The English Gardening School

A wonderful day for our One Year Good Gardening Diploma students.

We began at Knepp, where Josh Williams gave a fascinating talk on rewilding, followed by a tour of the beautiful Knepp Garden.

In the afternoon, we were privileged to enjoy a tour of the private walled gardens at Petworth House.

It was a day of contrasts, exploring two very different approaches to gardening within walled spaces. Distinct in character and style, yet both equally inspiring and full of ideas to take away.

For over 30 years, The English Gardening School has helped students develop the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to pursue their gardening and design ambitions.

For some, it reignited a passion. For others, it opened the door to a new career.

Discover what our graduates had to say about their experience of the Essential Garden Design Diploma.

Everything you need to know about our One Year Good Gardening Diploma.

A year of serious horticultural study, held every Tuesday at the Chelsea Physic Garden and led by some of the most respected practitioners in British horticulture.

From taxonomy and propagation to planting design and rose care, this is a course for those who want to understand plants and gardens at a deeper level.

The next course begins September 2026.

Find out more via the link in bio.

Julian and Isabel Bannerman are generously opening the gates of Ashington Manor to us on 17th September.

An enchanting garden that embodies their romantic approach, effortlessly balancing wildness and structure.

From there, the afternoon continues at Yews Farm, the equally distinctive private garden of Louise and Fergus Dowding. A rare afternoon in two of the most considered private gardens in the country.

A handful of places remain. Book via the link in bio.

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Each year at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, certain plants transcend the noise of the show. This year, for EGS, that plant was Cornus × elwinortonii VENUS.

A vigorous, spreading deciduous tree that rewards close observation across every season, and one that we believe deserves a place in the conversation around considered, structure-led garden design.

Discover why we chose it as our plant of the year.

Introducing a new course at the English Gardening School.

‘An Introduction to Garden Design’ is a practical two-day course led by former architect and garden designer Catriona Rowbotham, with assistance from award winning garden designers Penelope Hill Smith and Richard Miers.

Learn how to analyse a site, work with scale drawings and produce your own conceptual garden layout. An ideal starting point for anyone curious about garden design.

Wednesday 14th & Thursday 15th October 2026
Book via the link in bio.

Caption: RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2026 - Hosta ‘Red Ninja’ (‘Nk2021’)

A full-plant mutation of Hosta ‘First Blush’, Red Ninja produces rich, intense red foliage from spring that holds its colour deep into summer, a genuine first in the Hosta world. Unlike most of its genus, it colours most intensely in sun, opening up planting possibilities that simply didn’t exist before.

Bred by Ninja Kramer, exhibited by Sienna Hosta. 30 votes from the expert judging panel. A worthy winner.