Garden Design
Practical Gardening
3 Term Courses
For beginners who want to design their own gardens and/or pursue an interest in garden design
Classes, which are small and informal, are held at my home and garden in Slimbridge. We will also be working in either local gardens or students’ gardens, as the need arises
Design your own Garden
Year I – 2025/26
Term 1 – 2025
Dates
Tuesdays
23rd September – 9th December 2025
On the Beginners Course, students will learn how to measure up and draw gardens to scale, and how to design them.
They will also learn the Principles of Design and the basics of hard landscaping.
Term 2 – Border Planning – 2026
Dates:
Tuesdays
6th January – 24th March
In Border Planning, students learn how to plan beds and borders based on plant texture, shape and colour.
Term 3 – Graphics & Border Planning – 2026
Dates:
Tuesdays
21st April – 7th July
Simple graphics to illustrate the garden designs are combined with more border planning.
A practical is held at a local garden centre on combining plants, always a very popular exercise.
Time: 9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
£525 per term
Practical Gardening
2025/26
Term 1 – 2025
Wednesdays
24th September – 10th December
On this course, students will learn how to maintain gardens, including plant propagation, dividing perennials, soil management & lawn care, etc. as well as designing beds & borders
Term 2 – 2026
7th January – 25th March
Term 3 – 2026
22nd April – 8th July
Time: 9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
£500 per term
Practical half day or one day workshops
- Creative Spring containers
- Making plant supports
- Growing vegetables in small spaces
- Give your borders a lift
- Seed propagation
- Lawn care
- Growing and training fruit in small spaces
- Pruning shrubs and roses (Spring)
- Pruning shrubs, roses and perennials (Summer)
These are held either at May Cottage or in students’ own gardens locally.