Short Courses:
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Designing with Plants
4-day workshop (1 day a week) with Simon Pyle and Rachel Myers
14, 21, 28 January, 4 February 2010 (10am - 4pm)
£540 inclusive of VAT and lunch
An intensive course teaching how to design effective plant groupings for your own garden. Learn to combine plants for structure, form, and year-round interest, consider different situations, styles, textures, colour clashes and harmonies. You will produce an individual planting plan and plant list to ensure that your next visit to a nursery is with a clear idea of what to buy and where to plant it, a well designed border rather than a random collection of plants. Class size limited to 16.
Simon Pyle Dip EGS is Vice Principal of The English Gardening School, a tutor on our Diploma Course in Garden Design and various short courses.
Rachel Myers obtained the EGS Diploma in Garden Design and now runs her own garden design practice in Oxford. Her work is featured in the book The Book of Garden Plans.
Gardening for Beginners - Basic Horticulture
4 days (1 day a week) with Steven Bradley
18, 25 January, 01, 08 February 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£485 inclusive of VAT and lunch
An intensive course to give the novice gardener the confidence and skill to create and maintain a healthy garden. Learn how plants work and what they need to survive plus advice on where to begin. Step-by-step techniques cover everything from sowing seeds and arranging plants in a border, to laying a lawn and pruning. Our aim is to give you the confidence to plan and plant your garden and deal with weeds, pests, diseases and other problems. A hands-on workshop limited to 20 participants.
Steven Bradley MHort (RHS) MA is a garden writer, regular broadcaster, and Chelsea Flower Show medal winner. He is the author of more than 30 books.
Designing with Plants
4-day workshop with Simon Pyle and Caroline Tatham
15, 16, 17, 18 February 2010 (10.00am - 4.00pm)
£540 inclusive of VAT and lunch
An intensive course teaching how to design effective plant groupings for your own garden. Learn to combine plants for structure, form, and year-round interest, consider different situations, styles, textures, colour clashes and harmonies. You will produce an individual planting plan and plant list to ensure that your next visit to a nursery is with a clear idea of what to buy and where to plant it, a well designed border rather than a random collection of plants. Class size limited to 16.
Simon Pyle Dip EGS is Vice Principal of The English Gardening School, a tutor on our Diploma Course in Garden Design and various short courses.
Caroline Tatham obtained the EGS Diploma in Garden Design and now runs her own garden design practice in Gloucestershire.
Trees - what types to choose and their care in town or country gardens
1-day lecture with Ken Burras
22 February 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
An often overlooked but vital subject, the course will cover sourcing and selection of nursery stock; where and how to plant,staking and protection; irrigation, formative pruning and aftercare; pests and diseases and remedial pruning; selecting species and cultivars both conifers and broadleaved trees.
Ken Burras was Superintendent of the University Botanic Gardens, Oxford, from 1963 -1988. He has been awarded the highly prestigious Associateship of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in recognition of 50 years of contribution to horticulture. A much-loved tutor of the English Gardening School.
Growing Vegetables
2-day course (1 day a week) with Sarah Cook
4, 11 March 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£285 inclusive of VAT and lunch
Since retiring as head gardener at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Sarah has spent much of her time pursuing her favourite garden pastime of growing food to eat.
Sarah will teach a blend of new and traditional methods and crops to ensure you get the best food and maximum enjoyment from your vegetable plot, whatever size, from pots to the walled kitchen garden, raised beds and allotments. An unforgettable day with a truly 'hands-on' expert gardener.
Sarah Cook was previously head gardener at Sissinghurst Castle Garden and, with her partner Jim Marshall, now runs a garden consultancy practice.
Making Meadows, Attracting Wildlife and Plant Ecology
1-day course with Noel Kingsbury and Pam Lewis
15 March 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£145 inclusive of VAT and lunch
See plants from 'the rabbit's eye view'! Noel Kingsbury introduces some key concepts from plant ecology - enlightening for all gardeners, but particularly for those trying to develop low-maintenance and naturalistic plantings.
Pam Lewis shows how she looks to nature for inspiration and guidance in the design, planting and management of her wildlife garden and wildflower meadows.
Conservation, creativity and productivity were the original objectives and, 20 years on, the rewards continue to grow as incremental changes are made to meet the current pressing environmental and social issues.
Noel Kingsbury is well known as a garden lecturer and writer. His numerous books include The Wild Flower Garden, The Ultimate Planting Guide and Natural Gardening in Small Spaces. His garden project at Cowley Manor in Gloucestershire has been recognised as one of the most important visionary schemes of its kind.
Pam Lewis is a noted gardener and conservationist who designs and creates wildlife gardens and specialises in the making and management of wildflower meadows. Her land at Sticky Wicket in Dorset is the subject of her two books published by Frances Lincoln: Making Wildflower Meadows in 2003 and Sticky Wicket: Gardening in Tune with Nature in 2005.
Small Spaces with Jill Billington
2-day workshop (1 day a week) with Jill Billington
18, 25 March 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£285 inclusive of VAT and lunch
In this 2-day workshop with respected designer Jill Billington we are encouraged to rethink our own small plots. Jill's passion for plants combines well with an understanding of the spatial function of a garden. Living in London has meant that many of her commissions have been in the town. Problem-solving is a particular strength so resolving difficulties like shaded or tiny sites, lack of privacy, ugly features that need screening and gardens in need of rejuvenation are all considered.
Jill Billington trained in fine art, and became a garden designer 30 years ago. She lectures in the UK and abroad in all aspects of the subject and has written many books, of which Really Small Gardens is a best seller. She is an RHS gardens judge for Chelsea and other shows.
Gardening for Intermediates - Grow Your Own
1-day workshop with Steven Bradley
22 March 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
To include seed sowing - what seeds, where to obtain, viability, growing medium, sowing times and whether or not to cover; sowing in propagators, glasshouses and open ground.
Created for students who have completed the 'Gardening for Beginners' course with Steve, this day is part of a 4-day course (one day in each of the four seasons) which will take your gardening knowledge and skill to a higher level. Specifically designed to cover the seasonal aspects of gardening, Steve Bradley will explain and demonstrate many of the different gardening tasks and techniques to be carried out in the garden throughout the year.
The course is based on a rolling programme running through the gardening year, which allows students to step into this course whenever their time and commitments allow.
Steven Bradley MHort (RHS) MA is a garden writer, regular broadcaster, and Chelsea Flower Show medal winner. He is the author of more than 30 books.
Contemporary Country Gardens with James Alexander-Sinclair
1-day course with James Alexander-Sinclair
12 April 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£145 inclusive of VAT and lunch
Gardens in the country do not always have to be about twining roses and lavender. Just because they settle into the bucolic delights of the country it does not necessarily mean that the gardens need to lack edge or excitement.
The idea is to examine some sharply attired country gardens (both their structure and their planting), to try out some practical design, talk about gardens and design and generally to have a thoroughly enjoyable day.
James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, journalist, broadcaster and blogger. He mostly specialises in larger country gardens. A TV presenter, he has a regular column in Gardeners World Magazine and has written for most magazines and newspapers. He is also an RHS judge.
Vertical Gardening - Climbing and Wall Shrubs
1-day illustrated lecture with Ken Burras
15 April 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
An informative day devoted to climbers and shrubs with a most popular tutor.
Ken will help you choose the appropriate climber (self-clinging, thorn, twining, tendril) and support techniques (wall-wiring, timber and plastic trellis, timber and Metpost supports, pergolas, bowers and arches); the selection and preparation of sites; planting, pruning and combining with other plants.
The various topics wil be illustrated with appropriate equipment, living material and slides.
Ken Burras was Superintendent of the University Botanic Gardens, Oxford, from 1963 -1988. He has been awarded the highly prestigious Associateship of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in recognition of 50 years of contribution to horticulture. A much-loved tutor of the English Gardening School.
Herbs
1-day illustrated lecture with Sarah Cook
26 April 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
The day will start by focusing on the very wide range of culinary herbs, choosing what to grow, how to grow them and how to ensure a year-round supply of fresh herbs. The herb garden at Sissinghurst Castle will be used as a case study to see how herbs, used in the widest sense of the word, can add interest and turn your herb patch into a work of art.
Sarah Cook was previously head gardener at Sissinghurst Castle Garden and, with her partner Jim Marshall, now runs a garden consultancy practice.
Planting through the Seasons
1-day course with Chris Marchant
29 April 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
A day for all those with high expectations of their garden space. Chris will explain the concept of 'planting hierarchies' to achieve a balanced composition within a border, colour theories for exciting planting, and the use of patterns, rhythms and repetition to achieve a harmonious effect - all of the above to be explored with particular regard to herbaceous planting.
The day will be structured to be of interest to both professional designers and keen garden owners.
Chris Marchant is a partner of Orchard Dene Nurseries and has been designing and implementing planting schemes for the past 20 years. Orchard Dene Nurseries has contributed to numerous Gold Medal winning gardens at Chelsea, including the highly acclaimed millennium garden designed by Piet Oudolf and Arne Maynard.
Gardening Solutions with Helen Yemm
1-day course with Helen Yemm
10 May 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£145 inclusive of VAT and lunch
This informal day course gives gardeners a chance to get to grips with the problems that plague us all. Drawing on her considerable experience of both town and country gardening, and covering whatever subject the group finds useful, Helen Yemm will cover some fundamentals - such as composting, soil improvement, renovating shrubs and dealing with weeds and pests.
After this morning 'warm-up', the afternoon will become a serious question and answer session. No question is too basic, no stone will go unturned. Serious pests and diseases can only attend this course if they are securely sealed in plastic bags.
Helen Yemm is best known for her weekly column Thorny Problems in the Telegraph Gardening section. Helen taught basic gardening for years, and was the presenter of BBC2's much-repeated series Gardening from Scratch.
Flowering Rooftops and Living Walls
1-day course with Noel Kingsbury and Mark Laurence
13 May 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£145 inclusive of VAT and lunch
Never has there been a better time to combine building and gardening! Green roofs are now well established in the mainstream. Noel Kingsbury introduces the concept and discusses how to make the most of them horticulturally. He also discusses recent developments in greening walls using climbers and vertical planting.
Noel Kingsbury is well known as a garden lecturer and writer. His numerous books include The Wild Flower Garden, The Ultimate Planting Guide and Natural Gardening in Small Spaces. His garden project at Cowley Manor in Gloucestershire has been recognised as one of the most important visionary schemes of its kind.
Mark Laurence first started his landscape career in 1978, working for internationally renowned water garden expert and author Anthony Archer-Willis. He then worked on a self-employed basis, gaining wide experience as a landscape and arboricultural contractor until 1987, after which he took the plunge and set up his design practice.
Gardening as if the Future Mattered
1-day workshop with Mark Laurence
20 May 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
In this workshop we will explore the future role of gardens in an era of increasing population, diminishing energy supplies and global warming. Mark has designed and built many gardens, all with some aspect of ecologically-driven design, including experiments with biofiltration, cyclical systems, natural planting and design psychology. In the face of rising global challenges we look at new ways of producing beautiful, productive spaces in which to live and work.
Mark Laurence first started his landscape career in 1978, working for internationally renowned water garden expert and author Anthony Archer-Willis. He then worked on a self-employed basis, gaining wide experience as a landscape and arboricultural contractor until 1987, after which he took the plunge and set up his design practice.
Gardening for Intermediates - Protected Cropping and Growing
1-day workshop with Steven Bradley
7 June 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£125 inclusive of VAT and lunch
To include advanced use of greenhouses, polythene tunnels (large and small), cloches, frames and conservatories; raising half hardies and exotics.
Created for students who have completed the 'Gardening for Beginners' course with Steve, this day is part of a 4-day course (one day in each of the four seasons) which will take your gardening knowledge and skill to a higher level. Specifically designed to cover the seasonal aspects of gardening, Steve Bradley will explain and demonstrate many of the different gardening tasks and techniques to be carried out in the garden throughout the year.
The course is based on a rolling programme running through the gardening year, which allows students to step into this course whenever their time and commitments allow.
Steven Bradley MHort (RHS) MA is a garden writer, regular broadcaster, and Chelsea Flower Show medal winner. He is the author of more than 30 books.
Gardening for Beginners - Basic Horticulture
4 days (1 day a week) with Steven Bradley
14, 21, 28 June, 5 July 2010 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
£485.00 inclusive of VAT and lunch
An intensive course to give the novice gardener the confidence and skill to create and maintain a healthy garden. Learn how plants work and what they need to survive plus advice on where to begin. Step-by-step techniques cover everything from sowing seeds and arranging plants in a border, to laying a lawn and pruning. Our aim is to give you the confidence to plan and plant your garden and deal with weeds, pests, diseases and other problems. A hands-on workshop limited to 20 participants.
Steven Bradley MHort (RHS) MA is a garden writer, regular broadcaster, and Chelsea Flower Show medal winner. He is the author of more than 30 books.
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