Open Days

Video, taken by Jason Patient, of Garden Cottage taken at one of our amazing Open Days

Garden Cottage Open Days are great fun, very informative, inspiring and very popular.

Outline:
Running times : 10.30 for 11am through to 4pm.
Each day has a full programme and includes a complimentary lunch.

There are three public Open Days planned for 2019:

International Permaculture Day: Saturday May 4th

Peak Soft Fruit Season: Saturday July 13th

&

Apple Day: Saturday October 19th

We ask for a donation from all attendees (We recommend a minimum of twenty five pounds for adults, children at your discretion.) Proceeds from the event are shared with Abundant Borders- a charity established to fight food poverty in our own region: http://abundantborders.org.uk/.

Children are always welcome but must be accompanied by a responsible adult in whose care they remain. When there is sufficient demand we may make some specific children’s sessions. Dogs are not allowed in the garden (except guide dogs).

To reserve your place(s) on an Open Day, you can do so on-line, or sign up to our newsletter in order to receive regular updates about forthcoming open days, events and courses.

Directions for getting to Garden Cottage are here

In addition, we always try to accommodate interested groups by arrangement. Indeed over three hundred people took up that offer last year. In recent years these included Edinburgh University Plant Sciences Class, James Chapman and Lusi Alderslowe’s PDC Groups from Edinburgh & Dumfries & Galloway respectively, and a touring group from International Permaculture Convergence in London, the UK Urban Orchards Network and urban gardening groups from Glasgow Newcastle and Edinburgh, Borders Organic Gardeners, University of the 3rd Age and other local school and gardening groups. To make a private booking, please click here. We regularly get people from as far away as New Zealand and Australia, Brazil, Canada, USA, and South Korea.  We also give talks at other venues by arrangement.

And of course there are many other opportunities to come on specialist courses.

What appreciative people have said after visiting

Hello Graham
We all really enjoyed our day, and your garden is amazing.
I have taken one of your nursery catalogues and I am interested in purchasing a few plants…
Regards
Erica

Hi Graham
Thanks I did enjoy the day out- learned lots –especially about pruning- will look out for the dates for the pruning courses for a bit more confidence!!
Lovely to meet you & some of your family as well as the others visiting.
Regards
Ruth

Karen wrote: “Fantastic day at Red Shed Nursery yesterday with Graham Bell and Nancy sharing their expertise in their fabulous forest garden. And today being blown about on the beach outside Berwick. I’ll have to do some proper work sometime :0)”

Just to say many thanks to yourself, Nancy and the lovely volunteers, for kindly sharing your garden & experience with the group today. It was great to see an established forest garden – a rarity in Scotland. It was also good to meet other interesting folk, and hear about their projects. I think everyone will have left with lots of ideas & renewed enthusiasm, best wishes.
Mel McEwan

Dear Graham,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and Nancy for welcoming me on your open day a few weeks ago.
Our own garden plans are still evolving and seeing yours was really inspirational.
Many thanks again,
Cara

Dear Graham & Nancy, Thanks to you both for a great time. I have had a chance to wander in a pine/oak/honeysuckle wood today but couldn’t find much to eat! Bring back wild boar? I have begun the books and have enjoyed both first chapters immensely .. Merle

Graham and Nancy
Thank you so much for the open day on Saturday and the lunch. Jo and I were amazed with what you have achieved.
Thanks again
Susan.

Dear Graham & Nancy
A huge thank you to you both for an excellent day visiting your garden. You had put together a programme that gave us all so many opportunities to learn from you both and from each other. It was great and a very worthwhile day. And the food was great too.If you saw us sitting in the car after we left, it was because we were having a big Duck Discussion !! We are really keen to get ducks, but despite the temptation to see if we could have taken some ducks with us, we realised that we really need to do some preparation for them.
Bill & Catherine Wilson

You can see more comments on the Visitors Book page here