#racheldethame

Spring Courses

/ karen / 3 Comments

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/

Lauren Lusk

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’s botanical painting
Auricula theatre featured on the Broadwell website.
All photos ©️Broadwell Manor/ Lauren Lusk

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.

http://www.visiteaston.co.uk

David Stevens

Photo ©️ Barnsdale Gardens

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

Barnsdale spring flowering cherries. Photo ©️Barnsdale Gardens

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!

Snowdrop Painting Workshop at Broadwell, Gloucestershire.

/ karen / 16 Comments

Date: 1st February at Broadwell Manor.

Details: Info@broadwellmanor.com.

Photo courtesy of D. George

I started writing this blog with the intention of spreading good news about all things gardening. With that in mind, I thought you’d like to hear about some new events being planned for Broadwell in Gloucestershire. The first event was a Christmas wreath-making course reviewed here on the blog. See below for details.

Rachel de Thame has now announced plans for a snowdrop painting workshop in association with celebrated artist Debbie George.

Debbie George
Rachel’s garden, from her latest book, A Flower Garden for Pollinators published by Greenfinch/ Quercus Books with detailed botanical illustrations by Lauren Lusk and photographs by Jonathan Buckley

I was lucky enough to get a chance to wander about Rachel’s garden while foraging for foliage for my Christmas wreath, and there under the huge, hundred year old trees, I spotted masses of little green shoots. Rachel had no idea the snowdrops were there when she bought the house- it was a glorious and very welcome surprise when drifts of them emerged.

Rachel says she’s very excited to be teaming up with Debbie George for the snowdrop painting workshop and galanthus appreciation day. “It’s a rare opportunity to be guided by Debbie through the process of painting snowdrops. I’ll be sharing growing tips and discussing the passion that these tiny flowers inspire in enthusiasts. Then we’ll go outside to pick snowdops from the many hundreds growing in the garden for you to paint, with Debbie on hand to help and advise.”

Another lovely example of Debbie’s paintings

All materials are supplied, as well as a three course lunch and refreshments throughout the day. There will be a selection of unusual snowdops available to buy, supplied by Ashwood Nurseries.

Debbie’s richly-illustrated book documenting her life and work was published in March 2024 by Rylett Press.

For more than thirty years, Debbie has painted still lifes – primarily flowers and pottery, sometimes landscape, and often all three in a single composition. Her paintings are today highly collected and appreciated around the world as joyful pictorial celebrations of the English seasons, of country life and the natural world.

Based on conversations with Debbie and drawing on her personal archive, the book provides a rare glimpse into the life and working methods of the artist. Packed with more than 200 illustrations, it shows that the clarity and sophistication of Debbie George’s art is the result of continuous practice and experimentation. This is a timely celebration of a lifetime of painting flowers, pottery and landscape.

“For Debbie George admirers and collectors, this celebration of her work is long overdue. It’s wonderful to see the full range of her paintings, spanning more than thirty years, collected together in one volume. Each turn of the page reveals another image to be poured over by all who share Debbie’s love of nature and feel lifted by her unique portrayal of Earth’s riches, however small they be.” – Rachel de Thame, BBC TV presenter, garden writer and columnist.

Snowdrops and catkins

I hope you’ve enjoyed viewing these beautiful illustrations as much as I have. They have certainly brightened a very cold wet day here in Leicestershire. Thank you for reading my blog. Sign up for e mail notifications for more reviews, garden visits, and general news from my wildlife-filled, English country garden.

For more information on courses contact info@broadwellmanor.com.

For the wreath-making review:

https://bramblegarden.com/2024/12/19/christmas-wreath-workshop-with-rachel-de-thame-and-arit-anderson/

For a review of Rachel’s latest book:

https://bramblegarden.com/2024/12/16/a-flower-garden-for-pollinators-by-rachel-de-thame/

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Christmas Wreath Workshop with Rachel de Thame and Arit Anderson

/ karen / 30 Comments
Everyone busy at a table set out in Rachel de Thame’s hall.

Some opportunities are too good to be missed! I’d been watching announcements for weeks, but couldn’t attend any of the dates offered. Then all of a sudden two people dropped out on the one day I was free. So this week I unexpectedly found myself driving to Gloucestershire to take part in one of Rachel de Thame’s first Christmas wreath-making courses. I can still hardly believe my luck!

I wish I’d taken a photograph of the path leading to the front door. It was lined each side with piles of evergreen foliage ready for the course. Mindful of the fact that this was Rachel’s home, I didn’t get my camera out. But it was obvious from the first glance that we were all in for a treat of a day! Stepping inside the front door, Rachel’s entrance hall was set out with a long table and buckets of flowers and foliage in all four corners. There was such an array of different foliage materials, much of it pruned from Rachel’s garden. I fell in love with the pink hydrangea heads and orange rosehips straight away. I also decided on using the skimmia kew green as a background for my wreath.

Rachel first demonstrated how to make a wreath using a copper ring and moss attached with reel wire. Rachel was using wire she’d saved from previous years and recycled. The base of the wreath was entirely conifer sprays trimmed to about 5” and attached first to the left and then the right all the way round the circle. Flowers, berries, and seed heads could then be attached on top. Arit Anderson who was guest host for the day, demonstrated making a wreath using the same copper ring, but with moss attached with twine. Arit’s wreath was a looser design using twigs, seed heads, grey pussy willow and grasses. Arit explained the wreath could be safely composed after Christmas, as all the components would eventually compost down. The copper rings could be saved for another year. Even the ribbon we used was biodegradable.

Rachel’s wreath, showing the fir sprays being attached to the mossy base.
Arit with the mossy base attached with compostable twine.
Arit displaying one of the wreaths in the window.
Rachel and Arit with fir cones, dried hydrangea heads and foraged grass and poppy seed heads.

Before getting started on our own wreaths, Rachel demonstrated how to make an arrangement for a fireplace. I must admit, I wanted to take both the arrangement and the fireplace home!

Surprisingly, that huge arrangement all started with a relatively small glass bowl. Rachel rolled up some chicken wire and used florist tape to attach it to the bowl. She added long lengths of ivy, Portuguese laurel and pittosporum. Then colour was added with spray chrysanthemums and grey pussy willow. I have walked past endless amounts to trailing ivy in my garden and never realised it could be turned into anything as beautiful as this. But now, I’ll have a go!

Our day included a three course lunch. We had home-made soup, followed by a buffet of amazing salads, followed by chocolate brownies and cream. Plenty of tea was also consumed! The table in Rachel’s kitchen was set out with such style. I really enjoyed every second I was there! Everything was literally perfect.

Beautiful flowers set out on the table

Best of all though, I had the company of the famous Woodapuss sitting next to me. I’d seen her many times on the television. I can report that she is as lovely in real life as on the TV. Such a calm and happy cat, very affectionate. I was quite happy to sit there making a fuss of her. A highlight of my day.

After lunch we wandered around Rachel’s garden foraging for materials to use for our wreaths. It was such a treat to see the walled garden where Rachel grows her tulips and cut flowers. The walls are such a gorgeous soft, creamy colour, and we found holes were solitary bees had made nests.

Back to the house, and we all made a start on our wreaths. I decided to go for a base of eucalyptus and rosemary, for the scent. Then I wove rosehips in to the mix, and finished with two hydrangea heads. Arit showed me how to gather the hydrangea heads into a ball if they were too spread out, and tie them at the base. This made a much better focal point. We then chose a gorgeous burgundy ribbon to finish off.

And here it is! Displayed on Rachel’s front door which is painted a deep glossy green.

What a great day we all had! I learned many new techniques in floristry, made some new like-minded friends, fussed Rachel’s cat, and went home with a beautiful wreath for my own front door. A really wonderful, perfect day.

Thank you Rachel and Arit for such a happy and memorable event! A truly special start to our Christmas festivities.

Thanks for reading my blog. Rachel has plans for lots more courses and events at Broadwell Manor in 2025. To find out more contact info@broadwellmanor.com. Or follow on Instagram @racheldethame.

A Flower Garden for Pollinators by Rachel de Thame

/ karen / 25 Comments

Books for Christmas and New Year reading

Published by Greenfinch

Hardback. 208 pages. £25

Update: The prize draw copy has been won by Natalia at Lucky Bees. Thank you for leaving a comment and entering the draw. And thanks to the publishers for sending a copy for the draw.

If there was a vote for the most beautiful book produced in 2024, Rachel de Thame would win it. Rachel, best known for her newspaper column, magazine writing and appearances on BBC Gardeners World, joined forces with her daughter Lauren Lusk to produce a book which is joyful on every page. Lauren, a talented illustrator, hand painted many of the flower pictures featured in the book, and added a myriad of bees, moths and butterflies dancing across the page. To open the book is to step inside Rachel’s garden and walk alongside her as she meanders through the colourful wildflowers, cottage garden plants and herbs. We feel as if we are there, with her, seeing and hearing everything she describes. She writes: “I stopped deadheading, stood still in the middle of the space and was amazed by the number of butterflies darting across the garden. Bees, hoverflies and other small flies zipped from flower to flower. I closed my eyes and listened to the various hummings and buzzings. The garden was fizzing with insect activity, and as I resumed snipping faded dahlias and cosmos, I felt the air stir against my cheek as if whipped up by a tiny fan, and was astonished to realise it was the backdraft of rapidly beating bee wings, centimetres from my face.”

The book is split into seasons with Rachel’s selection of favourite plants each given a page of description.

Crocus tommasinianus.

Lauren’s illustrations are beautifully-detailed. It’s not possible to capture their beauty accurately with my camera phone pictures. they are much brighter and clearer in the book.

Muscari armeniacum
Cosmos ‘Purity’
Autumn in Rachel’s cut flower walled garden
Anemone ‘Hadspen Abundance’
Commonly called Japanese anemone
Winter features snowdops, winter flowering shrubs and clematis
Lauren’s bees and butterflies dance across the page

This is a book I’ve found invaluable this year in particular as we have had a crash in numbers for both bees and butterflies. We had no butterflies at all on the buddleja when it flowered. Summer didn’t really start until mid July. What I learned is that we have to plant a succession of plants all year round, so there’s always something for pollinators to feed on. Our climate is so unpredictable we can have all four seasons in one day! As I write this, a bumble bee is drunkenly buzzing about the garden- no doubt enticed out of hibernation by the unusually high December temperatures. It’s due to be 12C tomorrow. And we had snow, followed by flooding just two weeks ago.

Back cover of the book

I think you’ll find Rachel’s book a mine of information if, like me, you want to help the pollinators that make our gardens such a thriving and ‘alive’ place to be. I have no hesitation in recommending A Flower Garden for Pollinators. It’s a delight from start to finish.

Rachel de Thame is a television presenter and writes for The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and top homes and gardens magazines. She hosts courses at Broadwell Manor with guests Arit Anderson, Arthur Parkinson, Hazel Gardiner, and Butter Wakefield. More information below:

https://broadwellmanor.com/

Please leave a comment and your name below to be included in the prize draw. One name will be randomly selected on Tuesday 17th December at 6pm. There’s no cash alternative and the editor’s decision is final. Sorry, uk entries only. Thank you for reading my blog.