The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity, and Health, is a not-for-profit initiative based on the understanding that working with nature can radically transform people’s health and wellbeing. The aim is to foster community inclusion through gardening and other forms of creativity.
Polly Nicholson, specialist flower grower, tulip expert and author of one of 2024’s most lauded gardening books The Tulip Garden, leads this practical half day workshop in The Plant Library and Apple House looking at everything you need to know to select, collect, grow, cut and arrange species tulips, with an additional look at rare and annual tulips.
This workshop will offer inspiration, guidance and practical instruction for tulip lovers, florists, gardeners and garden designers on how to optimise growing one of the world’s most beloved blooms just as the perennial, species varieties start to bloom.
The day will start with a presentation on the wide range of tulips Polly grows at Blacklands, Nicholson’s beautiful, six-acre English country garden, through which you will discover a unique collection of rare and covetable tulips—the largest private collection of historic varieties in the United Kingdom. Polly will highlight the best species tulips, as well as some historical and rare varieties, to utilise in different settings; from naturalising them in herbaceous beds or grass through to container planting.
This will be followed by a practical session on creating perennial plantings of tulips, both species and naturalised annuals, that can be left year-on-year, including Polly’s favourite varieties and combinations, as well as how to plant and care for them based on her experiences.
Attendees also get time to explore Tom Stuart-Smith's famous Plant Library, home to over 1500 perennials and bulbs.
‘Gardening is unique amongst the creative therapies in drawing on the power of nature’s growth and in the extent to which it brings together the emotional, physical, social, vocational and spiritual aspects of life.
Some of the benefits of gardening derive from the focus on caring for plants, others from the direct influence of green nature on our nervous systems. The safe green space of a garden is calming which reduces stress and helps promote human connection.’
— Sue Stuart-Smith
Support Us
At a time when the therapeutic benefits of horticulture are so clear and cuts to social care are so common, this project will provide a space to heal. We envisage the development of the community garden as a whole team effort, with designers and volunteers coming together to create a space that will help people experience the mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits of gardens and gardening.
Explore The Plant Library
Members of The Plant Library have access to a database of more than 1500 different varieties of mainly herbaceous plants. This is a unique and extensive educational and well-being resource for anyone interested in plants and planting design.