Sunday Feb 5th 2023
Time - 10am - 4pm
Venue - The Old Rectory Garden and Studio, Wicklow
Tutor - Joanna Sloan
€95 (includes vegetarian lunch, refreshments and 'A Garden of Life' 2023 calendar)
This workshop is aimed at gardeners or anyone interested in winter foliage, blooms and scents who'd like to learn more about what to choose and where to plant it.
Winter blooms are still the unsung heroes of the garden but with some planning your garden will successionally bear colour, fruits, texture and form all year round.
Choosing what to plant in your garden can be daunting and in my experience can stall decision making for sometimes too long; after all, the best time to plant a tree is yesterday!
During this workshop I will teach and help you understand what to plant in your garden and hedgerows that will create aesthetic interest in the winter months along with improving our biodiversity. I aim to give you an understanding of your winter garden which will help you realise your vision for your own spaces. Depending on the weather we will be both inside and outside so please bring appropriate clothing for both.
During the workshop we will cover the following topics.
TEXTURE AND LINE - trees and shrubs with colourful stems that will create a focal point in hour winter garden. Where to add clipped box balls and hedging. How to create and enjoy a contrast between tidied up areas and areas of healthy neglect.
LEAFY FILLERS - discovering the array of leafy fillers we can plant in our garden, some with berries and scent that will enhance your outdoor space and indoor vases during the winter months.
STRUCTURAL FEATURES - these two elements play a key role in our gardens during the winter when perennials and summer blooms die back. Both natural and man made structure help enhance a winter garden.
HIPS, HAWS AND BERRIES - bringing the artists trick of 'A touch of red in every great painting' to our winter garden. In this case it can also be yellows and shades of orange. A must for improving biodiversity and wildlife in our gardens.
THE FLOWERING CANOPY - learning about flowers that bloom on bare branches and ones that flower against leaf, looking at their delicate colour palette from pale yellows and soft pinks to cinnamons and stronger colours.
WINTER SCENTED PLANTS - choosing scented flowering shrubs and leafy fillers that will please our olfactory desires.
SILHOUETTE PLANTING - choosing plants that will stand out against low winter sun and inanimate objects. Which grasses and vestiges of summer planting should stay to enjoy traces of frost and give interesting silhouettes.
COMPANION PLANTING - Grouping trees, shrubs, ground planting and bulbs that will create a layered and interesting effect in areas of your garden.