Short gardening courses

Half-day courses - £35

• Indoor growing

  Find out which plants you can grow indoors in this country and learn the techniques associated with success.

• Citrus growing

  Expert advice on how to choose plants that will produce citrus fruit in this country. Gain knowledge of feeding and pruning to help you succeed.

• Urban gardening

  With space at a premium, pick up some essential skills to maximise your outdoor area. We'll look at containers (conventional or recycled), vertical gardening, and hanging baskets.

• Wildlife gardening

  The way we manage our plot can have a significant effect on the natural world. Learn how we can help by choosing the right plants and cultivation techniques.

• Forest gardens

  Forest gardening is a low-maintenance planting system based on a natural woodland habitat, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables. Learn how to plan and develop your own, then harvest something from our Eden plot.

• Natural and biological pest control

  As our choice of chemical treatments becomes more restricted, and we question the wisdom of their use, what are the alternatives? This session will highlight the choices available to us, and advise on how and when to use them.

• Hydroponics

  Find out how growing crops without soil could help feed the world. You'll learn how hydroponics fit into UK horticulture and the NASA space programme, and how can you do it yourself.

• Plant care and maintenance

  Not sure when to prune or how much to take off? This course covers all that as well as how to keep your garden plants in tip top condition.

• Vegetable growing

  A mix of theory and a practical session giving you the skills and knowledge to grow your own tasty vegetables, looking at tools, techniques and the best choice of varieties.

• Potting up

  Learn the techniques to successfully prick out seedlings, pot up young plants, plant out into containers, and make up compost mixes for different types of plants.

• Pests and diseases

  Learn how to recognise when your plants are suffering, get tips on how to identify the culprits, and learn what you can do about it.

• Propagating

  There are many ways to multiply plants. This session will give you the skills to take cuttings or divide plants. Fill your garden for free from existing plants; your own, or those of friends and family.

• Composting

  If your compost heap is not producing ‘black gold’, get on the right track with this useful guide to making the perfect soil improver from kitchen and garden waste. We'll cover what to put in or leave out, the best choice of container and how to manage the heap.

• Cut flower garden for beginners

  The October session helps you kick start the cut flower garden into action for 2013. The day covers the theory and allows you to take part in a practical session, sowing hardy annuals in Eden’s cutting garden and taking some home.

  Take the course in December and it's all about choosing drying flowers to grow, understanding how to harvest them, and learning how to create a small dry flower posy as a gift.

  The March session covers choosing flowers for cutting, tips on sowing, growing and planning your plot.

• Carnivorous plants

  The plants that fight back! Learn about the different genera of carnivorous plants; how they have evolved to grow in conditions where other plants cannot; the conservation issues they face around the world; and how you can grow them yourself.

• Coffee exploration

  Discover the story of coffee, from plant to cup, in our unique rainforest setting. Learn where this important plant comes from, how it grows and is harvested and processed. Taste the difference between robusta and arabica, and plant your own seed. 

One-day courses - £50

• Foraging

  In this introduction to foraging, we will be taking a seasonal look at what is available in our hedgerows and wild places, and covering the golden rules which keep you and the countryside safe. We will also be walking and tasting!

• Conifers

  An introduction to this fascinating varied and primitive group of trees. Learn about their form, growth and care, their place in the garden and wider landscape, as well as their commercial importance. A walk through the Eden Project gives an opportunity to learn to identify many species, both native and exotic.

• Orchards in winter

  Join us in the Eden orchard to get a hands-on experience of winter apple pruning. We'll also teach you about the layout of an orchard, as well as the choice of cultivar and rootstock.

• Willow obelisk weaving

  Learn how to weave a willow obelisk (as seen in our Garden of the Senses) for your climbing plants and take it home at the end of the day. The finished obelisk is 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft) tall.

• British woodlands

  From Scotland to Cornwall, there is a wide range of woodland in Britain. The course looks at this diversity, the native species that make up the woods, and how they create the varied landscapes of our urban parks and countryside. The day culminates in a walk through Eden to identify species in our own Cornish landscape.

• Grafting fruit trees

  Learn the theory behind the practice and then get some hands-on experience grafting your own trees from a choice of 40 cultivars we grow in our own orchard.

• Edible horticulture

  Spend a whole day gaining invaluable experience and knowledge, which will enable you to grow a wide range of fruit and vegetables in your garden or allotment

Practical information

• Prices and Eden day admissions

  One-hour taster courses: £5* (normal admission will need to be purchased if a day visit is required)

  Half-day courses: £35* (including entry to Eden on the day of the course)*

  One-day courses: £50* (including entry to Eden. If the course is off site you will be given free entry for the following day on obtaining a pass from ticketing)**

  *Eden Friends are eligible to an exclusive 25% discount on all gardening courses. To claim your discount phone 01726 811911 to book. Find out more about becoming an Eden Friend.

  **Please note, the courses do not allow an Annual Membership to be claimed, to do this you must purchase a separate day admission ticket.

• Cancellation and date transfers

  If you need to cancel please notify the Eden Box Office seven days or more prior to the start date and you will receive a full refund. If you cancel with less than seven days notice you will not receive a refund. If for any reason the Eden Project has to cancel any course you will be contacted and receive a full refund or can request to be transferred to another course subject to availability. The same conditions apply if you'd like to transfer the date of your course.

• Site information and directions

  If the Eden Project is hosting an event of any sort on the day of your visit, access may be restricted.  The Eden Project accepts no liability for changes to site opening times, site restrictions or site closures. 

  For courses held at the Eden Project Visitor Destination, Bodelva PL24 2SG: 

  There is ample parking and the Stewards will direct you to the closest available area on arrival.  There are disabled car parking areas which the stewards will direct you to if necessary. The courses take place at different locations around the Bodelva site depending upon the nature of the course.  You will be met on arrival and escorted to the relevant location on the day.  Please arrive 30 minutes before the start of your course and head to the Visitor Centre – you will be met in the Eden Cafe adjacent to the ticketing area.

  For courses held at Watering Lane Nursery, Pentewan, St Austell PL26 6BE:

  For practical reasons a few of the courses will be held at our Watering Lane Nursery site. From the main A390 bypass through St Austell turn into Porthpean Road.  Follow the road – you will pass Penrice Hospital and Mount Edgcumbe Hospice on your right, Porthpean Beach will be on your left.  Follow this road until you see the nursery - there will be an Eden Project sign at the entrance.  From turning off from the main A390 until you reach the nursery, the distance is approximately 2 – 2.5 miles.  

  As you enter the nursery gates, follow the sign to the top car park where you will be met by an Eden team member.  There are no catering facilities at the nursery so you will need to bring your own lunch.  Please arrive approximately 30 minutes before the start of your course.

• What to wear

  This is a practical gardening programme and outdoor activities will be taught in all weathers.  At all times make sure you bring appropriate clothing to match the weather and season. Please wear suitable footwear for outdoor work.  We can supply gloves where necessary (for pruning, etc) and disposables for those with delicate skin.

• What to bring

  Please bring with you a note pad and pen/pencil.

   
• Accessibility

  Most of the courses are fully accessible but please check individual course details. The only courses that are not fully accessible are: Autumn lawn care, Wildflower meadow establishment, Scything, Fungus foray, Foraging and Orchards in winter. Please call the Eden Box Office on 01726 811972 for further details or guidance.

   
• Refreshments

  No refreshments are provided but food and drink is available from the cafes on site at the Eden Project Visitor Destination, Bodelva site. For courses held at the Watering Lane Nursery site you will need to bring your own refreshments.

• Contacting us

  If you require further information with regards to your booking please contact the Eden Box Office on 01726 811972 or email boxoffice@edenproject.com