A Clay Soil Survival Guide PLUS Basics of Planting Design – Gardening Talks

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A Clay Soil Survival Guide PLUS Basics of Planting Design – Gardening Talks

September 17, 2025 @ 10:30 am - 2:30 pm

pink rose on clay soil
£20.00

Join for two engaging gardening talks with a complimentary lunch included. Our clay soil survival guide in the morning session will teach you how to manage and improve your heavy clay soil and provide you with top plants that will thrive in clay soils. And in the afternoon, discover the principles of planting design, whatever your soil, with our Basics of Planting Design talk.

A Clay Soil Survival Guide (10.30am – 12Noon) and Basics of Planting Design (1.00 – 2.30pm)

digging and holding clay soil Morning Talk – A Clay Soil Survival Guide

If heavy clay soil is the challenge in your garden – look no further! Juliet will explain how you can manage and improve your heavy clay soil and provide you with her top selection of plants that will thrive in clay soils.

Subjects covered:

  •  Understanding clay soils
  • How to improve the structure of clay soils
  • Do’s and don’ts in managing your clay soil
  • Selecting plants that will thrive in clay soils

By the end of the talk you will have:

  • a good understanding of clay soil and its composition
  • a good understanding of how you can improve, manage and work this type of soil in your garden
  • a list of key plants that will thrive in clay soils

spring flower border mixed planting designAfternoon Talk – Basics of Planting Design

Are you thinking about refreshing your borders but unsure about where to start? Come learn about the basic principles of planting design in this talk with award winning garden designer Keri Fitzpatrick.

More details of this talk coming soon….

Who are the talks for?

Beginners and garden enthusiasts are welcome.

The Tutors:

Morning talk – Juliet Sargeant is a multi-award-winning designer and regular panelist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time, with over 20 years of experience in designing gardens and also teaching about them. She has a relaxed teaching style, with plenty of illustrations, and discussion.
Afternoon talk – Kerianne (Keri) Fitzpatrick studied garden and landscape design at the University of Brighton, and has exhibited at RHS Hampton Court and at Gardeners World Live, where she was awarded a Gold Medal. She has a passion for travel and natural landscapes and draws on her vast range of travel experience for inspiration.

The Venue:

Old Barn Nurseries is one of the largest nurseries in Sussex. The talk will be held in their purpose-built studio ‘The Garden Room’.

Summer flowering garden

What’s Included:

– Two 90 minute talks by a gardening expert
– Sandwich lunch and refreshments
– 20% Off Plants Voucher for use at Old Barn on the day of the talks

Date, Time, and Venue:

Wednesday 17th September 2025
10.30am – 2.30pm
Old Barn Nurseries, Worthing Road, Dial Post, Horsham, RH13 8NR

Tickets:

2-Talk Ticket including lunch – £20

If you’d prefer to join for one of these talks rather than both, you can book individual talk tickets here:
A Clay Soil Survival Guide– 10.30am to 12pm
The Basics of Planting Design– 1pm to 2.30pm


What Next?

Once you have booked, you will receive an email confirmation of your booking – please check your junk mail if you have not heard from us.

About 2 weeks before your course, you will receive another email, giving directions and joining instructions – again, please check your junk mail if you have not heard from us.


Other Gardening Talks at Sussex Garden School:

Boost your garden knowledge with professional tips from our horticulture & design experts. Our Gardening Talks are packed with insights gained from years of creating and planting gardens of all kinds. Whatever your garden problem, we have the solutions! Join us for just a morning ‘info-burst’ or relax into a whole day of learning with lunch to sustain you. You will find details of all our talks here.

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