News & Events

Saturday 29 November 2025 at 2pm

Holehird Gardens, Patterdale Road, Windermere, LA23 1NP

What is an alpine, where do they grow and why? The lecture will go through four alpine walks at different altitudes to look at alpines in the wild and then see how we can adapt our gardens in order to grow different types of alpines.

Diane Clement is a member of the Alpine Garden Society, and several other Alpine, Rock Garden and specialist genus societies. For many years she was the Manager of the Seed Exchange for the AGS which is one of the largest seed exchanges in the world. She has been growing and showing alpine plants for around 25 years and is a keen exhibitor and AGS judge.

This lecture is free and is open to non-members of the LHS.  Please note the change of date (previously advertised as 22 November) and venue.  Public lectures are now held at Holehird Gardens, and not at the Marchesi Centre, Windermere as in the past.

Designing with Plants Course

Location - Holehird Gardens, Patterdale Road, Windermere, LA23 1NP 

Tutor - Shelagh Todd: Cumbria-based lecturer, designer and plantswoman.

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.         

Course Dates

Autumn and Winter 2025: 4 days teaching (10.30am - 4.00pm)

Course fee: £360

Dates: Thursday 4 September, Thursday 9 October, Thursday 6 November and Thursday 4 December

For more information and to book your place, email Shelagh on  shelagh.todd@outlook.com