Vegetable Gardening with Julia Parker will cover all aspects of what to plant now for both a late autumn harvest and planning ahead for Spring and Summer next year.
Including herbs, vegetables and flowers, Julia will give advice and demonstrations of what and how to plant and where.
Having worked with Alitex Greenhouses giving online tutorials throughout lockdown, running her own vegetable garden design business and having co-authored a gardening & cookery book for children, Julia is confident, enthusiastic and wonderfully encouraging to the novice and green fingered gardener alike.
So, if you, like us were tempted by tomato growing, basil breeding or potato picking during our long summer at home, come and learn the top tips and insider guide as to how to make your plot (even more) productive!
This workshop will take place outside, under cover, safely and socially distanced. There will be access to toilets, hand sanitiser and masks will be available, if required.
Includes homemade refreshments and goody bag.
This course accommodates 8 people.
Find out more about Julia Parker and the other workshop leaders.
5 in stock
Learn to craft your own drum lampshade, suitable for either a table or ceiling light, with Katrina de Toney of Lampshade Parade.
During this course you will learn how to make your very own 30cm drum lampshade to take home with you. All the tips and skills that you acquire on the day will enable you to confidently recreate the steps at home to make more lampshades as and when you wish.
Please bring your own choice of fabric, 100cm x 40cm, all other materials and equipment will be provided.
The course is suitable for complete beginners as all steps will be carefully explained and demonstrated, along with all the short cuts, finer techniques and advice that will take your lampshade from amateur to professional!
This course accommodates 8 people.
Find out more about Katrina de Toney and the other workshop leaders.
Out of stock
Do you love photography but find that you don’t always get the results you were hoping for? Perhaps you have a new camera but never manage to take it off Auto setting? If that sounds familiar then this course could be for you!
Taught by professional photographer Jenny Kaye, you will discover how to get the most from your camera and achieve great results. Learning about light, camera controls and composition will provide you with the tools to take great eye catching photos, whether your preference is family, landscape, product or other photography.
This workshop will be a mixture of theory and practical and you will need to bring either a Digital SLR or Bridge camera. (If you do not have a camera but are thinking of buying one we may be able to lend you one)
This course accommodates 10 people.
£58 per person
Out of stock
Lampshade Making with Katrina de Toney of Lampshade Parade on Thursday 25th May. During this 3-½ hour course you will learn how to make your very own 30cm drum lampshade to take home with you. All the tips and skills that you acquire on the day will enable you to confidently recreate the steps at home to make more lampshades as and when you wish.
Katrina will provide all tools, equipment and materials required to make your drum lampshade.
The course is suitable for complete beginners as all steps will be carefully explained and demonstrated, along with all the short cuts, finer techniques and advice that will take your lampshade from amateur to professional!
This course accommodates 10 people.
Out of stock
Learn how to navigate and thrive through the Menopause and Beyond! And learn the key dietary and lifestyle changes during the Peri-Menopause and Menopause years and how not just to survive but thrive!
Angela Loftus will discuss the hormonal changes that occur during Peri-menopause, how we can best manage those changes and prepare for a “better” Menopause.
Angela will present key dietary and lifestyle modifications so that you can prepare for and manage your symptoms throughout this period by making informed choices.
The presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer Session.
Supplement recommendations, recipes and references to further resources will be also be provided.
This course accommodates 12 people.
Find out more about Angela Loftus and the other workshop leaders.
Places Available
Perhaps you have an event coming up or just want to learn a new and uncommon skill, this is a fantastic opportunity to create a beautiful hairpiece for yourself.
With over 15 years’ experience in millinery, Ellie Vandenbrekel of Ellie Vandenbrekel Millinery will take you through the process of designing and creating your very own, unique fascinator, similar to the one pictured but of your own composition.
During this session you will be making a teardrop headband fascinator; you will learn how to plan a design, how to work with a staple millinery fabric – sinamay, how to curl feathers and position embellishments and, finally, how to bring it all together.
Pre-order your base and ribbon colour – adornment and embellishments will be available on the day in an array of matching and complementary colours.
Sewing skills are essential, as couture millinery is always sewn by hand. All materials will be provided (including a box to take your finished masterpiece home with you) but you may wish to bring an apron to protect your clothes.
This course accommodates 8 people.
Find out more about Ellie Vandenbrekel and the other workshop leaders.
Out of stock
During your workshop, Hayley Farrelly, from Bramley Pottery, will take you through the process of making a matching pair of bowls in two different sizes with a patterned interior and decorative rim.
Once your bowls have dried she will fire them in her kiln and then glaze them for you in a celadon colour of your choice.
The bowls can be enjoyed every day; the glaze is food safe so can be used for serving food.
The pottery journey takes time, so expect to wait up to a month after the workshop to receive your pieces as this will allow time for them to dry, to be bisque fired, glazed and re-fired.
Once finished, your pottery can be collected from her studio in Ballinger, or they can be sent in the post.
Please bring an apron to the workshop and Hayley will provide all the tools you need to make your pottery pieces.
This course accommodates 6 people.
Find out more about Hayley Farrelly and the other workshop leaders.
Out of stock
In this workshop you will discover how to take fabulous photos with your smartphone.
We all walk round with a camera in our pocket these days and imagery is everywhere, so join us to discover how to stand out from the crowd and get the best from your phone.
The workshop will include taking photos, how to enhance them, lighting and composition as well as external apps and discussion about what you do with your photos afterwards.
This workshop would be perfect for business owners and those bloggers who use Instagram and Pinterest etc to promote their business as well as the casual photographer.
Jenny Kaye is a professional photographer and will share her hints and tips for creating stunning imagery.
This course accommodates 10 people.
Find out more about Jenny Kaye and the other workshop leaders.
Out of stock
Floral Workshop on Tuesday 9th May and will be run by Gill Booker a Constance Spry trained florist and City and Guild’s Gold Medal of Excellence Winner, who has taught at Missenden Abbey and runs her own Bespoke Floristry business.
The course will start at 10am and run until 1pm. Starting with coffee and cake, you will make a table centre piece which you can take home at the end of the morning. All participants will also receive a goody bag and there will be a chance to browse the Studio Shop at the end of the morning.
All materials, containers, flowers and greenery will be included in the price along with refreshments throughout the morning. Booking and payment, by bank transfer, must be made ahead of the date.
The studio is based in the heart of the Chilterns, with fabulous views across the Pednor Valley. It is a light and airy venue with easy step free access and plenty of parking.
This course accommodates 10 people.
Wendy
I had such a good time today. Thank you so much.
Although Julia is clearly a very talented lady she makes gardening sound so effortless and I loved her ‘ have a go’ attitude. Very inspiring.
Debbie
Thank you so much for this morning, I really enjoyed myself. You had put so much thought into getting everything to be COVID compliment, which I’m sure is all extra work.
Julia I thought ran the course brilliantly, she was so informative and helpful, even to a complete novice like myself. I’m really looking forward to putting into practice all of the things we covered.
Norma
Thank you very much indeed for the wonderful morning. It was so enjoyable and inspiring!
Julia was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, it was impossible to leave without feeling ready to learn more about gardening and growing edible things.
You were the perfect host as always and made us feel so welcome. Your coffee and cakes were such a treat. It was very kind of you to copy the recipe for the delicious Raspberry and Pine-nut Bars – I will definitely have a go at making them! Kit was great company too and his ginger plant was amazing!