Courses
Filter by
Sessions are led by our gardeners and last about an hour although you can, of course, stay longer in the garden. If you would like to help in the garden on the day or learn more about our work, please mention this during the session.
Pre booking required - start at 11am – please meet outside the reception at 10.55am. Wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for the weather conditions. Sessions will include some, if not all of the following:
General background on where the plants are found in the wild and what conditions they need and how these are met at Holehird
How the plants are looked after i.e. planting needs, early maintenance, ongoing maintenance and feeding, pruning – deadheading
Recognising when plants are failing and recommending a few really good plants
Pruning established climbers 2nd March
Splitting herbaceous plants 23rd March
Supporting plants – hazel/wire 27th April
Hostas 18th May
Rhododendrons 25th May
Meconopsis 8th June
Agapanthus 13th July
If you are interested, please email education@holehirdgardens.org.uk stating which session/s you would like to attend. You will receive a confirmation email of your place. There is no cost for the session but we do ask for the usual ‘entry to the garden’ donation of £5 on the day.
A full day course led by Louise Stoddart and Shelagh Todd at Holehird Gardens, Patterdale Road, Windermere. LA23 1NP
Thursday 23rd June 2022 at Holehird Gardens from 10.30 – 16.00
Louise & Shelagh are both experienced horticulturists who teach at The School of Horticulture based near Penrith in North Cumbria. They are very familiar with the wonderful gardens at Holehird as they have both taught a wide variety of courses at Holehird over the last 30 years when they were employed by Newton Rigg College (sadly closed down in July 2021). They are both passionate plantswomen and describe the gardens at Holehird as a “Plantsperson’s Paradise”.
Course Content
· Practical demonstrations on what we should be propagating and pruning at the end of June in our gardens in Cumbria.
· A morning and afternoon garden walk and talk to look at, admire and discuss a range of seasonal garden plants. Also to look at new projects in the gardens.
· A lecture and discussion on what tasks we should be carrying out in our gardens in June and what we should be doing to plan for the months ahead.
Numbers are limited to 15
Cost £25 Tea/coffee/biscuits provide – please bring your own lunch.
Wear suitable outdoor clothing and stout shoes. You may wish to bring a notepad, pen and camera.
Please email courses@holehirdgardens.org.uk to book your place and receive payment details.
------ This course is now fully booked ------
A full day course led by Letta Jones at Holehird Gardens, Patterdale Road, Windermere. LA23 1NP
TUESDAY 16 August 2022 10.30 to 16.30
Letta ran a similar course here in 2018 and one on Herbs which received excellent reviews. She also delivered a Zoom lecture to the LHS in 2021 on the history of Chelsea Physique Garden where she guides. Letta is a trained Landscape Horticulturist, has a Master’s Degree in the History of Medicine and has lectured at Birkbeck College, University of London for over 15 years.
Course Content
Do you enjoy looking at trees and wonder what they are? In this practical workshop, we will explore the key features for tree identification. A tree walk in the gardens is included to put it all into practice. You will go away confident about what to look for when identifying both native and introduced trees. If you already have the Collins Tree Guide by Owen Johnson and/or a hand lens, please bring them along, plus a notebook and suitable outdoor shoes and clothing. Plenty of time for Q and A.Numbers are limited to 15
Cost £25 Tea/coffee/biscuits provide – please bring your own lunch.
Wear suitable outdoor clothing and stout shoes. You may wish to bring a notepad, pen and camera. Please email courses@holehirdgardens.org.uk to reserve a place. Further details re: payment will be sent to you on receipt of your email.
Location - Holehird Gardens, Patterdale Road, Windermere, LA23 1NP
Led by tutors Louise Stoddart and Shelagh Todd, both experienced horticulturists who teach at The NRT School of Horticulture and Garden Design based at Lowther Castle & Gardens in North Cumbria. They are very familiar with the wonderful gardens at Holehird as they have both taught a wide variety of courses at Holehird over the last 30 years.
Course Description- It’s all too easy to have a garden full of wonderful plants that feels more like a restless collection than a well thought out design. Discover how to create a garden with a sense of year-round unity and well-being. Learn to select plants for their visual, aesthetic, and structural properties, how to assess your site conditions and the process of creating a planting plan on paper.
Course Content will include Plant Knowledge and Identification, Plant Form, Habit, Colour & Texture, The Role of Plants in the Planting Scheme, Seasonal Colour and Excitement, Considering Plant Selection and using the mantra of “the right plant for the right place”, Drawing up Planting Plans and Exploring & Discussing Different Plants and Themed Borders in the glorious gardens at Holehird.
Autumn/Winter Course Dates (4-days 10.30am - 4.00pm) Cost £200
Thursday 8th September, Thursday 13th October, Thursday 17 November and Thursday 8th December 2022
Spring/Summer Course Dates (4-days 10.30 - 4.00pm) Cost £200
Thursday 27th April, Thursday 25th May, Thursday 22nd June and Thursday 20th July 2023
Tea/coffee/biscuits provided – please bring your own lunch.
Wear suitable outdoor clothing and stout shoes. You may wish to bring a notepad, pen and camera.
For more information and booking your place; https://www.nrtraining.co.uk/find-a-course/p/garden-design-24wks-october-2021-start-azgb2