Growing soft fruit with Sylvia Travers

Garden courses

Ref: S1D32393

Location: West Dean
£157
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About this course

Learn how to select, grow and care for a range of soft fruit, including gooseberries, currants, raspberries, hybrid berries and strawberries. The day will include demonstrations in West Dean Gardens.

Course Description

The aim of the day is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully grow soft fruit. Teaching will include information on selecting the right varieties of fruit for your garden, formative pruning, ongoing maintenance, propagation and pests and disease.

Time will be spent outside in the afternoon where some of the principles discussed in the morning will be put into practice. Sylvia will go through the process of pruning soft fruit in the West Dean kitchen garden, where she will visually assess fruit bushes and discuss how to approach pruning through demonstration. Questions are welcome throughout the day.

Timetable

Timetable for one day courses

Students should arrive by 9am for registration.

Classes are from 9.15 - 5pm

Lunch is included.

Course Materials

What students need to bring

  • Notebook and pencil
  • Camera, may be useful
  • Clothing suitable for outdoors, including wet weather, as some time will be spent in the walled garden

Available to buy

  • Available from shop:
  • Notebooks and pencils

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Tutors

Sylvia Travers - horticulture tutor at West Dean College

Sylvia Travers

Sylvia has worked in horticulture for nearly 20 years, having studied at the Botanic Gardens in Dublin and at Reading University. She also took a detour to Denmark to complete a PhD in plant science. Sylvia has specialised in fruit and vegetable horticulture throughout and ran the productive gardens at The Lost Gardens of Heligan before setting up and running kitchen gardens for Michelin starred restaurants. She previously worked for the RHS overseeing the construction and planting of the Paradise and Kitchen gardens at Bridgewater near Manchester. These days she consults on all aspects of walled kitchen garden restoration and management. 

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