Author: carolinewright201

After being a course leader and lecturer in Horticulture at Nottingham Trent University for nearly 20 years I am now working on a new venture in Limousin, France. In our plant nursery and garden school we aim to carry on sharing our passion for horticulture and natural crafts.
Specialist subjects include plant science, propagation, plant identification, specialist traditional and modern pruning and maintenance techniques. We also teach greenwood crafts, weaving, stained glass art and other crafts using natural materials.

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IMG_0676Come along and learn the art of making animal sculptures out of willow. Make a majestic Stag Head to mount indoors or outside.

You will learn the basics of using willow as a medium for sculpture and create an impressive stag head sculpture over the course of the day.

Thursday 1st August 10.00-4.30; a light lunch, refreshments and all materials are included: 65€ 

Willow is a flexible material that is easy to use for freestyle IMG_1677sculpture and you will be able to add your own personal touches to your stags head. You do need a little strength and dexterity to work with willow on a larger sculpture such as the stags head. We will support anyone who needs a little help to finish theirs off on the day.

THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH USING THE CONTACT FORM BELOW TO REQUEST EXTRA DATES

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Just a reminder that the nursery will close early this Saturday. We will have to close at 2.00pm on 18th May (for this week only)

We have our usual range of herbaceous perennials, cottage garden plants, bedding and container plants, herbs and also a range of veg plants including chilli peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, our heirloom curly kale mix, pac choi, chinese brocolli, rainbow chard……..

Our garden is also open for nursery customers to have a look round for inspiration. Come and see us – but before 2pm!

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img_0965 I posted this recipe last year but I am sure that some of you will not have seen it. It is definitely worth a try!

All around us at the moment is the sweet aroma of the Robinia pseudoacacia (false acacia) flowers. Last summer our French neighbour recommended that we try making beignets – fritters – with them. Having tried elderflower fritters we were keen to have a go.

 

I made a simple light batter out of a 50/50 mix of cornflour and plimg_0966ain flour, beaten egg and a drop of sparkling white wine as there happened to be a bottle open! (You could use beer or sparkling water) you then dip the flowers into the batter by holding onto the main stem, let some of the excess drain off and then fry until golden in hot oil, this only takes a couple of minutes.

We served this as a savoury dish with tapas, they go nicely with a yogurt and tahini dip or a smokey chilli salsa but you can also drizzle with honey and eat as a desert with crème fresh. Yum!

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IMG_0676Come along and learn the art of making animal sculptures out of willow. Make a majestic Stag Head to mount indoors or outside.

You will learn the basics of using willow as a medium for sculpture and create an impressive stag head sculpture over the course of the day.

Tuesday 30th April 10.00-4.30; a light lunch, refreshments and all materials are included: 65€ 

Willow is a flexible material that is easy to use for freestyle IMG_1677sculpture and you will be able to add your own personal touches to your stags head. You do need a little strength and dexterity to work with willow on a larger sculpture such as the stags head. We will support anyone who needs a little help to finish theirs off on the day.

 

THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY BOOKED. IF  YOU WANT TO MAKE A STAGS HEAD PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM BELOW TO REQUEST EXTRA DATES

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IMG_2393Learn how to use chicken wire as a medium for sculpture and create a lifelike Indian Runner Duck for your garden.

Tuesday 13th August 2019 10-4.30: 55€ per person

All materials, refreshments and a light lunch are included in the price. This workshop is suitable for beginners as full instruction in the techniques will be given. Chicken wire is easy to manipulate but does require a little strength and dexterity to work on a large sculpture like the duck. We will support everyone to finish their sculpture if they need a little help.

IMG_2395THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY BOOKED PLEASE GET IN TOUCH TO REQUEST EXTRA DATES 


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Come and spend an enjoyable day learning to use willow for sculpture and make a butterfly feature to hang indoors or in your garden. (approx 80cm)

Tuesday 20th August 10-3.30/4 Cost: 48 euros per person.

Willow is a flexible material that is easy to bend and shape but does need a little strength and dexterity to work with on a large piece.

We provide all materials, refreshments and a light lunch using seasonal ingredients.

To book a place on this course you can use one of the payment methods below. Once we receive your booking we will send further details. If you prefer to pay by cheque or have difficulty using the online system then please use the contact form below to check availability and request a booking form. You can also use this form for any questions you have about the course.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CAN ONLY TAKE BOOKINGS UNTIL 15TH AUGUST AS WE NEED 6 DAYS TO SOAK THE WILLOW. After 15th August please use the contact form below to ask about extra dates 

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20180519_134559808_ios.jpgHave a go at chicken wire sculpture and make a cute hedgehog to display in your home or garden or give to someone as a gift.

This course is aimed at beginners and will teach the basics of sculpting with chicken wire. The course will run from 10.00-3.00 on Thursday 22nd August 2019. 40 Euros per person. A light lunch is included as well as all materials and you will be able to take home your hedgehog.

You will need to wear comfortable work clothes and you may want to bring some gardening gloves. Chicken wire is a malleable material but it does take some physical strength and dexterity to use it as a medium for sculpture. We can support anybody who needs  a little help to finish their sculpture on the day

IMG_0162If you enjoy this beginners course we also offer intermediate courses later this year to make chicken, owl, piglet and duckling sculptures for the garden.

You can book by using the payment options below.  We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment. If you have trouble using this system or prefer to pay by cheque please use the contact form below to inquire about availability and reserve a place on the course, if we have places available we will email a booking form to you.

If you have any questions or comments about the course please use the contact form below

WE ARE NO LONGER TAKING BOOKINGS FOR THIS DATE – PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AN AUTUMN DATE FOR THE HEDGEHOG WORKSHOP

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Come along and make a cute piglet sculpture for your home or garden out of chicken wire. Tuesday 27th August 10.00-4.00
(Contact us for group bookings/alternate dates)

The course will run from 10-4 and includes a light lunch and refreshments and all materials required to make your piggy. Cost: 45€ per person

This course is suitable for beginners and chicken wire is a malleable material that is easy to use but does take a little strength and dexterity for sculpture.

To book a place on the course you can use the payment options below. This uses PayPal as a secure payment system but you do not need to have a PayPal account to use it, card payments are also accepted. If you prefer to send us a cheque, or have difficulty using the online system then use the contact form below to check availability and request a booking form. You can use this form for all other questions too.

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Get floral and make some  unique plaster tile as a wall hanging or decoration.

You will have the opportunity to make a pair of tiles, they can be themed or matching or totally different. Thursday 8th August 2-4pm Cost 25 euros

Your tiles will be dry enough to take away at the end of the session  but you may want to paint them, varnish them or give them a colour wash when fully dried after a couple of days.

 

To book a place on this course you can use the payment options below. This is a secure PayPal payment but you do not need to have a PayPal account in order to use it, card payments are also accepted. We will send confirmation and more details once we receive your booking. If you prefer to pay by cheque or have difficulty using the online system then please use the contact form below to check availability and we will send you a booking form and more details by email.

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Come along and have a go at ‘Eco-printing’ techniques. You will experiment with leaves, flowers and rust combined with plant based dyes to print onto cotton and paper samplers. You can bring your own T-shirt or household linen to work on too. You will go home with some unique prints and an understanding of the materials and processes involved so that you can go away and experiment at home.

Tuesday 6th August 1-4pm 35€

20180421_153155596_iOSTHIS DATE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, WE ARE HOLDING AN EXTRA SESSION ON FRIDAY 9TH AUGUST :Link to extra date 9th August

 

 

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