There is so much to be done in the garden in early Spring to enable your garden to flourish and bloom over the months to come. This hands-on 1-day course with pro gardener Jenny Samuels will teach you the skills and techniques you will need to enable you to get your garden ready for the year ahead.
“I had an amazing day with Jenny. Came away feeling much more confident about what and when I should be maintaining my garden. I had a really enjoyable day.” Deborah
As the garden begins to come alive, there is so much to be done in early spring to prepare your garden for the year ahead. On our ‘Preparation, Preparation, Preparation….. for Perfect Flower Borders’ 1-day practical course, professional gardener Jenny Samuels will teach you tips and techniques for ensuring your borders have the best chance of being an abundance of colour and health through the coming months, whilst also developing your plant knowledge and gardening skills.
You will learn by doing, getting to practice the techniques as they are taught. The course day will cover:
– Dividing perennials
– Preparing and improving the soil for optimal plant health and drought resistance
– An opportunity to test your soil for those who would like to bring a sample
– Seasonal pruning jobs – pruning winter flowering shrubs and type 2 and 3 clematis
– Other jobs for early Spring
From 9.45am we will have the kettle on for a welcoming cuppa and biscuit, which will give time for everyone to arrive and get their gardening gear on. Jenny will start with an introduction to the subjects of the day, before heading out into the beautiful private Sussex garden for hands-on gardening.
All our course days are designed to be enjoyable, informative and fun, with a mixture of input from Jenny, and plenty of chances to put into practice what you are learning. We keep the group small (maximum of 9) so that everyone has the chance to ask questions, and opportunity to put into practice what you are learning because we believe the best way to learn is by doing. Full teaching notes will be provided to you as a record of the course content.
Our set-up is ‘rustic’ so bring warm clothes and a sandwich, soup-in-a-flask lunch, for yourself. As hardy gardeners, we will carry on through light rain and cold. We have places to shelter, but please be aware that dreadful weather may necessitate Jenny calling a halt to outdoor activities.
We will finish at 3pm before we clear up and leave by 3.30pm.
The course day takes place at a large private rural Sussex garden in East Chiltington near Plumpton, East Sussex. The garden has established borders, pond, orchard, kitchen garden and wildflower meadows and is a beautiful setting with wonderful views of The Downs, from which to learn to garden.
Jenny teaches in small groups (max 9) which ensures everyone gets the opportunity to practice, and time to ask questions. The days are a great way to meet like minded people with an interest in gardening and the natural world.
People who want to get to know their gardens better!
If you are a beginner, this course will take you through the steps you need to establish a new garden, enabling you to make the right decisions from the start and avoiding costly and frustrating mistakes
If you are an experienced gardener, you will learn more about professional techniques and practices, including ways of gardening more sustainably.
Complimentary tea and coffee throughout each course day
Pre-course instructions
Illustrated teaching notes to accompany each day of the course
Soil testing of your own samples
Take-home cuttings, seeds, and divisions, when available
Jenny’s approach to teaching gardening is influenced by a passion for greener gardening and a strong belief in working with your soil and climate rather than against it. She loves the challenge of rejuvenating tired borders – making good what is there and introducing fresh planting combinations to breathe new life into a garden.
As the owner of the Lindfield Gardening Company, Jenny has a wide range of experience including horticultural gardening, planting design and teaching gardening to enthusiastic beginners.
A packed lunch
We advise that you wear steel toe-capped boots, and of course gardening clothes and rain-wear. Gardening gloves are optional.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation….. for Perfect Flower Borders 1 Day course – £102
Although ‘Preparation, Preparation, Preparation….. for Perfect Flower Borders’ can be booked as a 1-day course, it is also part of our 4-Day Gardening Essentials Course, a practical gardening course for gardening beginners or gardeners looking to enhance their skills.
With 1 course day a month from February to May, the 4-Day Gardening Essentials Course teaches you all the gardening skills you will need to get your garden off to a great start in 2025!
Wednesday 26th March 2025
9.45am – 3.15pm
East Chiltington near Plumpton, East Sussex
Please bring a packed lunch with you
Once you have booked, you will receive an email confirmation of your booking – please check your junk email folder if you do not hear from us.
About 2 weeks before the day of your course, you will receive another email from us, giving your directions and any joining instructions – please check your junk email folder if you do not hear from us.
Our Preparation, Preparation, Preparation….. for Perfect Flower Borders course is just one from a range of practical gardening courses that we offer, and you can find out about all of our other hands-on Gardening Courses here.
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Tel: 01273 834 083
Sussex Garden School
Oak Studio
Old Barn Nurseries
Worthing Road, Dial Post
Horsham RH13 8NU
