Course Programme 2022

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 £850

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.

Thursday 13th January for 10 weeks (exc. 17th February) - 9.30-4.30 FULLY BOOKED

Friday 22nd April for 10 weeks (exc. 3rd June) - 9.30-4.30 FULLY BOOKED

Saturday 23rd April (exc. 4th June) - 9.30-4.30

Friday 16th September (exc. 28th Oct) - 9.30-4.30

contact us for more info or to book your place

NEW - Diploma in Garden Design

30 week course, two days a week £6950

A brand-new course for anyone wanting to become a 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 12th and Tuesday 13th September for 30 weeks - 9.30-3.30

Autumn Term 12th Sept to 22nd Nov inclusive (excluding 24th & 25th Oct) Spring Term 9th Jan to 21st March inclusive (excluding 13th & 14th Feb) Summer Term 24th April to 10th July inclusive (excluding 1st, 29th & 30th May)

Get in touch for the course brochure.

DESIGN
Introduction to Garden Design

8 week course once a week £650

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.

Wednesday 12th January for 8 weeks (exc. 16th February) - 10-3 FULLY BOOKED

Wednesday 20th April for 8 weeks (exc. 1st June) - 10-3

Thursday 15th September for 8 weeks (exc. 27th Oct) - 10-3

contact us for more info or to book your place

Border Design

2 day course £170

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.

Wednesday 23rd & 30th March 10-3

Thursday 23rd & 30th June 10-3

Designing Pots and Containers

1 day course £85

We will take a look at different styles of container and different approaches to planting them for the coming months. This will include an overview of design principles and colour theory and how to use them to create impact with your containers in both small and large gardens, as well as examples of specific planting combinations for you to try out yourself.

Thursday 7th April 10-3

PLANTS AND PLANTING
The Cutting Garden: Spring & Summer or Autumn & Winter

1 day course £85

This course is taught by leading Norfolk cut flower grower and florist, Sarah Hammond, and 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, month by month, looking at what you need to order, sow, plant, prune each month as well as what you could be cutting if you had planted it earlier.

Tuesday 8th February 10-3 FULLY BOOKED

Friday 8th April 10-3

Wednesday 14th September 10-3

Dahlia Workshops

Dahlia Workshop Part One

3 hour workshop £60

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.

Thursday 31st March 10-1

Dahlia Workshop Part Two

3 hour workshop £70 (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 7th July 10-1

These workshops can be booked separately.

Peony Masterclass

1 day course £95 (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.

Thursday 16th June 10-3

Tulip Masterclass

1 day course £85

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.

Thursday 8th September 10-3

Planting for Pollinators

1 day course £85

How do you attract more pollinating insects and birds into your garden and how do you keep them happy? Why do they matter and why do we need them? We will look at how to garden and what to plant in order to attract beneficial wildlife. We will look at how to create habitats for different creatures and which plants they need in different seasons to survive and thrive.

Tuesday 7th June 10-3

Planting for Year-Round Colour

1 day course £85

We will look at how to plan and plant for year-round colour, 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. 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.

Tuesday 22nd February 10-3

Wednesday 21st September 10-3

The Scented Garden

3 hour workshop £60

Scent can have a really beneficial effect on mood and is often highly evocative of places and people we have known. It should be as important as colour, texture and structure and yet it is often overlooked when designing a bed, a collection of pots or a whole garden. It may be a surprise to learn that many winter plants are highly fragrant, or that climbers, trees and hedges can be scented as well as herbs, roses and other flowers. This workshop will look at how to maximise the effect of fragrant plants in your garden, whatever the size or style of your space.

Thursday 12th May 10-1

Gardening For A Changing Climate

1 day course £85

Many of us are finding that plants which we used to be able to grow just don’t survive any more. A hot summer like 2018 killed off perennials and even trees which had been flourishing for years, and even though 2020 wasn’t as hot there were many weeks with no rain at all. We need to begin to change our planting to cope with changing average rainfall and temperatures. In this course we will look at how to plant a ‘drought’ garden, a gravel garden such as Beth Chatto’s famous example and a rain garden. We will also look at we need to garden differently in the face of these challenges

Wednesday 5th October 10-3

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

Staking and Supporting Plants

1 day course £95 inc. materials

This new 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.

Friday 25th March 10-3

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

Border Renovation

1 day course £85

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.

Tuesday 29th March 10-3

Wednesday 12th October 10-3

Plants For Free – Propagation and Seed Saving

1 day course £90 inc. materials

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 seed saving and storage. Expect to leave the course with newly propagated plants and some envelopes of seeds. Includes growing medium, containers and all plant material.

Tuesday 5th April 10-3

Wednesday 28th September 10-3

Gardening Under Glass

1 day course £85

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 13th April 10-3

Thursday 9th June 10-3

Wednesday 19th October 10-3

Developing An Annual Maintenance Plan

1 day course £85

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. We run this course after every Introduction to Garden Design as it is a good follow up, but anyone is welcome to join.

Wednesday 16th March 10-3 FULLY BOOKED

Thursday 17th November 10-3

contact us to find out more or to book a place

Creating A Green Wall

1 day course £85

If you would like a herb garden outside your back door but don’t have the space, or if you would like some vertical greenery on your patio or even on a balcony this could be your solution. We will create a green wall using a pallet and two different ways of planting. We will also show you how to incorporate irrigation to minimise maintenance of this mini garden. Come and get creative.

Wednesday 6th July 10-3

contact us to find out more or to book a place

Pests & Diseases

1 day course £85

This will cover the identification and control of common pests and diseases in the UK. We will look in particular at bio controls, natural predators and non-chemical treatments. To make the course as relevant as possible you can send us photos of pests and diseases you encounter up to 14 days before the course. We will try to identify and discuss them on the course. Please do not bring examples of P&D on the day - we don't want to spread nasties around the place!

Wednesday 29th June 10-3

contact us to find out more or to book a place

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

Your Veg Patch

1 day course £85

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.

Friday 1st April 10-3

Friday 8th July 10-3

Wednesday 2nd November 10-3

Fruit Tree Care

1 day course £85

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 the walls of the Walled Garden which we will look at, as well as the original orchard on the estate.

Wednesday 9th November 10-3

contact us to find out more or to book a place

PRUNING

Pruning Shrubs and Roses

1 day course £85

This is an introduction to the different pruning methods required for a range of shrubs including roses. We will also do a practical session where we will use various tools and methods to carry out seasonal pruning.

Friday 25th February 10-3

Friday 1st December 10-3

Summer Pruning

1 day course £85

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 5th July 10-3

Renovation Pruning

1 day course £85

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 7th December 10-3

Advanced Pruning & Training Techniques

1 day course £85

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!

Wednesday 13th July 10-3

contact us for more info or to book your place

FLORISTRY AND ART

Floristy

Sarah Hammond teaches our floristry and wreath making workshops as well as our cutting garden courses (see above for these and our Dahlia and Peony workshops). She runs English Peonies, a very successful local cut flower and floristry business. Her hand-tied bouquets are available at various local outlets, farmers markets and direct from the farm. Sarah also arranges flowers for events, weddings, funerals, private clients and local businesses. She grows her flowers and peonies on her family farm in North Norfolk and uses no foam at all in her arrangements.

See above for details of Dahlia, Peony and Tulip Masterclasses.

Spring Flowers – cutting, conditioning and arranging

Morning workshop £70 (including flowers)

Sarah will talk about how to select, cut and condition flowers to make them last longer. Using locally grown spring flowers and foliage you will then learn how to create your own beautiful hand-tied bouquet. We want to inspire you to make your own unique bouquets with your home-grown flowers or ones you have bought. We will provide all materials, flowers and foliage, plus homemade refreshments.

Thursday 28th April 10-1

contact us for more info or to book your place

Summer Flowers – cutting, conditioning and arranging

Morning workshop £70 (including flowers)

Sarah will talk about how to select, cut and condition flowers to make them last longer. Using locally grown summer flowers and foliage you will then learn how to create your own beautiful hand-tied bouquet. We want to inspire you to make your own unique bouquets with your home-grown flowers or ones you have bought. We will provide all materials, flowers and foliage, plus homemade refreshments.

date tbc

contact us for more info or to book your place

Autumn Flowers – cutting, conditioning and arranging

Morning workshop £70 (including flowers)

Sarah will talk about how to select, cut and condition flowers to make them last longer. Using locally grown autumn flowers and foliage you will then learn how to create your own beautiful hand-tied bouquet. We want to inspire you to make your own unique bouquets with your home-grown flowers or ones you have bought. We will provide all materials, flowers and foliage, plus homemade refreshments.

date tbc

contact us for more info or to book your place

Christmas Wreath workshops

Morning workshop £65 (including all materials and refreshments)

Sarah 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.

Printmaking
Gillian Francis has 26 years' experience teaching art and design to all age ranges and is a specialist tutor for vulnerable young people. She works in film and theatre as an Art Director and as a freelance creative practitioner. Gillian is Director of Make Play Ltd which is a venue for arts, well-being and education in Norwich.

Botanical Printmaking

6 week course, once a week, £525 inc all materials

This hugely popular course is for anyone who loves the natural world and would like to create beautiful, unique prints. Explore, collect and sketch in the beautiful grounds of Ketteringham Hall. Develop your creative skills using techniques including Dry Point Etching, Collagraph and Lino Printing. Experiment with surface treatments and colour processes to transform your foragings into rich and detailed prints. You can be a complete beginner with no drawing or print making experience. We will provide all materials and homemade refreshments. Class size will be small, with a maximum of 8 students.

get in touch to register interest for future dates

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 £120

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.

Thursday 14th April 10-3 FULLY BOOKED

Thursday 26th May 10-3 FULLY BOOKED

Wednesday 23rd Nov 10-3

get in touch to book a course or find out more

Norfolk School of Gardening

Course Programme 2022