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Learn with Jimi Blake

Planting Design from Hunting Brook Gardens (Spring & Early Summer)

Learn how to combine plants in your garden to create different garden styles to from spring into summer. Includes exotic garden design and sand gardens.

Course overview

You’ll learn about the plants and planting design that Jimi uses to transition the changes from spring to early summer at Hunting Brook Gardens. You’ll see how he uses ordinary plants to do extraordinary things.

Meet Jimi Blake

Jimi Blake is a passionate plant collector and adventurous garden designer. He created and runs Hunting Brook Gardens in Ireland. Jimi studied at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland before becoming Head Gardener at Airfield at 21. He was tasked with restoring a Victorian garden to its former glory. In 2001 Jimi started to create his own garden on a 20 acre estate in Wicklow, Ireland - Hunting Brook Gardens, and by 2002 the gardens were open to the public. Jimi is known for his love of plants and passion for colour and Hunting Brook Gardens is full of surprises for visitors from sand gardens to exotic planting. Read about Jimi's love of plants in his new book 'A Beautiful Obsession' and look out for him on TV including as host of Ireland's Garden heroes. Jimi is passionate about sharing his love of plants - so be prepared to explore adventurous and creative gardening in Jimi's planting design courses.

Course description

Learn how to create adventurous planting design with expert gardener and plant collector Jimi Blake.

Taught from Jimi’s famous Hunting Brook Gardens in Ireland, this planting design course will show you how to combine plants with a focus on spring to summer planting.

You’ll learn how to bridge the colour gap from the green of spring shoots to early summer and how to choose plants that combine colours, textures and styles to bring interest to your planting scheme.

Jimi will also show you how to create an exotic looking garden – even in colder climates.

You’ll learn how to create a sand garden and how to choose plants that thrive in sand.

As you learn you'll be creating your own planting plans and lists of plants to use in your garden.

You'll learn:

  • how to use colour in the garden to bridge the gap from spring to summer
  • which late spring plants to use from daffodils to Geums
  • combining plants in your garden for maximum impact
  • cutting back before summer
  • how to create a sand garden
  • how to plant in a sand garden
  • what plants to use in a sand garden
  • how to combine plants to create an exotic looking garden
  • which plants to pollard
  • plant combinations to challenge your gardening

The course includes:

  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Jimi Blake
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical planting design projects (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Time to complete the planting design course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 10 hours 10 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 10 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your planting design projects: at least 1 hour per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

You'll need:

  • a notebook for the garden
  • photos of plants

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Jimi on your planting design project and questions.

If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.