Free events to celebrate National Gardening Week

09 April 2019

Events ranging from a cooking workshop to how to design your garden are being held at one of the city’s most prestigious parks as part of National Gardening Week.

The free events, being held from April 29 to May 5 in Duthie Park, are aimed at encouraging residents to share their love of gardening and home-grown produce.

The workshops are organised in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, the Friends of Duthie Park, the Royal Horticulture Society of Aberdeen. The events are free however contributions towards the Friends of Duthie Park would be welcome.

Aberdeen City Council operational delivery convener Councillor John Wheeler said: “Our residents’ colourful gardens make a huge contribution to why our city is consistently voted one of the top in the country for its parks and gardens so we’re delighted to hold these events to encourage current and new gardeners to grow their own produce.

“People are welcome to come along to the events which are being held in one of the most beautiful parks in the city just as the spring flowers are in full bloom.”

The events, which must be booked in advance by emailing argill@aberdeencity.gov.uk, include:

The Colour Schemes of Crathes Castle Gardens, on Monday 29 April, from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, in the Education Room, David Welch Winter Gardens. The Head Gardener from Crathes Castle will provide a talk on the themed borders at Crathes talking about the plant collections of Lady Sybil and Sir James Burnett, and their influence on the borders both at Crathes and other properties;

Herb Plant Workshop, on Wednesday 1 May, from 10am to 11.30am, in the Education Room, David Welch Winter Gardens. A workshop on herbs for health, and growing and harvesting common garden plants for tonics and home remedies;

Flower Arranging Workshop, on Wednesday 1 May, from 6pm, to 7.30pm, in the Education Room, David Welch Winter Gardens. An opportunity for participants to learn a skill and create a flower arrangement. The workshop will be led by a qualified teacher of flower arranging from the Royal Horticulture Society of Aberdeen. She is also member of the Scottish Association of Flower Arranging Societies and past award/prize winners;

Propagation Workshop, Thursday 2 May, from 10am to 11.30am, in the Education Glasshouse, David Welch Winter Gardens. The workshop will cover sowing of seeds, pricking out and taking cuttings of different plants;

Flower Arranging Workshop, Thursday 2 May, from 1.30pm to 3pm, in the Education Room, David Welch Winter Gardens. An opportunity for participants to learn a skill and create a flower arrangement. The workshop will be led by a qualified teacher of flower arranging from the Royal Horticulture Society of Aberdeen. She is also a member of the Scottish Association of Flower Arranging Societies and past award/prize winners;

Designing Your Garden, Thursday 2 May, from 6pm to 7.30pm, in the Education Room, David Welch Winter Gardens. An introduction on how to design your own garden with Kirsty McLean, garden designer and writer at The Garden Design Company Scotland Ltd;

Cooking Workshop, Friday 3 May, from 1.30pm to 3pm, in The Pavilion, Duthie Park. Cooking seasonal vegetables with different cooking methods;

Rock Garden Plants, Saturday 4 May, from 11.30am to 1pm, in The Pavilion, Duthie Park. The talk covers a whole range of relevant topics from history, through styles, construction, planting alpine plants and some related topics like trough gardens;

Bonsai Gardening, Sunday 5 May, from 10am to 11.30am, in the Education Glasshouse, David Welch Winter Gardens. Learn how Bonsai came about in China, look at a few examples and a demonstration on pruning and wiring to form a bonsai.

Most of the workshops will be held in the David Welch