The course is run over five days and includes accommodation and home cooked organic meals. This course is also offered as non-residential. The course will take place from 10am until 4pm with an hour for a delicious lunch. The third day will be spent exploring local gardens. The evenings are free for you to explore the local countryside and coast, socialise with the other guests or visit the towns of Fishguard or St David's. An evening meal is provided. You are welcome to arrive on Sunday afternoon and to stay until Saturday morning. We would be happy to pick you up from Fishguard or Haverfordwest train stations should you wish to use public transport. An evening meal and breakfast can be provided on the day of arrival / departure for your convenience.

Itinerary (Please contact us for future course dates)

Shani is currently on maternity leave but is hoping to be running courses from next year.

Day One
We will begin the course with a brief introduction to garden design and design history. We will explore concepts such as edible, productive gardens and sustainable, wildlife friendly design. This will be followed by an analysis of your garden site. We will look at aspect, soil, proportions, gradient and microclimate; so discovering the assets and limitations of your chosen area. We will also establish what you would like to achieve and change by your design.

Day Two
The second day will be a practical day where you will start to draft out layout plans of your garden site under the direct supervision of Shani. We will explore use of shape, style, functionality and sustainable product choices during this process. All drawing equipment is provided.

Day Three
We will then have a day out to explore gardens in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. We will gain inspiration from historic gardens such as Aberglasney and new experimental gardens such as the National Botanic Gardens of Wales and possibly visit local smaller gardens. The choice of gardens will depend on opening times of individual attractions and may be subject to change.

Day Four
We will spend the morning working on the final design layouts and in the afternoon we will discuss organic planting, wildlife encouragement as well as colour, texture, scent and structure options.

Day Five
Our final day will be devoted to creating planting plans for your garden site.

Course Costs - The basic cost for the course is £825. The costs are based on one person to a room, if you wish to bring a partner or friend to share the room please call to discuss this. The course is fully catered, please call to discuss any dietry requirements. We can provide vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan meals. We also offer this course as non-residential, please call for course costs and availablity.

Please follow this link to learn a little about our course leader Shani Lawrence.