The course in orchid cultivation and propagation aims at giving the fundamentals about this incredibly interesting and diverse plant family. This is for anyone who has a passion for orchids or has just received an orchid as a present and wants to take care of it the best way. There will be a presentation to explore the botanical diversity of orchids, their importance through history in different cultures and science.

In this one day course, we’ll learn a bit about what composition is, why it matters in botanical illustration, and cover useful hints on how to make a composition work.  After a look around the gardens considering what makes the shape of a plant appeal visually, we’ll complete a few exercises and learn how to use thumbnails (or re-arrange parts of your illustration) until you’re satisfied with the way the piece looks.  There’ll be a demo showing how quick and easy thumbnails can be to produce, and we’ll touch on negative space.

Travelling through the seasons we will explore the history, folklore and culture of three wild plants in bloom (or at least in foliage!) that month. The session will encourage you to search out plants in all seasons and enjoy the history in folklore and culture, and their use for medicines, cooking as well as the many and varied traditional names which help us trace that history.

This pruning roses workshop will cover the theory and practices of pruning shrub, climbing, and rambling roses. The workshop will discuss several pruning scenarios including when and how to prune. It will cover the different tools, techniques and principles used in maintenance and renovative pruning. We will also address aftercare needs including how to correctly deadhead roses and identify common pests and diseases. The attendees will have an opportunity to put their newly learned knowledge and skills into practice under guidance, by having a go at pruning roses in our Rose Garden.

Travelling back in time you will discover that the borders of the tropical region have been dynamic throughout the history of life on Earth with clues that have allowed us to understand the extent of the tropical belt, with a focus on the fossil record. You will then study current patterns of geographic distribution of plant diversity on Earth – discovering that it is not homogeneous, but dramatically different between continents.

Session1: Wed 8 Feb, Session 2: Wed 15 Feb, Session 3: Wed 22 Feb

Take an everyday vegetable, and turn it into a lovely botanical illustration.  Using a small palette of coloured pencils Janie will guide you through the stages to make your piece of artwork amazingly realistic.  You will be sent an image in advance, so that you’re ready to colour as soon as the course begins.  Full instructions on how to do this and a kit of everything you will need will be posted to you.

On this one day course Mark Crouch, Garden Landscapes Team Leader, will provide basic guidance on the routine summer pruning of common garden trees, shrubs and climbers.  Mark will use a combination of illustrated talks and practical demonstrations to show why we prune trees, shrubs and climbers, and what pruning can achieve. You will also have an opportunity to practice your pruning skills. He will also provide advice on caring for trees, shrubs and climbers and coping with common pests and diseases.

The eighteenth-century landscape garden is frequently hailed as being Britain’s greatest contribution to European culture. Its seductively simple formula made famous by Capability Brown, combined elegance with economic viability, and triumphed over the fashion for French formalism. Its genesis, however, was far from serene.

Travelling through the seasons we will explore the history, folklore and culture of three wild plants in bloom (or at least in foliage!) that month. The session will encourage you to search out plants in all seasons and enjoy the history in folklore and culture, and their use for medicines, cooking as well as the many and varied traditional names which help us trace that history.

Session 1: Sat 21 Jan, Session 2: Sat 4 Feb, Session 3: Sat 18 Feb, Session 4: Sat 4 Mar, Sat 5: Sat 18 Mar

Join Paul Herrington, who will share his top tips and skills to help you to make a start designing your own garden. Across five sessions you will explore design principles, ideas and inspiration, simple surveying and scale drawing, planning for the right plant in the right place as well as developing a layout plan for your own garden and how to ensure year round structure and interest.