TMCC in Reno has a landscape design course.
An instructor for fields like this love hands on projects.
When I was studying carpentry and we did residential framing locals would contact the school the instructor would set up real framing jobs with local contractors and we would go work with/for them for hands on experience.
Small community colleges typically don't have budgets for things like a 10,000 dollar landscape job just to teach but if you emailed their course instructor with what you need, some pics, your wants, and yor budget you might get a dozen college kids guided by a professional contractor and their course instructor.
Just a thought.
