Our Current Courses:
Grow your own veg workshops
If you’re keen to grow your own food but are unsure where to start then these hands-on sessions will help you get the best results you can straightaway.
Each month focuses on the jobs that need doing at that time to achieve a thriving productive garden. You can book just one, or all of them together at a discount. With an emphasis on organic and no-dig principles, and the knowledge and support of an experienced grower, you will learn how to produce nutritious food from your own allotment or garden.
Tutor: Annabel Rudd
Location: Near Orwell
Detailed course description
Growing your own vegetables is not only satisfying to do but you get to eat the freshest produce, save food miles and try delicious varieties that just aren’t available in the shops. It can seem daunting at the beginning, though, and take time to build up practical knowledge and experience so these monthly hands-on sessions have been created to provide knowledge and support and increase your chances of success.
Each month we will show you what to sow and plant at that time, how to care for your plot and the produce in it, and how to maintain a good harvest over the growing season. There’ll also be simple cooking ideas to help you make the most of everything you grow. You’ll learn useful tips from an experienced kitchen gardener and leave sessions with some plants to continue nurturing on your own plot. There will be a combination of demonstrations and hands-on practice in a relaxed environment where questions are welcomed and having a go is the main requirement.
You’ll need to bring gardening gloves, some hand tools and a pair of secateurs with you but all other equipment will be provided.
Coffee/tea and cake will be available, but please bring a packed lunch with you for the midday break.
Course Schedule:
Course Format
Half-day course
Venue
Near Orwell
Price
£ 60
Date
Friday 5th June 2026
Time
9.30am – 1pm
Date
Friday 3rd July 2026
Time
9.30am – 1pm
Date
Friday 4th September 2026
Time
9.30am – 1pm
Date
Friday 3rd October 2026
Time
9.30am – 1pm
All 4 sessions
Day course x 4
Venue
Near Orwell
Price
£ 200
Dates
Fridays 5th June, 3rd July, 4th Sept & 3rd Oct 2026
Time
9.30am – 1pm
Designing colourful borders for year-round interest
A well-designed border provides colour and interest throughout the year, looking as intentional in winter as it does in the summer months. However, in our consultancy work we have seen many borders that fail to deliver this result, looking sparse, disjointed or unloved. In this intensive day course we will unpick the components of a border that works and show you how to use and combine plants more effectively in your own garden.
Tutors:
Stephanie Boyd & Meg Cobley
Location:
Lucy Cavendish College
Detailed course description
This intensive day course is all about using plants to create year-round interest in the garden. We will show you how you can improve your existing borders and what to think about when developing new planting schemes. There will be a mixture of theory with plenty of real-life illustrations, as well as hands-on activities that will get you looking at plants – and the effects they can create – in different ways. We will also spend some time looking at the college borders and identifying useful plants for different planting situations.
All materials will be provided but you may wish to bring some photos of your own borders to share and discuss with others. Lucy Cavendish has a café onsite for refreshments and you are also welcome to bring a packed lunch to enjoy in the garden, weather permitting.
Course Schedule:
Course Format
Full day
Venue
Lucy Cavendish College
Price
£ 110
Date
4th June 2026
Time
9.30 – 3pm
What to prune in June?
June is a key pruning month in the gardening year and in this hands-on course you’ll learn which should be tackled now and how to do it to maximise the growth and health of the plants.
Tutors:
Annabel Rudd
Location:
Near Orwell
Detailed course description
This workshop session is all about summer pruning. Although many plants can be pruned in winter, some benefit from being pruned now but which ones and what are the best techniques?
Come and spend a morning in a garden just outside Cambridge, and we’ll show you what to prune, demonstrate the best methods and give you time to practise yourself so that you can approach this task with confidence and ensure you have healthy, well-shaped shrubs with an abundance of flowers in the future.
Please bring your own secateurs and gardening gloves if you have them, but all other tools will be provided.
Course Schedule:
Course Format
Half day
Venue
Near Orwell
Price
£ 60
Date
Friday 12th June 2026
Time
9am – 12pm
Business Skills for Self-Employed Gardeners
If you’ve ever thought about running your own gardening business then this intensive morning course will give you the knowledge you need to make an informed decision and start off on the right track. It’s the course we wish had been around when we started our gardening careers and is built on years of experience as a garden business owner.
Tutor:
Meg Cobley
Location: Rock Road, Cambridge
Detailed course description
Working as a self-employed gardener can offer a rewarding career but research shows that many struggle with the business side of things. As a result, new businesses fail to get off the ground or fall short of reaching their full potential. This information-packed morning course focuses on the key elements you need to be clear about before you start advertising your services, including setting prices, finding customers, the legal responsibilities and where to find additional support. We’ll consider training options, tools and equipment and how to maintain income throughout the year. Developed from years of personal experience, as well as recent research into the common challenges, this course will give new and aspiring garden business owners the knowledge and confidence to make better decisions and plan for success.
Rock Road Community Room is in a convenient location off Hills Road with free parking in the surrounding streets on Saturdays and frequent bus links from Cambridge city centre, Babraham P&R and surrounding villages.
Course Schedule:
Course Format
Morning Course
Venue
Rock Road Community Room, Cambridge
Price
£60
Date
Saturday 13th June
Time
10am – 1pm
Introduction to garden design (5 days)
This five-session course introduces the fundamental principles of garden design, and guides you through the different stages from initial site survey and analysis, through scale drawing, to the production of final layout and planting plans. Delivered with a wide range of design resources, plenty of hands-on practice, personal guidance and a site visit for inspiration.
Tutor:
Meg Cobley
Location: Near Orwell
Detailed course description
Whilst garden design may seem to be all about aesthetics, in fact it starts with clear, logical steps and an attention to detail. You’ll therefore start by learning how to measure and analyse a site and practise produce simple scale drawings. We’ll then explore key design principles and show you how to ‘play’ with different ideas on paper until you’re ready to produce a final layout plan. The focus then turns to planting and how plants can be combined to create year-round interest.
Material choices are important so the course includes a visit to a hard landscaping showroom where we’ll assess the materials available to designers and the different effects that can be achieved with them.
Throughout the course the emphasis is on sustainability and the importance of selecting plants and materials that will thrive in our changing climate and limit the environmental impact of any new design.
Tea and coffee will be provided but please bring a packed lunch for the middle of the day. A short materials list will be sent prior to the start date.
Course Schedule:
Course Format
Full day
Venue
Near Orwell
Price
£400 for all 5 sessions
Date
Mondays 21st & 28th September and 5th, 12th & 19th October
Time
9.30am – 3pm
Winter containers
Create two winter containers to take home that will provide colour and interest in your garden from October right through to late spring.
You’ll be able to choose between different colour schemes (pinks, brights or darks) to make the creation truly yours.
This would make a lovely gift or morning out with a group of friends.
Tutor:
Annabel Rudd
Location: Near Orwell
Detailed course description
During this morning course you’ll create a pair of containers that are packed full of spring colour using the ‘lasagne’ method. By topping them off with attractive and long-lasting winter plants, you’ll have a continuous display through the autumn and winter until the bulbs start to emerge in colourful succession in the spring. All the materials you need, including two large (35cm) containers, compost, a collection of spring bulbs and winter plants, will be provided and you will have a choice of colours available. Make a matching pair or choose different bulb mixes to create added variety.
Course Schedule:
Course Format
Morning course
Venue
Near Orwell
Price
£150 (includes pots, bulbs & plants)
Date
Friday 16th October
Time
9.30am – 12.30pm
Practical Gardening Programme ( 6 modules – can be booked individually)
If you are keen to develop your practical gardening skills quickly and want to learn the best way to approach a wide range of tasks, then this course will start you on the right track. It also provides a solid foundation for anyone considering a horticultural career alongside valuable experience of working in a large garden.
Tutor:
Meg Cobley
Location: Great Abington
Detailed course description
Each of the six sessions in this programme focuses on a different horticultural theme, starting with an introduction and some relevant plant science in the classroom, followed by lots of practice outside in the garden. Topics include soil care, propagation, planting techniques, ‘weed’ recognition, plant health and how/when/why to prune for best results. We will also cover health and safety and the care and maintenance of tools. (Even more detail can be found in the individual module descriptions by following the link below.)
The overall aim of our informal, friendly sessions is to build your horticultural knowledge and confidence so that you can manage a range of gardening tasks across the seasons and make informed decisions effectively and efficiently.
The maximum class size is eight people which ensures that there is plenty of individual attention and time for questions. For those considering a career in horticulture, the programme demonstrates structured practical experience in a garden, something that research shows employers value but which can be hard to find.
Course Format
Modular course – select from the following or book the entire course with a discount:
- Creating healthy soil
- New plants from seeds and cuttings
- Pruning and plant health
- Weeds & weed management
- Using containers in the garden
- The gardening year – seasonal planning
Venue
Great Abington
Price
£55 each or whole course £300
Date
Coming soon
Time
9.30am – 1.30pm