Tag Archive: planting design
The beauty of lettuce via Urban Gardens. Can this be both a practical way of growing food and ornamentation? Perhaps a brief moment of ‘peak display’ is followed by selective picking or plant removal?
Old School Gardener
Garden Design Course in Norfolk
Following the successful pilot of ‘Your Garden- by Design’ last autumn, I’m pleased that Reepham Learning Community have agreed to run an extended version of this course beginning at the end of the month. 8 two-hour sessions (including one garden visit) will use a variety of methods and materials to help those who want to improve their own gardens through design.
Based at Reepham College in central Norfolk, the course is a step-by-step walk through the design process, showing how to apply this to your own garden (big or small) from basic surveying and appraisal techniques, forming ideas about what the garden is for and how it might look, to outline plans and 3-D visions of different ideas as well as the important things needed to ensure successful delivery of attractive, practical plans.
Group review and discussion of the evolving designs will enable participants to develop a critical and creative approach to garden design and a large number of reference books will be on hand as well as links to other sources of information. Case studies and in-class exercises will help participants to develop their skills.
Green (and its many shades) is one of the most important colours in garden design (arguably it’s a more important feature than the ‘white’ in Vita Sackville-West’s garden at Sissinghurst). Gardens which feature plants with bold, contrasting foliage can be really effective and the Course will introduce colour, texture and form as three key ideas in planting design. The contribution that ‘hard’ landscaping (paths, walls, furniture and built structures) makes to successful garden design will also be covered.
Participants don’t need to have any particular skills- the course and associated support should lead to practical ideas which can be put into action. The eight sessions will cover:
- Starting out- what do I want from my garden?
- Surveying and appraising your garden and functional layouts
- Garden Styles and Forms
- Structure in your Garden- the third dimension
- Planting- the fourth dimension
- Garden visit (day time)
- Final designs
- Delivering your Design
Check out the link to the Reepham Learning Community for more information- I’m looking forward to meeting a new group of enthusiastic garden makers!
Quizzicals- answers to the last two:
- Morrisey’s mother’s mother- Granny Smith
- Someone who is out get you – Anemone
A couple of gardening ditties for you:
‘Livin’ Dill’
‘Juke Box Chive’
(note to self= must move away from herbs and spices for a while…)
Old School Garden 