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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Come along and make an owl out of chicken wire! You will learn the basics of building a sculpture using chicken wire and create a stunning owl sculpture for your garden or home.

The course will run from 10.00-3.30 on Tuesday 23rd April and will include a light lunch. (Please be aware that everyone works at different speeds and you may finish a little earlier or later than the scheduled time) cost: 45 euros

Chicken wire is a fairly malleable material  and easy to mold and this course is suitable for beginners but some dexterity and physical strength is needed to work with this material over a day.

If you would like to book a place on this course you can use the buy now button below. This is a secure PayPal payment but you do not need a PayPal account to use it. We will send you further details once we receive your booking. If you prefer to send a cheque then please use the contact form below to check availability and we will send you a booking form and more info.

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Stained Glass for Beginners

IMG_1962Learn the basic techniques involved in making leaded glass pieces and create a small decorative panel that you could use as a suncatcher or small window. **

The stained-glass starter course will take place over 3 afternoon sessions: 21st & 28th January and 4th February 1-4pm. (additional sessions may be needed if you select a more complex design for your glass panel) Cost of the basic course (3 sessions) 120€

Session 1 will cover an introduction to the different types of glass, lead came, solder, tools & equipment and some basic glass cutting techniques. You will then look at how to design a pattern for a stained-glass piece. If time allows we will start creating your design and begin making the piece. There will be various examples and designs available for you to use/copy/adapt and to give you inspiration if you want to create your own design. Your panel can be up to the size of A4. Bring along pictures and ideas if you wish. (note that some design ideas may not be suitable for a small glass piece)

**There will be options available from very simple geometric designs and ideas for complete beginners to intermediate designs if you want a bit more of a challenge or have some experience already. The cost of the materials and the tuition will depend on which design you chose.

Session 2 you will begin or continue putting together your design with guidance.

Your panel will start to develop and you should be able to start cutting the lead and pinning your pieces together.

Session 3 You should reach the point where you can solder your piece together and start the process of cementing. Those that have selected a more complex piece or who need extra time can book onto additional sessions if necessary. These additional sessions will incur a tuition fee of 30€ per 3 hour session.

Places are limited on this course as we can only offer 4 places at a time. We will add additional dates when this first course is fully booked.

We will also be offering more advanced & bespoke courses to create a small exterior window for your house, barn, outbuildings or garden.

For further information and booking please use the enquiry form at the bottom of the page or email us on lejardincreatif87@gmail.com Note that the images on the gallery below are my own work and not necessarily examples of what can be achieved on the beginners course

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WP_20151112_10_01_58_ProThis half day course covers the basics of how soil properties affect successful growing, test your own soils to find out more about them and how to improve and manage them for a range of plants. The course also  complements the basic botany course running later in this spring.

Thursday 21st March 1-4pm 25€

To book a place you can use the Buy Now button below. This uses a secure PayPal system but you do not need to have a PayPal account to use it, card payments are also accepted.

If you prefer to pay by cheque then please use the enquiry form below to check availability and request a booking form.

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Learn the basics of basket weaving and create a decorative basket from a combination of willow and other hedgerow plants.

This course will run from 11-3.30 on Monday 18th March and includes a light lunch and refreshments as well as all materials needed to create a unique basket. Cost 35€

To book a place on this course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ button below. This is a secure payment through PayPal but you do not need a PayPal account to use it, it also accepts card payments and automatically secures a place on the course. If you prefer to pay by cheque then use the enquiry form below to check availability and request a booking form. You can use this form for all other enquiries too.


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SDC14932This course is aimed at those who want to develop a potager and grow vegetables for the first time or to improve their understanding of growing vegetables successfully.

The course will cover sowing and planting techniques, crop rotation and an understanding of the different requirements of different crops, selecting the best WP_20150626_13_02_52_Provarieties, pest and disease control and how and when to harvest your crops. There will be a mix of theory, demonstration and practical activities.

The course will take place over two sessions on 14th March and 4th April 1-4pm. Cost: 40€

To book onto this course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ button below – this uses a secure PayPal transaction but you do not need to have a PayPal account to use it. Card payments are also accepted. If you prefer to pay by cheque please use the contact form below to enquire about availability and request a booking form. You can also use this form for requesting further information.


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Come along and make a snowdrop flower and leaf using chicken wire sculpture and a IMG_1940wire and steel framework. These ethereal flower sculptures are a unique garden feature and look great all year round.

The workshop will run from 10.00am – 4.00pm on Tuesday 26th March and will include a light lunch and all materials.

Cost per person 75€

To book a place on this course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ button below. This is a secure PayPal system but you do not need to have a PayPal account to use it. Card payments are also accepted.

If you prefer to pay by cheque then use the contact form below to check availability and request a booking form.

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Fed up with using blunt tools? Want to learn how to service your hand tools and keep them in good working order? Take the opportunity to learn tool sharpening and servicing techniques for a range of hand tools on this two hour workshop.

Get ready for the new growing season!

Bring along your blunt secateurs, your rusty shears, damaged loppers, blunt axe etc. to learn some top tips in caring for your tools and give them a little TLC to get them back into good working order to make pruning and chopping easier and to make your tools last longer.

You can also sharpen spades, hoes, scythes and bill hooks.

(Send us a message using the enquiry form below if you have any questions or any tools that you would like to bring that you are unsure if we will over on this course)

1.00pm-3.00pm on Thursday 21st February. 25 Euros per per person

To book onto this course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ buton below. This is a secure PayPal tansaction but you can also make card payments using this system.  We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received notification of your booking. If you prefer to pay by cheque please use the enquiry form below to check availability and request a booking form.

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We are offering another chance to come and make a dragonfly  out of woven willow to mount onto a wall or display in your garden.

This popular course is suitable for beginners and a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn how to make realistic sculptures out of freestyle woven willow.

The course runs from 10.00-3.30/4.00 on Tuesday 12th February and includes a light lunch and all materials needed to make a medium sized dragon fly (approx. 80-100cm)

Price per person is 50€

To book a place on this course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ button below. This is a secure PayPal transaction but you do not need a PayPal account to use it, card payments are also accepted. We will send you a detailed itinerary once we receive notification of your booking. If you prefer to pay by cheque then please use the enquiry form below to check availability and request a booking form. Any questions – use the contact form below.
BOOKINGS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS COURSE as we have to prepare the willow. If you would like to request another Dragonfly course please use the enquiry form below.

 

 

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This course is aimed at keen gardeners who want to get the best out of their ornamental and fruiting shrubs. Learn the different techniques to promote best flowering and fruiting from evergreen, deciduous, early and late flowering shrubs, keeping their natural form and helping to keep them healthy and productive.

Understanding how, why and when the different types of shrub flower and how to prune correctly to promote productive growth that can really enhance their health and natural beauty. These principles also apply to shrubs that we grow for their fruits, foliage and coloured bark. This half day course will teach you the principles and practices of good shrub management through theory, demonstration and practice.

Wednesday 13th March 1-4pm 35€

To book onto the course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ button below. This is a secure PayPal payment system but you do not need to have a PayPal account to use it. Card payments are also accepted. We will send you a detailed itinerary and confirm your place as soon as we receive notification of your booking. If you prefer to pay by cheque then use the enquiry form below to check availability and request a booking form.

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Have you ever wanted to try the skill of grafting? This specialist propagation technique takes a little patience and practice but can be mastered by beginners with a little guidance. We are offering this half day course on either Saturday 23rd February or Wednesday 27th February 2019 1.00pm-4.00pm. 40 Euros per person including all materials and light refreshments.

You will learn a little about the science behind the technique and then have a go at Graft2 (2)grafting your own fruit tree. We will provide you with a dwarfing rootstock and an apple variety to graft but if you have your own tree that you would like to propagate then please bring some along, use the contact form below to contact us to find out how to harvest grafting material from your tree.

All tools and materials will be provided. Please wear warm work clothing. This technique does need some manual dexterity and patience! You will take home your grafted maiden tree with full instructions on how to care for it in the first year to maximise success.

(Typical success rates for grafted trees is around 75% but if your graft doesn’t work first time you can use the rootstock again to have another go).

To secure a place on wither date you can use the ‘buy now’ buttons below. This is a secure PayPal transaction but you do ot need a PayPal accout to use them, card payments are also accepted. If you prefer to pay by cheque you can use the enquiry form below to check availability ad request a booking form.

Saturday 23rd February:
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Wednesday 27th February:
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Please use the contact form to enquire about postal booking or  if you have any questions:

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