R3112 UNDERSTANDING THE SELECTION & USE OF LANDSCAPING ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN

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1 INCLUDING EXMAINERS COMMENTS R311 UNDERSTANDING THE SELECTION & USE OF LANDSCAPING ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN Level 3 Thursday June :5 1:50 Written Examination Candidate Number:.. Candidate Name:. Centre Number/Name:. IMPORTANT Please read carefully before commencing: i) The duration of this paper is 85 minutes; ii) iii) iv) ALL questions should be attempted; EACH question carries 10 marks; Write your answers legibly in the spaces provided. It is NOT necessary that all lined space is used in answering the questions. v) Use METRIC measurements only; vi) vii) viii) Use black or blue ink only. Pencil may be used for drawing purposes only. Where plant names are required, they should include genus, species and where appropriate, cultivar; Where a question requires a specific number of answers; only the first answers given that meet the question requirement will be accepted, regardless of the number of answers offered; ix) Please note, when the word distinct is used within a question, it means that the items have different characteristics or features. Ofqual Unit Code A/507/5864 Please turn over/..

2 Q1 ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS Describe FIVE distinct contributions that containers can make to a garden.... MARKS 10 Please see over/..

3 .... Total Mark Please turn over/.. 3

4 Q a) Describe TWO different ways by which EACH of the following can be shown on a planting plan: i) plant names; ii) plant positioning Please see over/.. 4

5 b) Describe how you would set out the plants shown on the planting plan Total Mark Please turn over/.. 5

6 Q3 a) Define the term carbon footprint MARKS b) List FOUR factors affecting the carbon footprint of hard landscaping materials Please see over/.. 6

7 c) Select TWO distinct NAMED hard landscaping materials for surfacing a garden path designed for environmental sustainability, giving reasons for your choice Total Mark Please turn over/.. 7

8 Q4 Describe FIVE NAMED plants from different genera suitable for seasonal planting in a bedding scheme by completing the table below. Plant Season Decorative merit Please see over/.. 8

9 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Please turn over/.. 9

10 Q5 a) b) Describe what is meant by the term turf maze. Under EACH of the following headings, state for a turf maze : i) its contributions to the landscape; ii) the site characteristics required for its success; iii) its maintenance. MARKS 4 10 Please see over/..

11 ..... Total Mark Please turn over/.. 11

12 Q6 Describe how EACH of the following features can be made suitable for use in a garden for the visually impaired: i) path; ii) pergola Please see over/.. 1

13 .. Total Mark Please turn over/.. 13

14 Q7 Evaluate TWO distinct surface materials for use in a driveway (excluding cost considerations). MARKS 10 Please see over/.. 14

15 Total Mark Please turn over/.. 15

16 Q8 Describe TWO NAMED plants suitable for growing in shallow chalk soil by completing the table below. Decorative merit 1 Plant 1.. Plant.. Decorative merit Season of interest Height and spread Total Mark ******* 16

17 These questions are the property of the Royal Horticultural Society. They must not be reproduced or sold. The Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU3 6QB. Charity Registration Number: 879/SC

18 R311 UNDERSTANDING THE SELECTION & USE OF LANDSCAPING ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN Level 3 Thursday June 017 Candidates Registered 70 Total Candidates Passed 96% Candidates Entered 56 Passed with Commendation 8% Candidates Absent/Withdrawn 13 Passed 14% Candidates Deferred 1 Failed 4% Senior Examiner s Comments On the whole this paper was well answered with the majority of candidates attempting and completing all the questions. The following guidelines should be of help to future candidates. 1. Where named plant examples are asked for, full botanical names (genus and species) are required to achieve full marks. Common names will not be given a mark.. Use the command statements e.g. list or name (single words only), state (a few sentences), describe or explain (a fuller answer) together with the mark allocation, to judge the depth of the answer. Half marks are often allocated where the basic information given is correct but needs further qualification to gain the full mark. 3. Where a number of answers are specified in the question, the examiner will not select correct answers from a list e.g. if the question states State TWO plant names, only the first two names given will be marked. 4. Labels on diagrams should be correctly positioned to avoid ambiguity and diagrams should be clearly drawn and annotated. No marks will be awarded for artistic merit. 5. Candidates should use unambiguous plant examples as reference sources from, for example, the RHS Find a Plant Service available on the RHS Website. 18

19 Q1 Describe FIVE distinct contributions that containers can make to a garden. MARKS 10 Q1 Five contributions that containers can make to a garden include: positioned to create a focal point allow plants to be moveable enable plants to be grown in soil which isn t natural to the garden enable plants to be grown in areas with no soil can restrict the growth of invasive plants In order to describe the contribution, candidates would have had to provide an additional statement. For example: If saying They can be positioned to create a focal point then a suitable description would have included for example the use of a distinctive looking container and plant in a key visual location within the garden. This question was answered in detail by most candidates. 19

20 Q a) Describe TWO different ways by which EACH of the following can be shown on a planting plan: b) i) plant names; ii) plant positioning. Describe how you would set out the plants shown on the planting plan. 4 4 Q a) Two ways in which plant names can be shown on a plan: i) plant names on the drawing either directly over the plant symbols or with arrows pointing to the plant symbols plant names on a list (or key) at the side of the drawing referenced to the drawing itself by e.g. plant initials/colour coding/ labelling of the plant symbols ii) Two ways in which plant positions can be shown on a plan: symbols on the plan are shown in locations relative to the site as a whole. The position can be identified by reference to the scale that the plan is drawn at. a statement on plant spacing, density or quantity relating to an area, drawn to scale, designated for a group/mass planting. b) A suitable description of setting out plants shown on a plan could include the following points: plant positions taken from the plan by means of a scale rule plant positions located on the ground by measurements from other known points according to scale marking out an area for multiple plants by using a grid system on the drawing scaled to a grid (string and pegs) set out on the ground plants positioned over an area, at even spacing s according to spacing, density or quantity shown on the plan. it could also have included a description of the practical sequence/process of setting out, e.g. the positioning of key structural plants first, working down to the smaller ground cover plants. Candidates generally answered a) i) and ii) well, although candidates who didn t mention the use of scale in showing the position of plants in answering part a) ii) will not have been awarded full marks. In answers to part b) some candidates described the setting out of plants without clear reference to the drawing and the scale of the drawing. In some cases this gave the impression that they were describing the setting out of plants independently of the design being followed. An example of this would have been I would start by placing the large plants at the back of the border without any clear indication that the design showed the large plants at the back. Another common error was where the answer drifted beyond setting out into ground preparation and planting. No marks would have been awarded for descriptions of these. 0

21 Q3 a) Define the term carbon footprint. b) List FOUR factors affecting the carbon footprint of hard landscaping materials. c) Select TWO distinct NAMED hard landscaping materials for surfacing a garden path designed for environmental sustainability, giving reasons for your choice. 6 Q3 a) The carbon footprint can be defined as a measure of the greenhouse gases emitted from an activity/product either directly or indirectly. Candidates gaining full marks in a) needed to refer in their answer to carbon emissions and some reference to quantity or amount in relation to a product or process. Simply just stating that it is the environmental impact of a product or process would not have gained full marks. b) Four factors that affect the carbon footprint of a hard landscape material included: manufacturing transport installation recycling Part b) was generally answered well with candidates showing a good understanding of the different factors, especially transportation and manufacturing. c) Two distinct hard landscape materials suitable for the garden path include woodchip and recycled stone. For each material stated, two clear reasons why it could be chosen for a garden designed for environmental sustainability needed to be given. Examples for woodchip could have included: it is made from a renewable resource it may be locally sourced, hence with low transportation requirements. Part c) was also answered well though candidates who gave reasons for selection that did not relate to sustainability were not awarded full marks. 1

22 Q4 Describe FIVE NAMED plants from different genera suitable for seasonal planting in a bedding scheme by completing the table below. Plant Season Decorative merit Q4 Five suitable plants would have included: Erysimum cheiri Myosotis sylvatica Ageratum houstonianum Tagetes patula Cordyline australis In addition to the names simple statements were required for season and decorative merit. For example Erysimum cheiri, season is spring and a decorative merit is flowers in yellow/orange/red range This question was generally answered very well. However, where plants were named that are not suitable for seasonal planting in a bed (e.g. because they would not flower in their first year or they have a short flowering season), marks would not have been awarded. Herbaceous plants such Astilbe x arendsii were therefore not awarded marks. This question tended to be either very well answered with standard bedding plants, or other candidates showed a lack of understanding of suitable plants.

23 Q5 a) Describe what is meant by the term turf maze. b) Under EACH of the following headings, state for a turf maze : i) its contributions to the landscape; ii) the site characteristics required for its success; iii) its maintenance. 4 Q5 a) A turf maze can be described as an intricate path within a grass area forming the pattern of a maze by means of differential surfaces. Most candidates described two cutting heights as the differential surfaces but grass with gravel was also accepted. b) i) It was important for candidates to make clear that there were two different surfaces required for a turf maze. Candidates who did not do this would not have achieved full marks. Two contributions to the landscape were required for a turf maze. These could have included: used as a game/puzzle for recreation an aesthetic design feature ii) Four site characteristics were required. These could have included: free draining level ground fertile soil sufficiently large area iii) Two aspects of maintenance were required. These could have included: differential mowing of grass to maintain pattern weed control in the grass path Part b) was generally answered very well, however some candidates confused a turf maze with wildflower meadows that have paths cut through, and with hedge mazes and therefore were not awarded marks. 3

24 Q6 Describe how EACH of the following features can be made suitable for use in a garden for the visually impaired: i) path; ii) pergola. 6 4 Q6 i) Ways in which a path could be made suitable for use in a garden for the visually impaired could include the following: it should have clearly defined edges it could have hand rails electric lighting could be provided the surface should be slip resistant any gradient should be gentle and even there should be changes in surface texture at junctions ii) Ways in which a pergola could be made suitable for use in a garden for the visually impaired include the following: it needs to be high and wide enough to avoid risk of collision with uprights or beams when moving through it construction material should contrast against background scented plants could be used to climb over the pergola construction material should be smooth; no splinters Marks were not awarded for descriptions of the path through the pergola in Part ii) This question was generally well answered. 4

25 Q7 Evaluate TWO distinct surface materials for use in a driveway (excluding cost considerations). MARKS 10 Q7 Surface materials suitable for use in a driveway include block paving and gravel. In order to gain full marks for each material stated, at least four clear evaluative points needed to be made to include both negative and positive points. For example, for block paving suitable evaluative points would have been: available in a range of colours possible to lay in different patterns can be taken up and re-laid if necessary colours can fade over time This question was answered well with many candidates gaining full marks. 5

26 Q8 Describe TWO NAMED plants suitable for growing in shallow chalk soil by completing the table below. Decorative merit 1 Plant 1.. Plant.. Decorative merit Season of interest Height and spread Q8 Plants suitable for shallow soil over chalk include: Arbutus unedo and Cercis siliquastrum. In describing the characteristics under the given headings, clear unambiguous statements were required For example for Arbutus unedo, a suitable answer would be: decorative merit 1 White flowers decorative merit Red fruits season of interest Autumn height 6m Spread 6m Decorative merits needed to be distinctive features; green leaves was not sufficient. Some flexibility was allowed over height and spread, so for Arbutus unedo the description of a younger specimen of 4m x 4m would have been accepted. For herbaceous plants, a suitable plant spacing for individuals in a group would be accepted for spread. Where candidates stated examples of plants that would survive in a shallow soil over chalk but not perform well, half marks were awarded. 6

R3112 UNDERSTANDING THE SELECTION & USE OF LANDSCAPING ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN

INCLUDING EXAMINERS COMMENTS R3112 UNDERSTANDING THE SELECTION & USE OF LANDSCAPING ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN Level 3 Thursday 8 February 2018 11:25 12:50 Written Examination Candidate Number:.. Candidate