The English Gardening School

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The English Gardening School

Conveniently based in Chelsea, with a practical learning garden in Hampshire, we offer Short, Distance and Diploma courses.

Over almost 30 years, The English Gardening School has built up an unrivalled international reputation for delivering a range of quality courses concentrating on the more serious aspects of gardening. Over 30 years, The English Gardening School has built up an unrivalled international reputation for delivering a range of quality courses concentrating on the more serious aspects of gardening.

25/09/2026

We have a new home.

The new English Gardening School website is now live, bringing together everything EGS in one place. Discover our courses in new depth, meet the leading tutors who teach them, explore the stories of our alumni and delve into the history of the School.

There’s plenty to discover. Explore the new EGS via the link in our bio.

24/09/2026

A rather lovely coincidence in this month’s Gardens Illustrated.

Ashington Manor, which we visited on our recent Autumn Garden Tour, and Mounton House, which we’ll be visiting as part of our Summer Garden Tour 2027, both feature in this month’s issue.

From a garden we’ve just explored to one still to come, it’s wonderful to see both celebrated in its pages.

Keep an eye out for more on our Summer Garden Tour very soon.

23/09/2026

Is it too soon to give up on box?

After almost 30 years of growing it at Yews Farm, Louise Dowding believes not. During our recent EGS Autumn Garden Tour, she shared the routine that keeps her remarkable sculptural topiary thriving, including the crucial October treatment she considers key to preventing spring damage from box moth caterpillar.

In our latest Substack, we share Louise’s advice alongside EGS tutor and topiary specialist Darren Lerigo’s case for why this historic plant still deserves a place in our gardens.

Read The October Date Every Box Grower Should Know via the link in our bio.

22/09/2026

We’re delighted to welcome award-winning garden designer Ann-Marie Powell to The English Gardening School as a new tutor on our Good Gardening Diploma.

With a career spanning private gardens, public landscapes and show gardens, Ann-Marie brings a wealth of experience, alongside her distinctive approach to planting and garden design.

We’re very excited to welcome her to EGS and for our Good Gardening students to learn from her this year.

18/09/2026

What does it take to turn an idea for a garden into a successful design?

Our two-day Introduction to Garden Design course takes you through the essential principles of the design process, from interpreting a brief and analysing a site to understanding scale, proportion and how to organise outdoor space.

Led by Catriona Rowbotham, with Penelope Hill Smith and Richard Miers, the course combines expert tuition with practical exercises as you develop your own conceptual garden layout.

14 & 15 October 2026

Discover more and book via the link in our bio.

16/09/2026

In our latest Substack, EGS tutor and RHS Master of Horticulture Ben Pope shares his advice on when and how to collect seed, the best way to store it, and what he’s sowing now for the months ahead.

As Ben puts it, “It feels like turning the garden full circle.”

Read The Garden Gift That Keeps Giving via the link in our bio.

15/09/2026

Our Good Gardening Diploma 2026–27 is now fully booked, and we look forward to welcoming our new cohort to EGS this autumn.

For those looking ahead, applications are now open for the 2027–28 Good Gardening Diploma.

Our internationally renowned signature course brings together expert-led teaching, practical horticulture and visits to exceptional gardens, offering a comprehensive foundation in good gardening.

Discover the Good Gardening Diploma and apply for next year via the link in our bio.

13/09/2026

Advanced Practical Horticulture is designed exclusively for graduates of our Good Gardening Diploma who want to deepen their knowledge and develop more advanced practical skills.

Working across the seasons, students will learn direct from Head Gardeners the specialist techniques that are the mark of a professionally managed garden.

Our next course begins January 2027.

Discover more and apply via the link in our bio.

12/09/2026

One of Britain’s leading topiary specialists, EGS tutor Darren Lerigo brings a contemporary and creative approach to the art of shaping plants. Teaching on our Good Gardening Diploma, Darren encourages students to work with a plant’s natural character rather than imposing a predetermined form upon it.

His principles centre on observation, patience and an understanding of how plants grow looking carefully before making a cut and allowing shape to develop over time. His approach sees topiary as a conversation between gardener and plant, creating forms that feel considered, expressive and alive.

11/09/2026

From Japanese Niwaki to the sculptural landscapes of Jacques Wirtz, cloud pruning has evolved across centuries and continents.

Today, its distinctive clipped forms are used to bring structure, rhythm and year-round interest to gardens, often creating a striking contrast with softer, naturalistic planting.

Swipe through to discover the history of cloud pruning and its place in contemporary garden design.

Address

66 Royal Hospital Road
London
SW34HS

Opening Hours

9:30am - 2:30pm

Telephone

+442073524347

Website

http://www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk/

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