profit is derived from reproduction and that, if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged. Additional copies of this unit specification can be purchased from the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The cost for each unit specification is 2.50 (minimum order 5.00).
Information on the automatic certification of any core skills in this unit is published in Automatic Certification of Core Skills in National Qualifications (SQA, 1999). Administrative Information Superclass: SE Publication date: June 2000 Source: Scottish Qualifications Authority 2000 Version: 01 Scottish Qualifications Authority 2000 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that no profit is derived from reproduction and that, if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged. Additional copies of this unit specification can be purchased from the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The cost for each unit specification is 2.50 (minimum order 5.00).
National Unit Specification: statement of standards Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use Acceptable performance in this unit will be the satisfactory achievement of the standards set out in this part of the unit specification. All sections of the statement of standards are mandatory and cannot be altered without reference to the Scottish Qualifications Authority. OUTCOME 1 Identify a range of plants using common names and the binomial system. a) The binomial system is outlined accurately. b) Plants are identified correctly using the binomial system. c) Plants are identified correctly using accepted common names. Note on range for the outcome Plants to include: trees; shrubs; hedging; roses; climbers and wall shrubs; bulbs; bedding plants; half hardy annuals and perennials; herbaceous; culinary herbs; water plants; house plants; alpines; turf and seeded lawns. Please refer to for the unit at the end of the Statement of Standards. OUTCOME 2 Explain the broad groupings and sub-groupings of plants. a) The broad groupings of plants are defined correctly. b) The main groups of woody plants are described correctly. c) The main groups of non-woody flowering plants are described correctly. d) The main groups of lower plants are described correctly. Note on range for the outcome The groupings should include the following: trees and shrubs, deciduous and evergreen; annuals; biennials; perennials; woody and herbaceous; hardy and half hardy; turf and seeded lawns. Please refer to for the unit at the end of the Statement of Standards. Unit specification Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use 3
National Unit Specification: statement of standards (cont) Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use OUTCOME 3 Outline the general usage of specific plant groups. a) Plants are correctly described. b) Plants are correctly classified into specific plant groups. c) Appropriate uses for plants are correctly identified. Note on range for the outcome Plants to include: trees; shrubs; hedging; roses; climbers and wall shrubs; bulbs; bedding plants; annuals; half hardy perennials; herbaceous; culinary herbs; water plants; house plants; alpines; turf; heather/heathers; rhododendrons and seeded lawns. Please refer to for the unit at the end of the Statement of Standards. OUTCOME 4 Explain symbols used on plant labels. a) Sun/shade criteria on labels is correctly explained. b) Height and spread information on labels is correctly explained. c) Planting depth on labels is correctly identified. d) The use of award signs and symbols on labels is correctly understood. Please refer to for the unit at the end of the Statement of Standards. Unit specification Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use 4
National Unit Specification: statement of standards (cont) Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use OUTCOME 5 Explain common information in plants and advise on selection to customers. a) Acknowledgement and greeting of customer is polite and courteous. b) Customer enquiries regarding plant choice are listened to carefully. c) Appropriate action is taken to meet customer enquiry. d) Options and information are presented correctly and are relative to customer needs. Performance evidence in which the candidate has to deal with two different customer enquiries. Evidence in the form of role play could be used. EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE Outcome 1 Written and/or oral evidence of the candidate s ability to outline nomenclature is required for Performance Criterion (a). Performance evidence of the candidate s ability to identify correctly 50 plants as follows: 5 trees; 5 shrubs; 3 hedging; 2 roses; 5 climbers and wall shrubs; 5 bulbs; 5 bedding/annuals/half hardy perennials; 5 herbaceous; 3 culinary herbs; 2 water plants; 5 house plants; 5 alpines for Performance Criteria (b) and (c). Evidence of overall level of attainment corresponding to 80% must be generated from Performance Criteria (b) and (c). Outcome 2 Evidence of an appropriate level of attainment must be generated with items covering all performance criteria. Written and/or oral evidence of the candidate' ability to produce definitions and descriptions. Unit specification Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use 5
National Unit Specification: statement of standards (cont) Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use Outcome 3 For Performance Criteria (a), (b) and (c) Written and/or oral evidence of the candidate s ability to describe, classify and identify uses of 50 plants as follows: 5 trees; 5 shrubs; 3 hedging; 2 roses; 3 climbers and wall shrubs; 5 bulbs; 5 bedding/annuals/half hardy perennials; 5 herbaceous; 3 culinary herbs; 2 water plants; 5 house plants; 5 alpines is required. 2 heathers/rhododendrons Outcome 4 Written or oral evidence that the candidate can identify and explain common information and symbols used on plant labels. Outcome 5 Performance Evidence in which the candidate has to deal with two different customer enquiries. Evidence gathered through simulation/role play would be acceptable. Unit specification Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use 6
National Unit Specification: support notes Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use This part of the unit specification is offered as guidance. The support notes are not mandatory. While the exact time allocated to this unit is at the discretion of the centre, the notional design length is 40 hours. GUIDANCE ON THE CONTENT AND CONTEXT FOR THIS Outcome 1 The advantages and disadvantages of common names and scientific names should be explained. Discussion of the binomial system should include genus and species, varieties, cultivars and hybrids. Plants for identification purposes should all be those plants commonly available in garden centres. Attention should be given to heathers and rhodendendrums and garden centre good sellers. Outcome 2 The broad groupings of plants should be considered with respect to the area of interest and need not relate strictly to accepted taxonomic divisions. The differences between the terms tree and shrub, evergreen and deciduous, annual, biennial and perennial, woody and herbaceous, hardy and half hardy should all be introduced when appropriate plant groups are being considered. Outcome 3 Specific plant groups should relate to grouping as usually found in garden centres; trees, shrubs, hedging, roses, climbers and wall shrubs, bulbs, bedding, herbaceous perennials, culinary herbs, water plants, house plants, alpines. There should be discussion of the common usage in design terms of plants within the amateur garden. This should give the candidate the confidence to offer advise to the customers. Outcome 4 The need for correct labelling should be explained. Discussion on the various points of information available from labels and how these information points may be explained to the customer. Award signs could include: Royal Horticultural Society (RHS); Award of Merit (AM); Award of Garden Merit (AGM); First Class Certificate (FCC); Poisonous Plants Code of Practice. Outcome 5 Discussion on effective communication with customers. Options available to the candidate eg. where to find information if the candidate cannot answer the question fellow staff members, reference books, plant labels. Ability to be honest with the customer if information is not to hand. GUIDANCE ON LEARNING AND TEACHING APPROACHES FOR THIS Some formal sessions could be used to introduce identification and morphology. Delivery of most of the unit should, however, be strongly candidate - centred and should be carried out by investigating living plant material growing in situ and in pots in a variety of situations as sold in garden centres. Although the 50 plants required for identification should be introduced as early as possible in the teaching programme, detailed examination of living plant material growing in situ should be carried out in stages. A minimum of 15 plants should be considered in each stage. Unit specification Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use 7
National Unit Specification: support notes (cont) Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use Candidates should be encouraged to use books and catalogues for self-learning for both identification purposes and to determine plant use. Formal sessions should again be used in order to reach an understanding of how the information available from plant labels used to sell plants. GUIDANCE ON APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT FOR THIS Outcome 1 Evidence on the understanding of the binomial system may be gathered through short answer questions, either written or oral. Plant identification by common and botanical names should be proved by written or oral questioning. Outcome 2 Evidence may be gathered through written or oral questioning. Outcome 3 Evidence may be gathered through the production of a folio. Outcome 4 Evidence may be gathered through written or oral questioning. Outcome 5 Evidence could be gathered from direct observation in a real or simulated situation or through role play. SPECIAL NEEDS This unit specification is intended to ensure that there are no artificial barriers to learning or assessment. Special needs of individual candidates should be taken into account when planning learning experiences, selecting assessment instruments or considering special alternative outcomes for units. For information on these, please refer to the SQA document Guidance on Special Assessment and Certification Arrangements for Candidates with Special Needs/Candidates whose First Language is not English (SQA, 1998). Unit specification Garden Centre Operations: Plant Identification, Selection and Use 8