Gardening, Floristry and Foraging
If you want to harvest bumper crops from your vegetable garden & nurture the finest blooms in your herbaceous border, develop your creative flair with flowers or become a learned forager and utilise all the wild food growing in our hedgerows, then these are the workshops for you!
Using the wonderful gardens and grounds at Bay Tree Cottage, our selection of Gardening Workshops will help you get the most out of your own garden whatever it's size!
We are delighted to welcome Melanie Ridgway from Amelia Blooms, a local and accomplished florists, to Bay Tree Cottage this year to run a series of Floristry Workshops.
Finally with an abundant ‘free’ harvest growing in our hedgerows and fields, our Foraging Workshops will inspire you to don your wellies and get collecting!
Unless otherwise stated, timings for all workshops are as follows:
One day workshops - 9.30am to 3pm
Half day workshops - 9.30am to 12pm
Evening workshops - 7pm to 9pm
Morning demonstrations with lunch - 11am to 2pm.
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Building with Willow - Structures
Thursday 9 February @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£60.00Sorry, This Course is Over
Living willow structures and sculptures are fun to make and fascinating to watch grow as they change with the seasons and years.
During this practical one-day workshop we will show you all you need to know as we build a willow structure together at Bay Tree Cottage.
Armed with this valuable hands-on experience you will be able to create a willow structure in your own garden! . -
Building with Willow - Furniture
Thursday 23 February @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£60.00Sorry, This Course is Over
Join us for this fun and practical day and learn how to make a piece of furniture out of willow that you can take home to plant in your garden (or school) and watch it grow!
This new natural furniture will not only give you hours of pleasure, but the local wildlife will love it too! . -
Pruning Fruit Trees
Friday 24 February @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00Pruning is an essential part of the maintenance of your fruit tree or bush, but it is also a bewildering subject! This half day work shop will show you how to prune and care for your fruit trees to ensure that they remain healthy and yield maximum crops. -
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Thursday 1 March @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00With a mix of science and traditional horticultural wisdom, handed down through the generations, we will show you what plants need to thrive, from the green shoots of early growth to flowering and fruiting.
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Spring Propagation
Wednesday 7 March @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00This workshop aim's to provide you with the knowledge, skill and confidence to successfully master the art of propagation. -
Flowers for an Easter Celebration
Wednesday 14 March @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00Join us for this half-day workshop with tutor Melanie Ridgway, a local professional florist, and we will show you some creative and fun ways to give your home a fresh and cheery look using a selection of seasonal spring flowers…and a few chocolate eggs!
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Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg
Thursday 15 March @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00From brassicas to blueberries, root vegetables to exotic salads, this half-day workshop will give you step-by-step advice about growing your own fresh food so you can enjoy a bumper harvest from your vegetable garden, achieve a more self-sufficient and healthy lifestyle, and cut the cost of your weekly grocery shop! -
The Cutting Garden
Tuesday 20 March @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00Come and join us for the morning and we will show you how to design and create your own Cutting Garden, which can be as large as an allotment or if space is limited a selection of pots and containers can provide ample space to grow a glorious selection of flowers for your home.
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Willow Plant Supports
Thursday 29 March @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£30.00Join us for the morning and learn all the secrets of this ancient traditional rural craft to making your own willow plant support, designed to add a sculptural element to a garden, while being made from a natural material that blends in with a growing environment. The workshop will be run by Bert Manton, a local country craftsman who has spent the last forty years learning his skills from the best and is now a master in his own right! . -
Container Veg
Wednesday 25 April @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00This half-day workshop will give you step by step advice on how to get a bumper harvest throughout the year from a mixed assortment of pots and containers, so you too can enjoy the fruits of your labours!!
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Buttonholes, Corsages and Fascinators
Wednesday 9 May @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00Come and join us for this fun hands-on half-day workshop with tutor Melanie Ridgway, a local professional florist, and learn the basic steps to creating your own buttonhole, corsage…it’s much simpler than you think!
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Bouquets and Hand-Ties
Wednesday 13 June @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00If you are baffled by bouquets or all finger and thumbs creating a hand-tie and yean to be more creative with flowers, then this half-day workshop is the perfect opportunity to learn some tricks of the trade to make your bouquets look spectacular!
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Floral Designs for the Home
Wednesday 12 September @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00Join us for this half-day work shop and discover how you can make elegant flower arrangements for your home …for your hallway, windowsill, sideboard or wall!
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Bug Hotel & Hibernation Sites
Saturday 15 September @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£15.00Learn how to make your very own Bug Hotel and a selection of different Hibernation Sites and encourage a wide range of wildlife to visit! Great fun to do and very educational to watch who comes to stay through the seasons! -
Autumn Propagation
Tuesday 18 September @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00This workshop aim's to provide you with the knowledge, skill and confidence to successfully master the art of propagation. -
Hedgerow Harvest - Autumn
Thursday 20 September @ Canons Ashby House National Trust Property
£60.00Come and join us for a fun day learning how to turn the fruits of the hedgerow into tasty produce to fill your larder. The morning will be spent showing you how to make a selection of hedgerow treats including blackberry brandy, crab-apple jelly and rosehip syrup. After lunch we will don our wellies and take you on a hedgerow walk so we can identify the hedgerow crops and you can gather your own harvest to take home. Choose from two dates and two venues. . -
Right Plant, Right Place
Friday 28 September @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£25.00Right plant, right place. Half day workshop led by Jenny or Will Dicks. More details to follow. -
Flowers for Halloween and Harvest Festival
Wednesday 17 October @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00Whether you are looking to create some spooky flowers for Halloween or a stunning arrangement for Harvest Festival, come and join us on this half day workshop, embrace the autumn and be inspired!
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Fungi Foraging
Saturday 27 October @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£60.00Fungi Foraging. One Day Workshop. More details to follow. -
Prestigious Flower Arrangements for Pedestals, Windowsills & Mantelpieces
Wednesday 14 November @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00If you want to learn how to create a stunning statement arrangement of flowers without costing you a fortune or using every bloom in your garden, come and join us for this fun hands-on half-day workshop.
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Christmas Wreaths
Saturday 8 December @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00Whether your style is natural, rustic, glitz or glam, come and join us for this morning workshop and make a beautiful Christmas Wreath to welcome all your guests this festive season!
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Christmas Flowers
Wednesday 12 December @ Bay Tree Cottage, Farthingstone
£40.00Join us for this festive half-day workshop and discover how to make a beautiful centre piece for your home that will impress all your friends and family who come to visit over the Christmas holidays.







