Bulbs - Inspired by Nature

A study day on sustainable planting with bulbs

with Hannah Gardner

Friday 13 September 2024

10am - 4pm (arrive at 9.30 for coffee/tea)

£120

Group Size - 10 people

The greatest number of bulbous plants are found growing wild in areas where the winters are wet and the summers hot and dry. The UK has a similar climate so gardeners here can make use of the beauty and diversity of bulbs to provide colour and interest from early spring through to deep winter. Many bulbs are easy and reliable, but do we consider how to responsibly cultivate them for best effect and longevity, and do we make the most of what is on offer?

Investing in a more detailed knowledge of the environmental cost of bulb production (and exploring the organic alternatives) may encourage us to reconsider the habit of regarding bulbs as a mass annual purchase. This twinned with a desire to choose and use resources carefully in the garden may provoke a ‘less is more’ approach to planting.

Inspired and informed by bulb communities in the wild, Hannah will share her approach to cultivating bulbs which is underpinned by an understanding of bulbs within habitats. We will explore meadow, woodland, crevice and stony free-draining environments and how this might inform your use of bulbs in your own projects or garden.

We will delve into the detail of bulb morphology, lifecycles and cultivation. We will touch on propagation and consider organic solutions for diseases and discuss bulb sourcing and selection. The day will include a tour of Damson Farm as Alison describes her approach to using bulbs in different areas.

Hannah Gardner is a Kew trained gardener and horticultural writer contributing regularly to The Financial Times and Gardens Illustrated. Having trained in historic gardens she moved into head gardening, notably at Garsington Manor and Blackland House, home to the National Collection of English Florists’ and Dutch Historic Tulips. Developing sustainable practice over many years of organic gardening she travels widely to study wild plants and deepen her plantsmanship which she now applies as a planting design and horticultural management consultant, working in the UK and Europe. Her favourite plant group is bulbs.

Lunch 

Alison will prepare a simple vegetarian lunch including produce from the garden. We will round up the day with tea and cake. If you have any specific dietary requests do let us know on the booking form.

What to Bring

Check the weather forecast before you travel and ensure you bring appropriate clothing, whether that’s waterproofs or sun hats, or possibly both!  You may wish to bring a notebook and camera too.

Getting Here

Directions will be emailed to you a couple of weeks before the workshop. Use Damson Farm rather than the postcode on Google Maps.

Cancellation policy

As a small business it’s not sustainable to offer refunds. However if you need to cancel your place up to 28 days before the event you will be offered a credit towards another workshop.   After that time, the offer only applies if we’ve been able to re-sell the place. It’s not possible to promote cancelled places for re-sale less than 4 days before the event.