Workshops

One of the greatest joys of the summer vegetable garden is enjoying the fruits of your labour during the winter months when it’s simply not available. Preserving used to be an economic necessity, but what about the simple joy of showing off your skills to an envious audience of friends and family? Or the lost art of modesty? Either way that summer glut can easily be converted to a well stocked pantry full of home made preserves and sauces which can so easily be the basis of a great home cooked meal. Whether frozen, dried, pickled or bottled we’ll have you eating freshly grown food well out of season. Join us at this practical and entertaining workshop where we share all the secrets of this satisfying craft.

With Digger’s wide range of trees, dwarf root stock and container-friendly fruits it’s possible to maintain some sort of home orchard on any scale from the spare paddock out the back to the small inner city  courtyard. Site selection is an important component of successful fruit growing, but at this workshop we’ll be covering all the considerations vital to a well planned, productive orchard. Apart from site preparation we’ll be discussing soil drainage, staking, feeding, pruning regimes, plant selection and the formation of micro-climates. Fruit trees, whether small or large are permanent structures in the garden landscape, so it pays to spend some time in the planning stage to ensure a bountiful crop.

Training trees to a flat plane has been practiced from ancient times and has been recorded in the earliest paintings of walled gardens from Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome.  In Europe in Medieval times trees were pruned to a two-dimensional shape and used to decorate walls and construct screens and alleyways. This ornamental pruning helped to insulate buildings and provide privacy in a very limited space and, when applied to fruit trees, actually improved the yield by focussing plant development on fruit production rather than branches and leaves. So this captivating form of training is not simply ornamental, there are very real rewards for the time you spend in shaping your trees. In this workshop we’ll discuss which plants respond best to espalier and the different forms and designs which can be used to train them. Become an expert in a morning by joining us at this fascinating workshop.

Permaculture describes a system of landscape design which can be applied to a wide variety of garden sizes and situations. It focuses on sustainability within the borders of the garden and stresses the cycles which operate within these boundaries and how these can be used to advantage. Initial planning is very important in order to locate the various aspects of the design and to ensure that each works in tandem with the other activities of the site. The end result is an energy efficient and self supporting ecosystem; highly productive yet producing minimal waste. Come and learn how to plan a garden that combines traditional agricultural methods with a  philosophy that embraces a natural approach to environmental responsibility.

As the days grow shorter and all those autumn leaves start to fall it’s a good time to take a good look at the garden. At this time of year the structure of your plants becomes increasingly obvious and it can be a good time to do some pruning. Winter pruning is perfect for those plants that are looking a little tired as it actually invigorates them and encourages lots of new growth in the springtime. However pruning wounds need a little attention to encourage healing while the plant is dormant. The winter vegetable garden can still be a productive area and although germination may be a little slower there’ll be a lot less insect and fungal problems! At this workshop we’ll cover all those jobs that will get you outside and active - tidying up those areas where the snails are breeding, preparing for frosts, mulching (all those autumn leaves have to go somewhere) and cleaning and oiling your tools.

Berries must be the most popular addition to our gardens as not only are the fruits so delicious, but most are incredibly attractive plants. There is a berry variety for almost every site; some make great hedges, some perfect specimen plants, and some are readily adaptable to pots making them perfect for the smaller garden. Join us at Heronswood as we discuss how to turn a boring backyard into a luscious garden by simply adding some of these versatile plants. We’ll give you all the advice you need on plant selection, site preparation, pollination processes and, of course pruning. Daily bowls of fresh, home grown berries could be yours this year, with enough left over for freezing or bottling. This has been a very popular workshop so make sure you register early so you don’t miss out.

Different types of fruit are borne on different parts of a tree branch so a knowledge and understanding of your trees’ growth habits is important if pruning is going to be successful. Take the terror out of pruning by bringing your questions along to this interesting lecture and take the opportunity to learn, first hand, just how to manage your own particular orchard trees. You’ll learn how to identify spurs and how to recognise the yearly growth patterns of a branch - all important if you want to increase the health and productivity of your trees. You’ll certainly leave with all the confidence you need to maintain and renovate your fruit trees and impress your family and friends.

Different types of fruit are borne on different parts of a tree branch so a knowledge and understanding of your trees’ growth habits is important if pruning is going to be successful. Take the terror out of pruning by bringing your questions along to this interesting lecture and take the opportunity to learn, first hand, just how to manage your own particular orchard trees. You’ll learn how to identify spurs and how to recognise the yearly growth patterns of a branch - all important if you want to increase the health and productivity of your trees. You’ll certainly leave with all the confidence you need to maintain and renovate your fruit trees and impress your family and friends.

A large and impressive range of gardening tools does not actually make a good gardener - it’s a well maintained garden that will get all the attention. So rather than hoarding all that fancy equipment just invest in a few good quality tools and look after them well - they’ll certainly reward you with a lifetime of service and a garden worth admiring. At this workshop we’ll show you how to keep everything in order  by helping you to choose the most suitable tools for the jobs at hand and then go through the steps you need to take to keep their blades sharp, clean and well oiled. Both wooden and synthetic handled tools also need special care to keep them smooth to prevent drying out, while a good pair of secateurs really do deserve to be dismantled for a regular service and clean.

Nothing stirs the taste buds more than a real, home grown tomato and no-one knows more about this than The Diggers Club. We have a huge range of different coloured and shaped tomatoes, each with a different flavour and use; some for cooking, some for eating fresh and all real conversation starters. At this workshop we’ll cover absolutely everything you need to know to produce a worthwhile harvest of delightful and versatile tomatoes in your garden or patio pot. We’ll discuss soils, fertilisers, trellising and staking, and how to deal, organically, with any problems you might be unlucky enough to meet.

 Come and see what all the fuss is about - and prepare to be converted!