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Learn with Jimi Blake

Planting Design from Hunting Brook Gardens (Late Summer & Autumn)

Jimi Blake from Hunting Brook Gardens teaches you extend garden colour into autumn with salvias, dahlias, dramatic foliage and how to plan your garden.

Course overview

Jimi will teach you how to choose dahlias and salvias and how to combine them together in rich and creative ways. He’ll encourage you to step out of your comfort zone with your plant choices!

Meet Jimi Blake

Jimi Blake is a passionate plant collector and adventurous garden designer. He created and runs Hunting Brook Gardens in Ireland. Jimi studied at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland before becoming Head Gardener at Airfield at 21. He was tasked with restoring a Victorian garden to its former glory. In 2001 Jimi started to create his own garden on a 20 acre estate in Wicklow, Ireland - Hunting Brook Gardens, and by 2002 the gardens were open to the public. Jimi is known for his love of plants and passion for colour and Hunting Brook Gardens is full of surprises for visitors from sand gardens to exotic planting. Read about Jimi's love of plants in his new book 'A Beautiful Obsession' and look out for him on TV including as host of Ireland's Garden heroes. Jimi is passionate about sharing his love of plants - so be prepared to explore adventurous and creative gardening in Jimi's planting design courses.

Course description

Jimi Blake, plant collector and gardener from Hunting Brook Gardens, teaches you how to take your garden from late summer into autumn with salvias, dahlias, using colour, how to use leaves and foliage for garden drama and how to be creative in planning your garden.

He'll show you his recommended dahlias and salvias, and how to think creatively about combining plants, colours and textures together.

You'll go on a tour of Hunting Brook Gardens as Jimi explains how he extends summer into late autumn through plant selection, planting schemes, planting design and plant maintenance.

You'll learn how to use leaves and foliage to create interest in the garden, how to combine leaves with flowers and how to make the most of even the smallest garden spaces (including container gardening).

Finally you'll join Jimi as he lets you into his garden planning secrets - from reviewing your garden throughout the year to propagation planning and overwintering hardy and tender plants.

By the end of the course you'll have learnt:

  • what to look from when choosing dahlias and salvias
  • how to combine flowers with leaves
  • how to analysis your planting designs and improve them
  • how to keep borders looking fresh into autumn
  • how to plan your garden and planting designs for next year
    • Time to complete Jimi's planting design course:

    Every student is different but in general we think the course will take around 14 hours to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Assignment: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per assignment
    • You'll need:

    You don't need any special equipment, but you will be creating your own plant list and garden designs, and planning your garden for next year.

    The course is suitable for all levels - beginners to garden designers or horticulture professionals who want to learn from a passionate plant collector and expert garden designer.

    The course includes:
  • 4 on-demand video lesson - presented by Jimi Blake
  • lifetime access to the video, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical (optional) planting design projects
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom chat online to students from around the world
    • Ready to get started?

    Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Jimi on your garden design and questions.

    Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.