The Sunday Times - UK (2022-04-03)

The Sunday Times April 3, 2022 13

raucous evening in the hotel

bar, but all are here to learn. A

science professor from Maine

who has only recently become

interested in gardening says

she goes to bed and dreams

about barbed branches,

agonising over which to cut.

Other courses include bulb

planting and succession

planting — the skill honed by

Lloyd to keep the borders here

looking glorious year-round.

Some are more theoretical,

with classes held in front of a

fire in the manor house.

Perhaps the biggest draw,

however, is the place. There is

a magic to Dixter, with its

tucked away pockets and

surprises around every bend.

Even when the world outside

is in a state of chaos, there

is hope in the drifts of

snowdrops carpeting the

borders and the jungle shapes

of the exotic garden just

coming to life. It is hard to

think of a more enchanting

place to learn how to make a

garden thrive.

Great Dixter symposiums

cost £2,950, including

accommodation, meals,

refreshments and travel (to

and from the airport on the

first and last days, as well as

daily pick up and collection

from the hotel to Dixter)

what the plant is to know how

to prune it,” he says. “The

main thing is to establish

whether it grows on new or

old wood.”

I am given an abridged

explanation, surprised to find

that it actually makes sense,

and then led to a newer,

younger rose, presumably one

that he doesn’t like.

The course is immersive

and intensive. Students have

lunch cooked on site, sleep at

a nearby hotel and eat their

meals together. The

atmosphere is more akin to a

summer camp than an army

squadron — several of the

students are suffering from

sore heads after a particularly

from the

US, one

from

Ireland,

and five

are from

around the

UK. Most have

attended

symposiums before

and a couple have even done

this course. The symposiums

are not cheap at £2,950. One

of my fellow students jokes

that she could have gone to the

Caribbean for that price, but

Dixter in the early spring

sunshine has a seduction all of

its own. Some of those who

attend these courses are

professionals, but Garrett says

beginners are welcome.

In some ways they are

preferable because “you don’t

need to unteach them bad

habits”, he says.

Which is just as well,

because, while not a beginner,

I have always been mystified

by the dark art of pruning and

have tended to avoid it

altogether. But Garrett is a

gifted teacher, skilled in the art

of demystifying garden rules.

“This one is over a hundred

years old,” he says, pointing at

a rose and smiling as he hands

over a pair of secateurs. If

Garrett feels any concern

about unleashing me on this

precious garden he is hiding it

well. “You don’t need to know

Main: Great

Dixter house

and gardens

in Northiam,

East Sussex.

Clockwise from

left: the nursery

at Great Dixter;

the Topiary Lawn;

Rosie Kinchen

OTHER GARDENING COURSES

lCambridge Botanic

Garden runs regular online

and class-based courses in

everything from lawn

maintenance to spring

planting for about £35 — but

book early because places

sell out fast.

lKew Gardens runs short

online and in-class courses,

including a new no-dig

gardening course on June 9,

which costs £80.

lGardening for beginners

with the English School of

Gardening costs £820. The

first three days of the four-

day course take place in the

Chelsea Physic Garden and

the final day is in two

gardens near Petersfield.

Ben Pope and Rosemary

Alexander will show you

how to care for your garden,

with a focus on

understanding your soil,

choosing new plants,

growing from seed and

dealing with common pests.

lLe Manoir Aux

Quat’Saisons runs one-

day grow-your-own-

vegetables courses

throughout the summer

for £250. Learn how to

make the most of your

vegetable plot, and discover

which are the best crops for

your soil.

lVolunteering is a great

way to learn. Find out about

opportunities near you

through the English

Heritage website.