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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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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We are holding three half day courses in February and early March covering different types of pruning and training of fruits. Each course will cover some of the theory that is useful to know for understanding the practical techniques followed by practical demonstrations and the opportunity to practice the techniques. The courses are designed so that they can be accessed seperately to cover one specialist subject or you can book onto two or all three to benefit from the full range of information (for booking see bottom of the page):

Pruning, maintenance and renovation of mature orchard trees; This course looks specifically at established orchard trees, how to keep them healthy and productive with regular maintenance and how to renovate neglected and overgrown fruit trees. Suitable for beginners to gardening and managing a range of fruit trees and can also be tailored to suit an intermediate level of experience. You will learn some basic tree biology and how to put these principles into practice to maintain healthy, productive orchard trees. Covering apples, pears, cherries and other stone fruits. Monday 25th February  1-4pm 35€

Pruning and Training of young orchard trees; How to plan, plant and train a young orchard of ‘top fruits’; this course will cover the principles of choosing and planting orchard trees and will look at the principles and practices of training young standard trees for maximum health and productivity. We will also look at a range of bush fruits. Thursday 28th February OR Saturday 2nd March 1-4pm 35€

Training of decorative forms of Fruit: This specialist course explores the traininSDC11678g and pruning of decorative forms of tree including espalier, fan, and cordon forms from initial planting and training to ongoing maintenance. These specialist forms are excellent for smaller gardens and for adding decorative dividers and boundaries to your garden or potager. Wednesday 6th March 1-4pm 35€

SDC11677We can also offer bespoke courses at your site and/or consultancy. Get in touch with us to discuss what you require.

Group bookings and extra dates are also possible – get in touch with us by email to check availability: lejardincreatif87@gmail.com or use the enquiry form below.

To book onto any of the above courses you can use the buy now button to confirm a place. This is a secure PayPal transaction but you do not need to have a PayPal account in order to use it, normal card payments are also accepted. If you prefer to pay by cheque please use the enquiry form below to check availability and request a booking form.

Pruning, maintenance and renovation of mature orchard trees; Monday 25th February  1-4pm 35€ 
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Pruning and Training of young orchard trees; Thursday 28th February 1-4pm 35€

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Pruning and Training of young orchard trees; Saturday 2nd March 1-4pm 35€

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Training of decorative forms of Fruit: Wednesday 6th March 1-4pm 35€

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For group bookings, extra date requests or bespoke sessions  please use the enquiry form below:

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IMG_0676Come along and learn the art of making animal sculptures out of willow. Make a majestic stag’s head to take home.

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.

Friday 14th December 10.00-4.00, light lunch and all materials included: 60€ 

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We are now fully booked for this course, you can use the enquiry form below to enquire about extra dates in 2019 or to go on our reserve list in case anyone cancels for 14th


Enquiry form:

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Le Jardin Créatif are now offering gift vouchers. You can either book a place onto a course for your friend or family member and we will send you a personalised gift certificate for that course or you can purchase a gift voucher that they can use towards a course of their choice.

We will email you the voucher or gift certificate that includes a personal message or for gift vouchers we can post the voucher inside an eco-printed card to the recipient with a personal message for just 5€ extra.

When you are stuck for gift ideas for Birthdays, Christmas, Mothers Day etc, this is a great way to give someone a fun day out, learning new skills and meeting like minded people.

For full details see our new page on the website: Gift Vouchers

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I have had so many requests for the recipe that I use for my home made bread served with the lunches that I have decided to post it up on the website!

I use a Panasonic bread machine, the bake setting is menu number 4 which is a 5 hour bake for wholemeal and seeded breads. I use the medum loaf setting. I usually bake it on a timer overnight to make sure it is fresh in the morning. I use dried yeast and always put the yeast into the machine first, then the dry ingredients on top then the water last. This keeps the water away from the yeast until it starts mixing, which is the secret to success. If the water touches the yeast before the bake starts (if you are using a timer to delay the start of the bake) then it partially ferments before the mixing of ingredients and you end up with a loaf that looks a bit like a house brick!

Here is my recipe, I seem to have deviated slightly from any of the recipes in the book, having made it from memory when my book was in England, however it seems to produce good results every time:

 

 

400g multi-cereals flour (I use the supermarket own brand)

3/4 teaspoon of dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt (you can reduce this if you are on a low salt diet)

15g butter OR a tablespoon of olive oil (to make it vegan/dairy free)

280ml chilled water

 

 

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IMG_1756Create a woven ‘Angel’ out of willow; these alternative Christmas decorations are simple and effective on their own but can be decorated with traditional chrstmas tinsel, fairy lights and sparkle for indoor displays or use ivy, holly, berries and cones for a unique outdoor feature.

This half day course will cover some basic willow weaving techniques and you will create a unique angel to decorate as you please. Wednesday 5th December is now fully booked but there are places available on Saturday 8th December 1-4pm 30€each (includes all willow and light refreshments)

To book onto the course you can use the ‘Buy Now’ buttons below. This will confirm your place and uses a secure PayPal system but you do not need to have a PayPal accout to use it, card payments are also accepted with this system. If you wish to pay by cheque then use the contact form below to enquire about availability and request a booking form. For enqiries about group bookings use the contact form below or email us on lejardincreatif87@gmail.com

To book Saturday 8th December:
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Come along and make  trio of cute little chicken wire Robins to use in Christmas decorations and as lasting garden ornaments.

You will make three robins (just a little larger than life size) and a ‘twiggy’ perch.

Chicken wire is easy to manipulate using pliers but you do need a little strength to work with it over several hours. We will assist anyone who requires help to finish off their project.

We are offering this course on three dates for individual bookings; Wednesday 21st November, Tuesday 27th November and Monday 3rd December 1-4pm. Cost 35€ including materials and refreshments.

You can book online by using the ‘buy now’ buttons below which use a secure PayPal payment system, however you do not need a PayPal accout to use it, the system will also take card payments. If you prefer to pay by cheque, please use the contact form below to equire about availability and request a booking form.

If you want to make a group booking we have some other dates available, please get in touch with us using the contact form or by emailing us on lejardincreatif87@gmail.com

Booking for Wednesday 21st November:
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Bookinf for Tuesday 27th November:
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Booking for Monday 3rd December:
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