November at Norfolk School of Gardening - Lockdown Learning & Retraining

Like many of you we have had rollercoaster of a week with the news of a second lockdown and all of the implications that has for our lives. Fortunately, unlike the first time round, education carries on and we are able to continue running our courses over the next month. This is particularly good news for the students on the two Certificate in Practical Horticulture courses, some of whom lost their jobs earlier in the year and are retraining to become gardeners. The qualification this will give them is vital to their new careers. The next course starts in late January and is nearly full, so if you or anyone you know would like to know more about this excellent, highly practical course, do get in touch.

Of course the garden itself is not in lockdown and nor is the weather. We have had the first frosts this week and we hurried to protect tender plants, ensuring the Pelargonium and the more tender Salvia, including S. Phyllis Fancy, were brought into the greenhouse for the winter. They have joined the succulents which we had already brought in a couple of weeks ago, protecting them from the fatal combination of wet and cold. Inside the Rhino many of the seeds we sowed back in September are now ready for pricking out and we have been potting up several annuals and perennials for next summer’s flowers. It is lovely to be investing time in doing something so positive right now. We have also been planting bulbs, both in pots and in the ground, including in an area which we will be keeping unmown and wild next year. This is where we will be building the wildlife pond on next month’s course, so watch out for photos on social media.

We are still running many courses over the coming weeks, and welcoming lots of students keen to learn new skills or brush up on ones they already have. There are still one or two spaces available the courses below, including Plants for Free, the propagation workshop, and Planting for Year Round Colour, a very popular course looking at how to ensure you have interest in your garden all year.

The Christmas Wreath workshops are filling up but there are still some spaces on these lovely festive mornings if you would like to come on your own or with friends. We are also running a Christmas Table Flowers workshop to help you create beautiful and unique festive table settings.

Upcoming courses with availability:

• Developing an Annual Maintenance Plan – 12^th November
• Plants for Free – 17^th November
• Planting for Year Round Colour – 19^th November
• Basic Slab Laying – 16^th December
• Christmas Wreath Workshops – 27^th November, 4^th, 6^th December
• Christmas Table Flowers Workshop – 11^th December
• Certificate in Practical Horticulture (10-week course) – 20^th January

Plant of the Week

Liriope muscari

This is an evergreen tuberous perennial which forms a dense clump of blade-like, arching, leathery, dark green leaves. In autumn it has tall spikes of small, dense, violet-purple flowers which can reach 30cm in height, followed by black berries. Liriope muscari grows in acid light soil in partial or full shade and becomes drought tolerant once established.

Contact us via www.norfolkschoolofgardening.co.uk or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

www.rhinogreenhouses.co.uk