Course Programme 2023/24

Choose a course then get in touch to make a booking or for more information. Alternatively, if looking for someone else you could always get them a gift voucher. Class sizes are small to give you the best experience and to optimise any practical elements.

All of our courses and workshops include refreshments and homemade biscuits or cake.

For a full calendar of our upcoming courses and workshops please go to Course Calendar.

QUALIFICATIONS

RBGE Certificate in Practical Horticulture

10 week course once a week £950

The Certificate in Practical Horticulture (CPH) is a unique and very popular course which focuses on the essential skills needed by budding horticulturalists today. As a CPH student you will learn key practical skills, taught by experienced and enthusiastic horticulturalists. The essential theory behind the practice is explained, then most of the time is spent learning practical skills and getting your hands dirty. Subjects covered on the course include Soil Care, Feeding & Watering, Seed & Vegetative Propagation and Growing Media. At the end a certificate is awarded by The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) who developed the course.

Please note that there may be funding available to help with course fees. Contact us for further details.

Friday 12th January for 10 weeks (exc. 23rd February) - 9.30-4.30

Friday 19th April for 10 weeks (exc. 31st May) - 9.30-4.30

Friday 13th September for 10 weeks 9.30-4.30

contact us for more info or to book your place

Diploma in Garden Design

30 week course, two days a week £7500

This is the course for anyone wanting to become a professional garden designer, equipping you to set up on your own or join an established garden design practice. Whether you have just finished a horticulture course, are working as a gardener, looking for a career change or have retired and want a new challenge. You will learn to think like a designer and will gain all of the skills and knowledge in design, construction, horticulture and business which you will need to get going. You will be taught by some of the best in the industry including Tom Hoblyn and Tom Stuart-Smith. Your mentors will include other award-winning garden designers and landscapers. A range of inspirational field trips to outstanding public and private gardens as well as growers is included in the programme plus site visits. Students will graduate with a portfolio of work and both the skills and the confidence to work on professional design projects. This course has SGD (Society of Garden Designers) Educator accreditation.

Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th September 2023 for 30 weeks (finishing July 2024) - 9.30-3.30

Term One: 18th September to 28th November (excluding w/c 23rd October)

Term Two: 8th January to 19th March (excluding w/c 19th Feb)

Term Three: 15th April to 1st July (excluding 6th May and w/c 27th May)

2024/25 Diploma starts Monday 16th September, finishes July 2025

Get in touch for the course brochure.

DESIGN
Introduction to Garden Design

8 week course once a week £750

The course gives a basic foundation in the art of garden design, from site survey to final plan. We will look at the principles and processes involved, and discuss how great design is not about being artistic. We will visit an inspiring private garden, looking at design principles and features in practice, as well as at the key importance of right plant, right place. We will create planting plans using many different resources. It will be a collaborative process, with lots of input and support from the tutor.

Thursday 11th January for 8 weeks (exc. 22nd February) - 10-3

Thursday 18th April for 8 weeks (exc. 30th May) - 10-3

Thursday 12th September for 8 weeks - 10-3

contact us for more info or to book your place

Border Design

2 day course £200

This two-day course will equip you with skills and ideas to draw up your own border design. You'll learn how to compose a planting scheme by exploring colour theory, plant combinations and styles, layering, seasonality and scale. We'll also look at practical considerations, such as soil type and aspect, and learn how to choose the right plant, for the right place.

Thursday 14th & 21st March 10-3

Thursday 20th & 27th June 10-3

PLANTS AND PLANTING

Gardening More Sustainably

4 day course £380 (or £100 per day if booked separately)

Extreme weather patterns are making gardening increasingly challenging and we have been looking at ways to change the way we garden in the future. We’d like to share our ideas and tips with you. Over four days we will look at how to sustain our natural resources, how to create and support biodiversity and how to save water, time and money while avoiding the use of plastic, peat and pesticides. We’ll look at how to work with nature, not how to tame it, and we will make a plea for a little less order in the garden and bit more mess! Interested in joining us? Read on.

Part One – Where it all begins

We will focus first of all on our soil. We’ll show you how to test your soil then look at how to improve soil health, how to manage soil-borne pests and diseases without chemicals, the importance of fungus, how and why to create our own soil improving mulches and we will learn about the no-dig method of cultivation.

Wednesday 7th February 10-3

Part Two – Water, water

This session is all about water. How to conserve and harvest it, how to use less of it, how and why to include small and large areas of water in our gardens, the challenge of bog and rain gardens. Gardening in the future with either too much or too little water will be one of the key challenges we will all face and we need to know how to make our gardens beautiful and productive but also resilient.

Wednesday 6th March 10-3

Part Three – All about plants

If our gardens are to be resilient, they need to contain the right plants, both for us and for wildlife including pollinators. We will look at plants for dry and wet conditions, at creating and managing wildflower meadows, at forest gardening, at increasing the use of perennials in our herbaceous borders as well as our veg gardens, and at managing our trees and hedges to create shade and wildlife habitat. We will also look at how to create some plants for free and how to source others in the most sustainable way.

Wednesday 10th April 10-3

Part Four – Reduce, reuse, recycle

The final part of our journey to garden more sustainably focuses on making use of everything we already have in our gardens and should result in fewer trips to garden centres and DIY stores. Among other things we will make our own growing medium, create a composting system, discover why dead hedges are so useful, start a loam stack to create topsoil and learn how to create home grown plant supports.

Wednesday 8th May 10-3

contact us to find out more info or to book your place

The Sustainable Cutting Garden

1 day course £100

This new course is taught by leading Norfolk cut flower grower and florist, Sarah Hammond, and will show you how to have sustainable, seasonal blooms in your own garden. She will cover the planning and establishment of your cut flower beds, however small or large your space. Sarah will then lead you through the next six months, looking at what you need do, month by month, as well as what you could be cutting now if you had planted it earlier. The focus is on growing perennials for cutting as well as promoting self-seeding and minimising the use of plastic, pesticides and water in your cutting garden.

Wednesday 28th February 10-3

Wednesday 20th March 10-3

Wednesday 24th April 10-3

Wednesday 5th June 10-3

Starting from Scratch

This is a three part series of one day courses which help new gardeners get the basics right. These are stand alone courses and can be booked individually.

Starting from Scratch: How to Garden

1 day course £100

If you are new to gardening and want help getting started, this is the course for you! We'll look at the basics needed to get started and make a success of your garden. Topics covered will include: choosing tools, demystifying some of the words gardeners use, getting the best out of your soil, helping you work out what plants will thrive in your garden, garden maintenance, garden composting and how to deter pests and diseases. We will include some practical elements and you should feel a lot more confident at the end of the day.

Wednesday 12th June 10-3

Starting from Scratch: How to sow seeds and take cuttings

1 day course £100

This is all about getting plants for free (or almost free). You'll learn how to grow your own plants from scratch, both from seed and from taking cuttings from other plants. Propagating plants is an exciting, inexpensive and easy way to get new plants from plants you or your friends already have. We will take you step-by-step through everything you need to know about propagation. We will do lots of seed sowing and take cuttings which you will be able to take home with you.

Wednesday 19th June 10-3

Starting from Scratch: How to grow veg

1 day course £100

Do you want to start growing your own tasty salads and veg but are now sure where to start? This one day course will take you through all the steps to creating a veg patch, however big or small your space, and we will spend time outside learning more easy tips to getting going with your very own veg crops. You'll take home some veg plants and some pots of newly sown seed with you.

Wednesday 26th June 10-3

Dahlia Workshops

Dahlia Workshop Part One

3 hour workshop £70

This first workshop will look at how to propagate, grow and get the best from these beautiful plants. This will include overwintering, planting, cultivating and protecting from pests. Sarah will look at the cultivars which are most suitable for cut flowers.

Tuesday 9th April 10-1

Dahlia Workshop Part Two

3 hour workshop £80 (takes place at Sarah’s farm in Knapton and includes flowers)

A follow up workshop where we will explore cutting, conditioning and arranging dahlias. You will make an arrangement to take home with you.

Thursday 4th July 10-1

Peony Masterclass

1 day course £120 (inc flowers)

This will take place at Sarah Hammond’s farm in Knapton where she grows her famous peonies. The workshop will cover how to propagate and grow peonies as well as how to harvest, condition and arrange them. We will look at the different types of peony and how to select ones to grow in your own garden.

The day will include a visit to the peony field and you will make a hand-tied bouquet to take home using peonies and other flowers from the cutting garden. This is a hugely popular masterclass so book early to avoid disappointment.

Thursday 6th June 10-3

Tulip Masterclass

1 day course £100

We would like to help you create stunning tulip arrangements in your own pots and beds next spring. We will guide you through selecting and planting these wonderful flowers, step by step. We will look at lots of different tulip planting combinations, including perfect planting companions, then talk about our top tulip recommendations and different planting methods and styles. Whether you would like to try a bulb lasagne or create a tulip cutting bed we will help you work out quantities and combinations and then show you how to plant them and how to look after them. We’ll share with you our favourite suppliers of top quality bulbs, and all this in time to get your orders in for an autumn delivery.

Wednesday 20th September 10-3

Planting for Year-Round Colour and Interest

1 day course £100

We will look at how to plan and plant for year-round colour and interest, using shrub stems and a range of leaf colours as well as flowering bulbs, perennials and annuals. The course will also cover techniques to extend summer flowering and create winter interest. There will always be a high and a low season in the garden but with some careful planting you can have colour and interest in your garden all year.

Wednesday 13th March 10-3

Willow & Hazel Plant Supports

1 day course £115 inc. materials

This popular course looks at the very important spring gardening job, creating supports for your precious plants before they need them. We will cover why, when and how to stake and support different plants and we will spend some time showing you how to create your own supports, including ones made from willow and hazel prunings. You will get the chance to make some simple supports yourself and go home inspired to make more.

Wednesday 27th March 10-3

contact us to find out more info or to book your place

Border Renovation

1 day course £100

You may have taken on a new garden or have a mature border which needs some attention. We will look at how to lift and divide perennials, prune and renovate shrubs, refresh the planting plan and increase the season of interest. We will look at how using colour, height and shape, as well as successional planting can provide year round interest. We will also talk about improving the soil structure with a range of organic mulches.

Wednesday 17th April 10-3

Plants For Free – Propagation and Seed Saving

1 day course £100

This highly practical course shows you how to propagate many of your favourite plants and shrubs and create new plants for free. We will collect material for cuttings or you can bring your own. We will also look at why and how to save and store seed. There is a strong seasonal aspect to this course as we take the take the right type of cuttings for the time of year, collect ripe seed and sow seeds in their season. Expect to leave the course with newly propagated plants and some envelopes of seeds. Includes growing medium, containers and all plant material.

Friday 12th April

Gardening Under Glass

1 day course £100

You may have recently acquired a greenhouse or inherited one and you may be wondering how best to use it. The things you can grow under glass are endless: flowers, tropical plants, vines, vegetables. You can also use your greenhouse to get going early with seeds and to protect tender plants through the winter. You can have things growing and looking good all year round if you’d like to. This course will look at all these options and cover the key tips for what to grow and how to get the most out of your greenhouse, including watching out for potential pests and diseases.

Wednesday 15th May 10-3

Developing An Annual Maintenance Plan

1 day course £100

Whether you look after your garden yourself or have some help it is really useful to create your own maintenance plan to make sure you know what needs doing each month. There are things which need doing at particular times of year, but much of the plan will be specific to your own garden. We will cover the whole gardening year and how to make sure you do all of the key jobs at the right time. This is a useful exercise for any gardener, including professional gardeners who can use this to create a work plan for each garden they look after. This is a particularly good follow up course to the Introduction to Garden Design or the Certificate in Practical Horticulture, but anyone wanting to plan their gardening year will find it useful.

Thursday 28th March 10-3

contact us to find out more or to book a place

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

Your Veg Patch

1 day course £100

Have you started growing vegetables for the first time recently or have you just taken on an allotment? If you are new to growing edibles this covers all you need to know about establishing and maintaining a vegetable garden. We will cover crop rotation and successional sowing to ensure you eat your own vegetables for most of the year. We will look at what you could be eating now and what you should be sowing now to eat later in the year. We have our own veg patch which where we can show you our set up and what we are growing now.

Thursday 11th April 10-3

Thursday 3rd July 10-3

Fruit Tree Care

1 day course £100

This course will cover everything from selecting fruit trees to planting and staking them, and from training fruit trees (espalier, cordon, fan) to annual pruning and protection from pests and diseases. We have examples of plum, apple and pear trees trained on posts and wires in our garden which we will look at, as well as some of the original orchard on the estate.

Wednesday 6th November 10-3

contact us to find out more or to book a place

PRUNING

Pruning Shrubs and Roses

1 day course £100

Do you want to know what to prune at this time of year and how to do it?
This is the introduction you need to what and how to prune each season. Different shrubs (including roses) need different techniques and we will teach you how, with a practical seasonal session, pruning a range of shrubs, using various tools and methods.

Wednesday 22nd May 10-3

Summer Pruning

1 day course £100

This is an introduction to what and why to prune in summer as well as to the different pruning methods required for a range of shrubs. There will also be a hands-on, practical session where we will use various tools and methods to carry out seasonal pruning including spring flowering and tender shrubs, fruit trees, hedges, climbers, evergreens and specifically rambling roses and Wisteria.

Tuesday 2nd July 10-3

Renovation Pruning

1 day course £100

This is an introduction to pruning, combining essential theory with a practical session on renovating shrubs and small trees. This will cover how to restore overgrown shrubs which may not have been pruned for some years, when to prune fruit trees and bushes, when to prune evergreen and deciduous shrubs.

Wednesday 13th November 10-3

Advanced Pruning & Training Techniques

1 day course £100

We will cover formative training of fruit trees (including fan training and cordons as well as espalier), crown lifting, cloud pruning of evergreens and pleaching of trees such as crab apples, limes, beech, hornbeam. This will be a largely practical day. Come with well sharpened secateurs!

Friday 5th July 10-3

contact us for more info or to book your place

Christmas Wreath Workshops

Morning workshop £70 (including all materials and refreshments)

We will show you how to make your own gorgeous and unique festive wreath from scratch using locally gathered seasonal foliage and berries as well as sustainably grown moss (no foam at all). We will start with coffee and homemade biscuits to get you in the mood and finish with a festive glass of fizz and a homemade mince pie. Classes are small and if you book early you may be able to arrange a private workshop for you and your friends.

Thursday 30th November 10-1

Friday 1st December 10-1

Thursday 7th December 10-1

Friday 8th December 10-1

HARD LANDSCAPING

We keep these classes very small to ensure a highly practical, hands-on experience. All materials are included.

Basic Bricklaying

1 day course £140

You may be wanting to create a small retaining wall, a raised bed or some steps. This course will cover all of the basics. We will look at what tools, equipment and materials to use and why, how to quantify materials, different foundation types and mortar mixes and how to set out correctly. Most of the day will be spent doing the practical bit: laying several courses of brick and building a brick corner.

2024 Wednesday 1st May 10-3

Basic Slab Laying

1 day course £140

This course will teach the basics of the patio laying process from measuring up and quantifying through excavation and levelling to slab laying to a fall and final pointing up. Aimed at gardeners who want to add construction techniques to their repertoire.

2024 Wednesday 14th Feb 10-3

Creating a Wildlife Pond

1 day course £140

Join us to learn how to build a basic pond using a flexible liner. We will make a small pond on site by the end of the day. You will be taught about the types of pond, formal, informal or nature pond, how to site your pond, tools and equipment required and how to quantify materials, how to choose an edging. We will also look at suitable plants. Following this we will mark out, excavate and level then line with underlay and liner, before filling and edging.

2024 Wednesday 31st January 10-3

get in touch to book a course or find out more

Norfolk School of Gardening

Course Programme 2023/24