As well as starting to peruse catalogues and websites for next year’s seed order, I’m also starting to think about gardening courses that I’d like to attend. My choice of course is normally prompted by my lack of knowledge in a certain area or a horticultural idea/obsession that I want to explore further, and I always come away with gaps of ignorance filled and new ideas aplenty to put into practice.
I’ve heard that Great Dixter (top pic) have a series of new monthly talks given by Kemal Mehdi (above), who has taught at Hadlow College for over 20 years. I’m thinking of the May course (at the end of April) as I’ve never seen Great Dixter during Tulip season and I’d love to see more plant combinations involving one of my favourite bulbs.
Head Gardener Fergus Garrett will also be leading study days throughout the year and there are propagation day courses and week-long practical symposium courses dotted throughout 2013. I’ve hugely enjoyed courses at Great Dixter before, always leaving with my head buzzing, full of wonderful new planting ideas, and am really looking forward to my next visit in April.
Years ago, to increase my somewhat basic horticultural understanding, I signed up for the RHS level 1 at Regents Park and haven’t looked back since. It was an evening course, held over 18 months and I loved every minute. I see that Capel Manor have a one day a week (Tuesday) level 1 one course starting in January in Regents Park and finishing in July which includes some practical hands-on learning. They also have Level 2 courses –starting in 2013 for both daytime and evening study and more courses in horticulture and garden design at all levels in other corners of London, including Enfield (their headquarters), Crystal Palace and Gunnersbury Park.
For those not in London, The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers level 1-3 courses throughout England and one-off shorter courses on specific horticultural areas such as pruning, planting for wildlife or propagation at Harlow Carr in Yorkshire, Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in N. Devon and Wisely in Surrey. Spoilt for choice!
Earlier this year, I enjoyed an amazing day out in West Dean College in Chichester, learning about training fruit trees, and their list of courses this year looks very tempting indeed. Many areas are covered, including ‘Planting in the shade garden’, a one day course for creating your own blog and ‘Successional planting in the vegetable garden’ with Charles Dowding. I’m looking at courses during summer, so that I also get to visit their much heralded walled kitchen garden at the same time.
And Charles Dowding is offering ‘no dig’ courses from January at his new farm in Somerset. Really worth the trip as I discovered earlier this year.
On a herby theme, Judith Hann is offering courses in May and June in Oxfordshire and Jekka’s Herb Farm will soon be posting dates for next year’s workshops in Alveston, near Bristol.
And Sarah Raven is offering both flower and veg growing courses in both her Perch Hill gardens in East Sussex and further afield.
Back in (North) London, and the wonderful ‘Food from the Sky’ (above Budgens supermarket in Crouch End) is starting its ‘seed2seed’ foundation in urban food growing in March and positively encourages volunteering on their roof top on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
And over the last couple of years, I’ve enjoyed some great urban foraging talks at the fantastic community garden in King Henry’s Walk and look forward to more in 2013.
As ever, I’m slightly ovderwhelmed by the amount of goodies on offer, but I know whatever course I attend, I’ll end up the richer for it. And if you know of other courses for 2013 in your area, do share a link in the comments below, wherever you are!
Out of my shed 
Interesting list of courses today. But Harlow Carr is in West Yorkshire, not North Yorkshire as you say. Big difference in miles!
Best wishes,
Gaby
Thanks for letting me know Gaby. It says N. Yorkshire on RHS website though! Will change in the post.
I’m with you…..I absolutely love delving into hort topics and more than that I adore spending the free time during courses chatting with my classmates about plants and flowers! I sometimes feel sad I didnt start down the botany path earlier in life…I feel like theres SO much knowledge I need to cram into the few decades I realistically have left on earth! Can’t wait to hear which course(s) you select. Be sure to come back to the blog to share with us!
Hi Karen, I quite agree. It’s the other students, as well as the teacher, which can really make a course. I’ve met great friends on gardening courses over the years who I love chatting to about all things horticultural. Will definitely be blogging about days out during 2013.
I’m with you on courses. They are such great days. I’d like to try and get to one in 2013. Judith Hann’s isn’t too far from me so I might look into that after reading your review. I’d love to get to the lectures at Great Dixter it’s just too much of a trek from Wales though. Bristol Botanic Gardens offer courses throughout the year.
Harrogate and Harlow Carr are in North Yorkshire by the way! 🙂
Hi WW, I did manage to get to a few courses this year, all very different, but all have inspired me to be more experimental in my growing practices. Didn’t make it down to Great Dixter this year, but hopefully will rectify this in 2013.
Bristol Botanic Gardens look great and offers Garden Design as well as the RHS courses.
Blimey-just going to put Yorkshire for Harlow Carr!
Really interesting post! I will look into doing a course or two at (the now controversially located) Harlow Carr! I love it there and wanted to volunteer this year but they have a huge waiting list and it’s during week days, which is no good for me. I’m really interested in all the community stuff you get involved in. I’d like to find something like that in Leeds. Wildflower planting has become popular in the city and I think getting involved in some urban projects would be really cool. Thanks for a very inspiring post : )
Hi Anna, I’ve never been to Harlow Carr (otherwise I’d know where it is located!), but it’s on my list for when next in ….Yorkshire. I have volunteered at Great Dixter a few times and I’ve learnt so much (from the very generous GD team) on every visit-plant knowledge and great plant combinations, best gardening practices, propagation know-how…the list is endless.
Hope you find a project to get involved in, or you could start your own? (with another enthusiastic neighbour?) V.best Naomi
A great round up of what’s on offer, Naomi. You might remember that I once asked you about your training and what you would recommend ; well, I’m now doing the Level 2 Garden Design at Capel in Enfield – only one day of the week but one I absolutely look forward to! Horticulture in the morning and design in the pm, the perfect day! I also had the pleasure of attending one of Jekka’s workshops earlier this year; it was very worthwhile despite the long drive down the M4 (surely the most boring motorway?) as Jekka is very friendly and so generous with her knowledge. I’ll definitely be going back for the opening of her herboretum and hope to catch up with her at Chelsea this year.
PS Nice to know about the West Dean courses, very close to where my parents live so another possibility – also I have a thing for walled gardens!
The level 2 day does indeed sound perfect and good to hear how much you’re getting out of it. I did question my sanity when I drove down the M4 -3 hours in the pouring rain (and back again!) to Judith Hann’s course, but the taste of the herbs and memories of the plantings are still with me, so ultimately I think it’s worth it. Likewise Chichester is a real schlepp, but I’m so pleased that I went on the fruit training course and driving back in the snow was quite magical (until I got stuck in the Wandsworth one way system!). The Rhs course I went on was great, but what you do find with attending other courses, is that there’s more than one school of thought in gardening and it’s also great to hear about alternative methods and other viewpoints. Looking forward to reading more on courses you attend in 2013.
Oh to be living in the UK! But even I am looking into some long distance courses for RHS level 2 this winter… I have my horticulture book and am ready to go! Not sure I will be testing this year, but perhaps next? They will let long-distance students sit their exam anywhere in the world, they say.
Thanks for such a nice list, Naomi. I look forward to reading more about your courses.
~Julie
Hi Julie, Good luck with your level 2. I have some friends studying for the level 2 at the moment. Lots of work, but loving every minute of it!