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.
Have you ever wondered how to create a gorgeous arrangement from the everyday supermarket flowers that you pick up with your bread and milk? Or perhaps you have an abundance of lovingly home grown flowers picked from your garden, but are at a loss as to how best to display them?
Gill Booker is an award winning, City and Guilds trained florist who will demonstrate how you can transform the cellophane wrapped bunch of nondescript flowers that are your weekly supermarket purchase into a truly stunning hand tied arrangement, ready to be displayed in your own vase.
Spend the morning with Gill as she demonstrates two different approaches to hand tied arrangements. All flowers and foliage will be provided along with coffee and homemade cake on arrival and a goody bag to take home along with your two finished bouquets.
This would make the perfect Mothers Day present, book your Mum onto the course or come along together to make her the best personalised bouquet as her gift for Mothering Sunday.
This course accommodates 8 people.
Find out more about Gill Booker and the other workshop leaders.
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.
On this workshop, gardener, author, broadcaster and Chelsea Flower Show exhibitor, Julia Parker will guide you through how, where and when to plant French climbing beans and Dwarf French beans, Fennel, Beetroot, Broccoli for the winter, Carrots and Salads to grow through to September along with how to keep a seasonal supply of Herbs throughout the year.
All this with a heavy sprinkling of Julia’s vast knowledge, top tips and handy sustainable gardening know hows. This will be an interactive workshop, so please do bring an apron and or thin gardening gloves if you would like.
Please arrive at 9.45am for a 10am start.
This course accommodates 10 people.
Find out more about Julia Parker and the other workshop leaders.
In this session Nicola Farrow from Mapletree Farm Flowers will help you arrange her locally grown, seasonal blooms using sustainable techniques for a relaxed “gathered from the garden look.”
This is a hands-on workshop where you will put together your own hand tied bouquet to take home for yourself or as a gift.
This course accommodates 8 people.
Find out more about Nicola and the other workshop leaders.
During your workshop, Hayley Farrelly, from Bramley Pottery, will take you through the process of making two beautiful slab-built jugs with a patterned exterior and handle.
Once your jugs have dried she will fire them in her kiln and then glaze them for you in a celadon colour of your choice.
These gorgeous jugs are multi-purpose; the glaze is food safe so can be used for serving milk or cream or use them as vases with a posy of flowers.
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 they can be collected from her studio in Ballinger, or they can be sent in the post.
Make sure you bring an apron and messy clothing to the workshop, Hayley will provide all the tools you need to make your pottery.
This course accommodates 10 people.
Find out more about Hayley Farrelly and the other workshop leaders.
Reels – the Superhero of Social Media!
Do you keep hearing about reels but not sure what they are or how to use them? Using video and reels will help you reach new audiences, get your business seen by more of your target audience and drive sales online.
Learn how to master reels (and not have to sing or dance! ) and unlock the potential of Instagram.
In this workshop, with Kati Noakes of KN Comms, you will cover:
You will leave with a reel ready to post and a ton of ideas for more reels to do at home and you will also take home a step-by- step guide to refer back to later.
And most importantly, you will leave far more confident about creating reels and content that will be game-changing for your business.
Although this course is new to Studio Portobello, Kati has run many successful courses before. Read a glowing review from a previous workshop!
”Kati Noakes is a powerhouse of social media expertise. Not only does she have an enviable grasp of the complexities surrounding the various online platforms and knowledge of how to use them effectively but she can communicate that knowledge in a way that is concise and straightforward. This is not the first social media workshop I have done but it is the first where I have come away understanding precisely what I need to do to get social media working for my business properly. Once I have mastered the basic/intermediate level I will definitely be going back for an advanced session. The beauty of training with Kati is that she is on hand in the weeks after the session to help with any glitches and she has a genuine interest in watching you succeed. Highly recommended.” – Gail Fogarty Photographer
This course accommodates 10 people.
Find out more about Kati Noakes and the other workshop leaders.
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.
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.
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!