Download PDF Autumn 2011 Programme

Each day at Llanover Garden School begins at 10am with coffee or tea, ahead of the morning session at 10.30am. A seated two course lunch will be served with wine or elderflower, before the afternoon presentation. The day will end at with homemade teas and another opportunity to talk and walk around Llanover Gardens.

Wednesday 5th October

Mary Payne MBE – Designing a garden with unusual grasses and perennials
"Mary is one of that rare breed of designer whose knowledge of plants is as extensive as her skill at creating eye-catching designs. I was so impressed by the examples of her work she showed in her last talk here, ‘Minimum effort for maximum effect’ , that I commissioned her to redesign the two enormous borders in Llanover’s round garden.

Caroline Boisset – Pumpkins and squashes
Pumpkins and squash are among the most colourful and ornamental plants that can be grown in the vegetable garden.  And when one also remembers that they have been cultivated for millennia and are the most wonderful cooking ingredient, it’s irresistible to try growing as many varieties as possible.  Caroline has grown over 100 different cultivars and won an RHS Gold Medal for her exhibit of pumpkins and squash.  This will be an illustrated talk that covers every aspect of these magical plants with images and some examples of fresh material.

Tuesday 11th October

Jim Gardiner – Inspirational planting schemes
Jim is the enthusiastic and very busy Director of Horticulture at Wisley, who enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge about plants through writing and lecturing. In his work for the RHS he has had opportunities to see more gardens than most of us. Along the way he has noted interesting and beautiful plant combinations, some of which he will show today.

Anne Wareham – The bad-tempered gardener
Her impatience with received ideas, her eagerness to experiment, and her conviction that gardening is a serious and exciting art form has placed Anne Wareham well outside of what usually passes for discussion of gardens. Anne will introduce her new book ‘The Bad-Tempered Gardener’, the story of her development as a thinking gardener and the creation with her husband, photographer Charles Hawes, of the Veddw, their acclaimed garden on the Welsh borders.

Tuesday 18th October

Matthew Biggs – Fruitilicious
Matt, a regular panelist on Gardeners’ Question Time, TV presenter and author, will give a brief history of fruit cultivation in Britain, before offering the practical advice you need to grow fruit successfully, whether in the ground, in containers or on a wall. Matt will talk about selecting the best varieties, establishing the plants, pest control and pruning.

James Alexander Sinclair – Gardening mistakes and triumphs
James has a justified reputation as a witty and informative fount of horticultural knowledge. He has designed gardens, large and small, from the South of France to the Western Isles and had show gardens at both the Chelsea Flower Show and the Westonbirt International Festival of the Garden. In his talk he will illustrate some gardening mistakes and triumphs which we can all learn from.

Tuesday 8th November

Susyn Andrews – Basic Nomenclature and Plant Identification
Susyn worked at Hilliers, followed by 27 years at Kew Botanic Garden. She is an expert on plant nomenclature and plant identification skills. On this study day, Susyn will explain to a small group the basics of nomenclature and taxonomy. This will lead into an afternoon session teaching the process of plant identification using plants in the garden. Numbers will be limited so early booking is recommended.

Tuesday 6th December Sold Out
Wednesday 7th December
Thursday 8th December

Christmas workshops and demonstration
Emma and Kirsty from Love-Lily will demonstrate the skills required to make a magnificent contemporary or traditional Christmas door-wreath, before inviting the group’s members (maximum 12 people) to do their creative best with a wide choice of foliage, cones, ribbons and flowers. If required, the wreath can be placed horizontally, with candles in the centre, to make a festive table decoration. The day will run from 9.30am until about 2.30pm. All materials will be provided, plus a delicious two course lunch in the dining room.