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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Here at Le Jardin Creatif we have been busy setting up our sister enterprise ‘La Petit Pépinière de la Guinandie. The high rainfall in January has slowed down our progress on getting all of our polytunnels and structures up but we have managed to make a start.

Watch this space for more details about when we will be fully opening the nursery but in the meantime we have lots of potted bulbs ready for sale. Now is the time for planting out bulbs ‘in the green’ for naturalising and for spring displays in pots and borders. If you missed your opportunity to plant bulbs in the autumn we have a wide range for sale. We will be open Saturday morning 10th February 10.00-2.00 or by appointment if you want to drop by on a different day or time.

Our availability list can be downloaded here: Bulb availability list

Please get in touch if you want to visit by appointment using our contact form

You can find out more about us on our website and we can be found on google maps

Watch this space for more news and plant availability

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Learn the principles of garden design on this two day course.

The course covers a brief history of garden design and how this influences modern design principles. You will explore the principles of good design, colour theory and discuss a variety of different styles.

You will then look at how to survey a garden and create a basic scale drawing of your garden.  You will go on to add design elements to the plan and learn how to create planting plans.

The course covers all that you need to be able to redesign your own garden and create basic designs and planting plans for friends, family and clients.

The course will run over two full days giving you time to survey your garden and bring along your sketches to the second day.

Both days will include a light lunch. We will supply materials that you need to create your scale drawing for use on the course and can advise on basic equipment required to set yourself up at home.

09.30 – 2.30 on Thursday 26th April and Thursday 3rd May 80€

To book onto the course please use the buy now button below. If you have any questions please use the enquiry form:


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Along with the snowdrops there are many trees that wake up early and give us a displayIMG_0497 of flowers that promise the start of spring. Some of them like the beautiful witch hazel Hamamelis ‘Diane’ are highly scented and  fill he air with spicy perfumes to attract any pollinating insects that might also have woken from hibernation early to make the most of a little winter sunshine. These winter flowering plants provide vital pollen and nectar for the overwintering insects that will be getting low on energy by now.

IMG_0502Another shrub with a powerful fragrance is the winter honeysuckle Lonicera x fragrantissima one of the shrubby honeysuckles that bears pairs of fragrant flowers all along its arching stems from January through till April will be covered in bees on a sunny winters day. Spot the pollen sacks on the bee in the photograph taken 24/01/18

 

Not all trees and shrubs are insect pollinated. Some are wind pollinated and produce IMG_0498separate male and female floral structures. The male flowers are usually catkins, releasing pollen when they mature. At the moment the hazel trees are in full flower, their make catkins having elongated over the last week or so waving away in the hedgerows distributing their pollen in the wind. Harder to spot are the female flowers that look like miniature sea anemones emerging from small plump buds along the stems. Hazel trees need a period of mildly windy weather without too much rain for the pollen to spread effectively and be caught up on the sticky IMG_0508female floral parts. Unfortunately high winds and heavy rain at this time of the year can lead to a bad crop of  nuts.

With the weather picking up this weekend in the Limousin why not take the opportunity to go outside and see what nature you can spot in your garden and hedgerows.

 

 

 

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We are pleased to announce our selection of courses for February and March 2018.

Start the New year by learning a new skill! These courses will also make a great last minute Christmas present for someone who enjoys the outdoors and being creative. 

Check out our website or follow the links below for more information and booking onto courses for early 2018:

Graft2 (2)Graft your own fruit tree: learn the skill of grafting and have a go at grafting your own apple tree to take home with you. Half day course either Thursday 1st February or Saturday 3rd February. 35 Euros per person (includes light refreshments and materials) see post: Graft your own apple tree

Willow weaving: make a fat ball bird feeder. Half day courses running Thursday 8th FIMG_0160ebruary or Saturday 10th February. 25 Euros per person (includes all materials and light refreshments) See post for more details and booking: Willow bird feeders

 

Chicken wire sculpture: Make your own hedgehog sculpture for the garden. Half day cIMG_0004ourse either Thursday 22nd February or Saturday 24th Feb. 35 Euros per person (including light lunch and all materials). See post for more details and booking: Make a hedgehog out of chicken wire

 

WP_20150626_13_18_56_ProFruit tree pruning: learn the skill of pruning your fruit trees for best results, the course will cover the theory and practice of pruning and training young trees as well as renovating and caring for mature trees. Full day course either Thursday 1st March or Saturday 3rd March. 35 Euros per person including light lunch. See post for more details and booking: Introduction to Fruit Pruning

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Use a traditional pole lathe

Greenwood crafts: Use a traditional pole lathe to turn a dibber or a string line. 10.00-4.00 either Thursday 8th March or Saturday 10th March. 35 Euros per person including materials and light lunch. See post for more details and booking: Greenwood crafts: Make a dibber using a traditional pole lathe

 

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Care for your tools

Tool maintenance: come along and learn how to service and sharpen your hand tools. half day course either Thursday 22nd March or Saturday 24th March. Bring along your secateurs, loppers, axe, shears etc. 2 hour session 20 Euros per person. See post for more details and booking: See post: Tool maintenance

IMG_0398Winter tree identification:  learn the basics of plant identification with an emphasis on identifying common trees in winter. Half day course on 17th March 20 euros per person. See post for more details and booking: See Post: Introduction to tree identification

 

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This 2 hour course is suitable for beginners and covers basic plant identification skills with an emphasis on the IMG_0400identification of common trees. On this course you will cover some basic botany and discover the secrets to identifying plants and deciduous trees during the winter when they have no leaves present. You will be able to put these skills into practice in your own garden and while out enjoying the countryside enabling you to engage with the natural flora of the region.

This taster session is also a good start for coming along to more advanced botany and plant identification sessions during the year. Look out for forthcoming posts with details.

The course will run on 17th March from 1-3pm and costs 20 Euros per person. The first part will focus on theory of plant identification and look at the plant anatomy that can help us to identify plants. The second part will be practical tree identification and you will look at common trees native to the region.

To book onto this course use the buy now button below. We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment.


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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 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.

1.00pm-3.00pm on either Thursday 22nd March or Saturday 24th March. 20 Euros per person. We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment.

To book onto Thursday 22nd March use the buy now button below:

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To book onto Saturday 24th March use the buy now button below

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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.

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IMG_0428Have a go at woodturning using traditional tools for greenwood crafting. You will create a ‘blank’ from a log section and turn it down into a garden dibber or sting line.

This course is suitable for beginners and can lead to intermediate courses where you can learn how to make a stool.

The course will run from 10.00am – 3.00pm with a break for lunch. Lunch and light refreshments are included in the price along with all materials. Cost per person 40 Euros. There are courses available on Thursday 8th March and Saturday 10th March.

Using a traditional pole lathe required a certain level of fitness as it is operated using your own pedal power! However there will be time to take rests and we can help with this a little if necessary. You will need to wear warm work clothing and sturdy shoes or boots.

We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment.

To book onto Thursday 8th March use the buy now button below:

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To book onto Saturday 10th March use the buy now button below:

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If you have any questions about the course please use the enquiry form below:

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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 Thursday 1st February or Saturday 3rd February 2018 1.00pm-4.00pm. 35 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).

We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment.

To book a place on Thursday 1st February use the buy now button below:

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To book a place on Saturday 3rd February use the buy now button below:

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

This course is aimed at beginners and will teach the basics of sculpturing with chicken wire. The course will run from 11.00-3.00 and we are offering the option of two dates as this is always a popular activity. You can book onto either Thursday 22nd February or Saturday 24th February. 35 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 warm comfortable work clothes and bring some gardening gloves.

IMG_0162If you enjoy this beginners course we will be offering intermediate courses later this spring to make chicken, cockerel or duck sculptures for the garden.

We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment.

To book onto Thursday 22nd February use the buy now button below:

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To book onto Saturday 24th February use the buy now button below:

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

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This two part course will look at the theory behind the techniques used to prune a range of fruit trees for health and productivity as well as a demonstration of pruning both young and mature trees. We will also discuss renovation of neglected or badly pruned trees. There will be an option of an additional session visiting one of our student’s orchards to do a bespoke session if numbers are sufficient.

Part 1: How do plant hormones influence growth and how can we use our understanding of the processes to prune our trees for maximum health and best fruiting? A theory session looking at plant growth, pruning techniques and training of young trees. How to tackle a neglected tree and improve health. 2 hours (morning)

Part 2: Practical pruning demonstration and the opportunity to have a go. Advanced techniques covering espaliers and trained forms of tree. Question and answer session for your own pruning problems. 2 hours (afternoon)

The course will run from 10.00am – 2.30pm with a half hour lunch break. A light lunch will be provided. Please wear warm work clothes appropriate to the weather as there will be some outdoor activities. Cost of the course is 35 euros per person including lunch.

Courses running on Thursday 1st March and Saturday 3rd March. We will send you confirmation and further information once we have received your payment.

To book onto Thursday 1st March use the pay now button below:

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To book onto Saturday 3rd March use the pay now button below:

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If you have any questions about the course please use the enquiry form below:

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