The Long Term Performance of Perennials - Getting the Rabbit’s Eye View

Aims:

• Participants will learn how to make simple observations of perennial growth forms, and link these to long-term performance issues: longevity, rate and degree of spread, levels of self-seeding and competitiveness. 

• Participants will be able to make simple predictions of long-term plant performance.

How long will plants survive? Will they spread? Will they seed? This full-day garden-based workshop aims at encouraging participants to observe garden and landscape plants, primarily but not exclusively perennials, focusing on their growth through the year, looking at how they compete with each other, how to assess prospects for their longevity and their suitability for a variety of garden locations. Practitioners can then use their experience and knowledge of plants to plan for appropriate levels of maintenance and in particular to plan for the long-term – important for financial sustainability.

Integral to the day is to get participants thinking about how plants are linked to their natural habitats and ecology and how this connects to the way we use them in gardens and landscapes. Encouraged to get down on hands and knees to get ‘the rabbit’s eye view’, close observation of plant growing habits and lifecycles through the year can greatly empower us as professionals.

Event Information

Noel Kingsbury is an internationally known writer about plants, gardens and the environment and best known for his promotion of ‘ecological or naturalistic approach to planting design. He has written over 25 books on various aspects of plants and gardens, including four books in collaboration with Dutch Designer and Plantsman, Piet Oudolf. He also teaches and lectures and has written for Gardens Illustrated, The Daily Telegraph, The Garden, The New York Times and many other publications.

Course Leader: Noel Kingsbury

Date: Thursday, 2 May 2019

Time: 9.30am for 10.00am start.  Finish:  4.00pm

Venue: The Paxton Room (First Floor of Conference Centre), National Botanic Garden, Wales SA32 8HN (see website for directions).

Cost:  £60 + £4.04 online processing fee (discounted to £50 + £3.40 online processing fee for students with valid ID*). There is onsite parking and entry to the NBG is free of charge.

Payment:  To securely pay online with a debit/credit card or via PayPal, click pay online. If you would prefer to pay via BACS or other method, please contact us. Please note that we do not take credit card bookings over the phone.

Who
Open to garden designers and anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of long-term plant performance and related maintenance issues.

What to bring
Please bring your preferred form of note taking.  You are more than welcome to bring a packed lunch and flask. 

Catering

Tea/coffee and biscuits will be provided upon arrival/registration and during the mid-morning break. You are more than welcome to bring your own packed lunch and flask. There is a restaurant and a separate cafe at NBG should you wish to purchase lunch/snacks on the day. Please see NBG website for further details.

Directions and free on site parking
The Garden is situated 10 minutes from the M4 and 2 minutes from the A48 in Carmarthenshire, mid way between Cross Hands and Carmarthen. For Sat Nav users, our postcode is SA32 8HN. How to find the Gardens.

Cost
£60 + £4.04 online processing fee (discounted to £50 + £3.40 online processing fee for students with valid ID*). There is onsite parking and entry to the NBG is free of charge.  All profit will be donated to Perennial.

*Students: please confirm you have student ID(s) for each attendee booked, and forward a copy of your valid student ID(s) to gillian@gilliangoodson.com following check-out to be confirmed on the course.

Terms and conditions
Bookings are taken on a first come, first served basis.  We are not able to give refunds for cancellations.  However, you are welcome to nominate someone to take your place provided you have notified us of their name and contact details prior to commencement of the course. We reserve the right to cancel any course at any time.  In the rare event that we need to cancel a course, you will be contacted and given the option to receive a full refund of your payment or transfer to another course of the same value, subject to availability. 

*Where a student rate is selected, proof of a valid student ID must be sent to us via email (see contact information) prior to us being able to confirm your booking.  One student ID required per attendee.  We reserve the right to refuse admission on the course should proof of valid ID not be supplied prior to the commencement of the course.  A refund will be given for the course fee paid less an administration charge of £10. By registering on this course you have read and agree to our Disclaimer and Privacy statements.