With a full class started this month on the Essential Garden Design Diploma, and the Good Gardening Diploma in full swing, it’s been a busy start to the year here at The English Gardening School. In the often gloomy January weather, we’re very thankful to be based at The Chelsea Physic Garden. With so much plant interest at any time of year, it never fails to be uplifting.
Welcome to The English Gardening School February Newsletter
February News
Returning tutors Nick Bailey and Troy Scott Smith
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- Nick Bailey
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- Troy Scott Smith
We are delighted to announce the return of Nick Bailey and Troy Scott Smith to the teaching staff at The English Gardening School.
Many of you will know Nick Bailey from your time with us, or from Gardeners’ World TV. Nick has worked across many sectors of horticulture over the last 30+ years, including nursery stock production, garden management, garden design, teaching, public speaking, horticultural consultancy, writing and broadcasting. Nick is also the former Head Gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden, where he spent seven years redesigning and developing the site and its plant collections for a contemporary audience. Nick will be teaching on our One-Year Good Gardening Diploma, and we are also excited to be offering a special four-day Planting Design course with Nick in the Autumn. See below for more details and how to book.
You will also be familiar with Troy Scott Smith through his work over the last 13 years as Head Gardener at one of the world’s most influential gardens, Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Troy Scott Smith was born in Yorkshire, into a family of committed naturalists, and spent his childhood exploring the geology and flora of England’s National Parks. He began his gardening at a young age, quickly developing a style of relaxed planting that mixed native wildings together with exotics.
In 1990, after 5 years studying horticulture and design, Troy joined the National Trust and became their youngest Head Gardener in 1997, at age 26. In the years since Troy has led the gardens at The Courts, Hyde Hall, Iford Manor, Bodnant and Sissinghurst, where he has been Head Gardener since 2013.
Troy joins us to teach on our One-Year Good Gardening Diploma at both the Chelsea Physic Garden and Sissinghurst, and we are thrilled to offer an exclusive, alumni-only day with Troy in June – The Making of a Garden. See below for more details and how to book.
Site Analysis & Surveying
on the Essential Garden Design Diploma
One of the first things that our students learn on the Essential Garden Design Diploma is the importance of site analysis. In addition to physically surveying the garden that is to be designed, students are asked to appraise what is working and what is not in the existing space.
They take careful note of the existing hard landscaping and planting, the views from the house and various points in the garden, and analyse where the light falls, where the prevailing wind is, and what the soil is like, among other factors.
This year, we are pleased to have Barbara Samitier of Moss Studio join us to explain how she presents concisely to her clients, supported by the Studio’s beautiful site analysis drawings. Alongside learning to take a thorough client brief, the site analysis will form the basis of our students’ designs, which they have already begun.
Essential Garden Design Diploma Class of 2026
Good Gardening Studies
Meanwhile, on the Good Gardening Diploma, where students learned many practical horticultural techniques last term, January focuses on plant selection, including lectures on perennials, small trees and shrubs, climbers, and hedging plants. Ed Flint has also been providing further insights into the more practical matters, such as establishing a wildflower meadow and how to prune and train climbers.
Clematis ‘Perle d’Azur’ and Rosa ‘New Dawn’ both of which can be pruned in late winter
Plant of the Month
Of all the many snowdrops, Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ is possibly the most reliable. One of the tallest, it bulks up quickly and stays in flower for about six weeks. Highly recommended.
Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’
Photo credit: Anna Omiotek-Tott
Rosemary and Tina’s Top Jobs
to do in the garden in February
- Prune wisteria and roses
Give wisteria its mid-winter prune (cut back long whippy stems to 2–3 buds).
Remove old, crossing or weak stems from climbing roses and tie in new growth. Prune all shrub roses this month. - Cut back deciduous grasses and herbaceous perennials
Cut back old stems now if you haven’t already, taking care not to damage emerging shoots. - Continue to mulch borders
On frost-free days, mulch around perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees with compost to conserve moisture and improve soil structure for the year ahead. - Hellebores
Remove old leaves early this month to give flowers space and avoid disease. - Epimedium
Remove old leaves early this month to tidy up and expose the flowers. The foliage regrows under the flowers. - Chit early potatoes
Bring seed potatoes into a light, cool place so plump shoots begin to form – a small but exciting sign of spring. - Continue hardy sowings under cover
Sow lettuces, sweet peas and other hardy annuals this month under cover.
Tina mulching the rose borders at Sandhill Farm House
Upcoming Courses and Visits
Next Open Day at Sandhill Farm House, Rogate
15th February 2026
Our EGS Founder, Rosemary Alexander has her own stunning front and rear garden opening for The National Garden Scheme this month. The one-acre garden is divided into garden rooms, including a small kitchen garden. The front garden has a spring focus, with a small woodland area. Each year, Rosemary opens her garden to herald the start of spring with a stunning display of snowdrops, set amongst other treasured trees and shrubs. This garden is a must-see for anyone looking to improve their winter garden.
SketchUp for Garden Design, Beginners Course at The Army Museum, London SW3 4HT
15th & 16th April
2 in person days with John Brooks, of SketchUp for Garden Design
Day 1: Introduction to SketchUp and what can be achieved using the software, template setup, interface & navigation; drawing basics; 3D modelling, groups/components/tags, 3D Warehouse
Day 2: Working with surveys, extensions and plugins, planting plans, including an introduction to PLANT25, presentations using Layout.
Study Day with Troy Scott Smith – ‘The Making of a Garden’
18th June 2026
For: English Gardening School Alumni only
Join us for an inspiring day on site at a new 5-acre garden near Bath, currently being designed and developed by renowned head gardener and plantsman Troy Scott Smith. This exclusive alumni event offers a rare opportunity to see a garden in its formative stages and to understand how a masterplan is developed for both the garden and wider estate.
Throughout the day, Troy will guide us through the creative, practical, and human sides of making a garden: from initial conversations with the client to putting spades in the ground, appointing gardeners, and establishing the long-term infrastructure that will support the garden as it grows.
Where possible, we will also hear directly from the owner and on-site gardeners, gaining multiple perspectives on how a new garden is envisioned, funded, built and maintained.
Planting Design with Nick Bailey – Chelsea Physic Garden
21st to 22nd October 2026, 18th to 19th November 2026
Join us for an intensive 4-day planting design course with Nick Bailey, one of the UK’s leading plantsmen and garden designers. Nick is known for his interactive teaching style, dynamic design approach, and innovative ideas in the art, craft, and science of planting design.
This course is designed for keen gardeners and garden designers seeking to refine their approach to planting in their own gardens or for clients. Nick covers a range of approaches to planting design, and students will be introduced to numerous plants they may never have considered growing. Nick will also share his wealth of experience in creating tailored plantings for a wide range of environments and styles, along with recommendations for top nurseries and inspiring gardens to visit.
Nick will share the techniques, plants and approaches behind his beautiful planting style. Discover a wide range of unusual and useful annuals, bulbs and exotics to enhance planting schemes. Explore the nature of genius loci and how to plant in tune with the wider landscape.
The final day of this four-day course explores case studies from Nick’s and other award-winning designers’ work. Using real garden examples, Nick will show students how the ideas, techniques and plant combinations discussed throughout the course are applied in practice. Nick will discuss his rationale for each scheme, revealing how planting choices respond to place, scale, and atmosphere, and how designs evolve over time.
This concluding day offers inspiration, clarity and confidence to help students apply these approaches to their own gardens and planting projects.
This is a 4 day course held at the Chelsea Physic Garden.
Spring Garden Tour, Oxfordshire
24th April 2026 10am-4.30pm
Our Spring Garden Tour is sold out, but if you would like to join the waiting list, please contact us at info@englishgardeningschool.co.uk.
Gardening for Beginners
22nd – 30th April 2026
Gardening for Beginners is sold out for Spring 2026. However, due to high demand for this popular course, we’re delighted to offer an additional Gardening for Beginners session later this year. For dates and booking details, please use the link below.
Thank you for following along, and happy gardening this month from The English Gardening School Team