Workshops

Our workshops are a great way to learn something new, connect with others, and create lasting memories. Our florist, Bridget, is an experienced flower grower and florist who has a Certificate in Horticulture and has appeared on BBC Beachgrove Garden. She is an enthusiastic speaker and teacher and loves to share her passion for all things floral. Her background in horticulture, science and education is combined with many years practical hands on experience working in local gardens. Our special Christmas Wreath Workshops are here.

workshops at the moorhouse

Workshops are held in the wee bothy at the top of the garden and include time in the garden to select and harvest suitable material ( weather permitting). We offer the following topics, but we can easily tailor a workshop to your specific requirements.

Make an eco-friendly hand-tied bouquet

To really learn about how to arrange flowers, we believe it is useful to actually observe the plants growing in the garden. Our floral scissors are used not just to snip the ends off a bunch of stems. We use our scissors to go into the garden and actually cut the very stems that we use to create a super fresh bouquet ! No air-miles, no road miles even - just a few yards from garden to workshop. Over the years, Bridget has amassed an amazing collection of plants in the cutting garden and she is an expert on growing these particular varieties for floristry. She will show you how to select, cut and prepare the stems, and how to combine them to make your own bouquet; a bouquet to enjoy in your own home or to give as a special and very personal gift. We use the ‘hand-tied’ technique to make our bouquets. This means that the stems are held together by a length of jute twine, finished with hessian ribbon and wrapped in tissue paper with a kraft paper sleeve - no plastics here! Your bouquet will be seasonal, scented and sustainable.In recent years, there has been much discussion about the benefits of our relationship with the natural world. And it is now scientifically proven that having nature around us as part of our daily lives promotes a sense of wellbeing and inner calm. For this reason, once made, we want you to enjoy your bouquet for as long as possible. Bridget will give you her tips for making the blooms last as long as possible. Furthermore, you may even be able to press or dry some elements of the bouquet to give you a lasting memory of your visit to The Moorhouse!

‘I gave the bouquet to my mum for her 80th birthday. She was thrilled and said it was like having a Borders garden in her living room!’

£50 per person. Available May to October, mornings or afternoons (approximately two and a half hours).

Make an Autumn Door Wreath

With the shortening days and cooler mornings, the garden slowly progresses into Autumn. In this workshop, you will experience the magic of the season and create a natural wreath, stunning for your front door. Bridget will introduce the range of botanical materials available, explain how to design your seasonal wreath, and demonstrate the mechanics of creating a stunning display. We will tour the garden to show you the jewel like colours of the cooler months; glorious asters, graceful schizostylis and brilliant golden rod. We will explore a collection of ephemeral grasses, the intricate seed-heads of carex and malope, shiny cotoneaster and hawthorn berries and the foliages of beech and viburnum. Taken all together, it is these ingredients that create our Autumn palette - an amazing collection of natural, decorations ripe for harvest. Suitable for those with no floristry experience, Bridget will guide you carefully through each stage of the creative process. You will take home an Autumn wreath ready to hang on your front door, a wreath that truly reflects the elements of a Borders garden, a wreath for all to admire!

‘As a flower arranger, I used to think that my garden finished in September, but now I see that it has so much more to offer in Autumn.’

£50 per person. Available October and November, mornings or afternoons ( approximately two and a half hours).

Create a Dried Flower Heart

It is in the months of October and November that we celebrate the beauty of dried flowers. Throughout the growing season, Mike and Bridget harvest baskets of flowers and carefully dry them to preserve their delicate shapes and natural textures. In the autumnal months, Bridget weaves these beautiful botanical specimens onto wire frames to create truly unique dried flower hearts, a natural reminder of Summers past. You will prepare a straw base, and then delve into our collection of dried material to design and create your own masterpiece to take home with you. Bridget will explain how we grow, harvest and dry a whole range of material from the tiniest bunny tails to the tallest majestic teasels.

‘Really enjoyed this hands-on experience. I didn’t realise how many different kinds of flowers could be dried’

£50 per person. Available October and November, mornings or afternoons ( approximately two and a half hours)..

Make a trio of posies

In the Moorhouse cutting garden, we grow lots of very delicate short stemmed flowers especially in the sping time ( snowdrops, aconites, scillas and primulas), but also during the warmer months (Lily-of-the-Valley and old-fashioned garden pinks). These beautiful flowers are best appreciated in small posies, reminiscent of tussie-mussies often carried by ladies in Victorian times. In this workshop, we will cut stems from the garden, and design and create a trio of beautiful posies ideal for a gift or a table centre in your own home.

‘A great way to bring nature indoors and appreciate the smaller flowers in my garden’

£50 per person. Available March to September, mornings or afternoons (approximately two and a half hours).

Bespoke - a topic of your choice

Growing and arranging flowers is a large topic covering a multitude of different skills. We can design workshops specifically for you on many aspects of horticulture and floral design. So if you want to know about sustainability in the garden, extending the growing season or how to make a flower crown, just let us know and we’ll tailor a workshop specifically for you.

‘We spent a fascinating morning collecting all types of seed heads, and separating out the seeds all ready to sow in Spring. Can’t wait to see them grow.’

Workshop Enquiry Form

To find out more about our workshops please fill out the form below and we will be in touch.