There’s nothing better than combining a love of flowers and gardens with learning a new skill. Here are some tempting courses on offer this spring.
Botanical artist Lauren Lusk
Tuesday 29 April, 2025.
Broadwell Manor, Broadwell, Gloucestershire.
Auricula appreciation and painting day.
https://broadwellmanor.com/events/
Details on the Broadwell Manor website say Lauren trained at the world-renowned Central St Martins. Lauren found it impossible to ignore the lure of plants, which were the focus of her degree show. Her love for the natural world is perhaps to be expected, given that Lauren is Rachel de Thame’s eldest daughter and she grew up surrounded by plants. Some years after graduating, Lauren decided to focus on botanical painting. Predominantly working in the time-honoured, traditional but painstakingly slow technique of applying layers of watercolour to vellum. For this workshop she will be showing how to use watercolour on paper to paint the charming detailed ‘faces’ of individual auriculas. Lauren was recently featured in House & Garden Magazine and her work is being widely commissioned and collected.
Lauren recently produced a series of paintings of flowers and graphite drawings of insects for A Flower Garden for Pollinators, written by Rachel de Thame.
Rachel’s book was reviewed on the blog here:
https://bramblegarden.com/2024/12/16/a-flower-garden-for-pollinators-by-rachel-de-thame/
Lauren’s website is:
https://laurenluskbotanical.com
Monty Cholmeley
Wednesday 23 April 2025
Easton Walled Gardens
Introduction to Watercolour Workshop
The website says: This workshop is aimed at complete beginners and you will leave with an understanding of how to mix colours, both on the palette and on the paper. You will also take home your own set of watercolours and a brush to continue practicing!
Meet at 5.30pm in our Coffee Room, before embarking on a two hour class from 6pm-8pm, where you will learn the basics and beyond of working with this special medium. You will leave with techniques you can replicate at home and a deeper understanding of colour.
Tickets include coffee and materials.
8 places available.
Photos ©️Easton Walled Gardens
Monty Cholmeley is the son of the owners of Easton Walled Gardens.
He is well known for his art work and photography.
More details and prices on the website.
David Stevens
Saturday 12 April
At Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland
Planting Design
The website says: If your garden is not achieving everything you envisaged and you’re unsure what to do, then why not join internationally renowned garden designer David Stevens for this very special workshop.
David will take you through all the basics, as well as looking at specific plants, showing how they work best in a garden, planting techniques and preparing a planting plan.
David is in great demand as a designer and lecturer in garden design all over the world, so this day is a treat not to be missed!
Price includes tea/coffee, lunch and entry to the Gardens.
To book look on the website
https://barnsdalegardens.co.uk/index.html
Also at Barnsdale this year there’s botanical painting courses 12/13 Nov and a focus on painting dahlias on 17/18 Sept.
I am pleased to be leading several courses at Barnsdale this year.
Growing Flowers for Cutting, 3 September:
https://shop.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/products/growing-flowers-for-cutting
Creating borders with 365 days of colour. 10 October.
https://shop.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/products/365-days-of-colour
Thank you for reading my blog. Are you planning to attend any courses this year? Please leave a message in the box below. If you are new to the blog, please follow and sign up for notifications via e mail, and remember to say hello in the comments below! Happy gardening!
Bramble Garden 
I do sometimes wonder if I could be ‘taught’ to paint, Karen, and that it’s something that doesn’t necessarily come naturally – but I am happy being creative in other ways, when I have the time!
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Wonderful collection of creative outlets to pursue. Thanks for assembling such a fine group of resources for all those who are seeking ways to develop and include beauty and creativeness in their lives.
I’s like to also submit a drawing & creatives course I participated in. It’s offered online and has so many avenues to pursue. Subject matter of all kinds from miniatures, botanicals, birds and insects even.
Check out: https://wordpress.com/reader/feeds/74364 OR https://artclass.typepad.com/val_webb_online_courses/
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Thank you Kate. Online courses are wonderful too. I’m looking into trying some of those. All the best. Karen.
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