Discover the free-to-attend winter gardening and styling drop-in sessions
We are thrilled to announce that Alitex Glasshouses will be joining us at the upcoming Country Living Christmas Fairs in London and Harrogate. Alitex will be bringing their mobile Mottisfont greenhouse and has an amazing lineup of speakers who will join them each day of the show to discuss a wide range of topics, from gardening to wreath making.
The Alitex Greenhouse will be styled by Selina Lake, who will be creating a Heritage & Homespun Christmas Decorating theme with a twist on the traditional Christmas colours. Textures will be cosy and natural, featuring festive foliage and recycled Kraft paper decorations. And let’s not forget the plants, which will add scents and provide ideas on how the greenhouse can be used during the winter months.
Seasonal and Sustainable Festive Home Decorations
Julie Woodford will show you how to make beautiful festive wreaths and garlands using evergreen foliage, seasonal flowers, berries, cones, and seed heads.
Based in Hertfordshire, Julie, @madgeandivyflowers, is an artisan flower grower and florist who utilises seasonal, locally grown flowers and sustainable floristry techniques to craft beautiful floral designs throughout the year.
Julie has designed and created beautiful and intricate cutting garden installations at RHS Hampton Court and The Strawberry Hill Flower Festival, showcasing the beauty of growing British flowers.
Using abundant evergreen foliage, seasonal flowers, berries, foraged cones, and seed heads, Julie will guide you on how to create magnificent festive wreaths and gorgeous garlands to adorn your home during this special time of year.
Sustainable Floral Mechanics with Wildstone Floral
Leanne from Wildstone Floral, renowned for sustainability, with RHS Chelsea and Jo Malone workshops experience, will showcase a stunning centrepiece and discuss design.
@wildstonefloral is a Surrey-based floral studio specialising in artful, elegant designs rooted in nature. They work with the beautifully delicate and the wildly eclectic to create inspiring and intriguing arrangements for events, weddings, brands, and personal clients. Leanne has crafted floral displays at RHS Chelsea and led workshops for Jo Malone London and The National Trust.
Leanne will guide you through various sustainable floristry mechanics, sharing tips and advice on how to create foam-free floral arrangements at home, including sourcing and conditioning floral materials.
She will also demonstrate a beautiful centrepiece arrangement while discussing various design considerations.
Veg on the Ledge
Join Julia Parker, a green-fingered expert and author of “The Little Grower’s Cookbook.” Learn innovative winter edibles cultivation and grab signed cookbook copies. Don’t miss out!
Julia Parker, @parkers_patch, a gardener, teacher, broadcaster, podcaster, and author of ‘The Little Grower’s Cookbook,’ will be conducting interactive talks alongside our greenhouse, sharing fun and sustainable ideas on how to grow edibles in the winter months.
From pot making to learning about unusual seeds packed full of nutrients and vitamins for sowing and eating as seedlings in just weeks, Julia will impart her top tips. She’ll also express her love for reusing everyday household items as seed trays and share other clever ideas for growing on a windowsill during the winter months.
Growing your own vegetables from seed is cost-effective and therapeutic for all ages, and it’s much better for the environment. Julia is passionate about growing your own food, and her motto is ‘Grown not Flown’.
Signed copies of ‘The Little Grower’s Cookbook’ will be available for purchase on the day.
The Winter Greenhouse
Discover greenhouse methods for seed-to-wreath, including nurturing autumn-sown seedlings over winter and planning for the upcoming year.
The Winter Greenhouse with The Sows and Grows Girls, Helier and Sophie
Helier, @garden_goddess_uk, and Sophie, @floraldaysintheshires, teach successful online short seed sowing and growing courses throughout the year with Sows & Grows. They’ll guide you through the delights of sowing and growing your seeds to provide you with flowers all summer long in your gardens. Both are home gardeners, but they love growing their own flowers for cutting.
Helier and Sophie will demonstrate how they use their greenhouses throughout the year to sow and grow cut flowers from seed. This includes creating wreaths from flowers grown and dried during the summer, nurturing autumn-sown seedlings in the greenhouse over winter to yield early flowers the following year, and planning for the seeds they intend to sow next year.
Stylist Selina Lane
Stylist Selina Lake is set to work her magic, adorning the Alitex greenhouse at the Fairs. Her creative expertise extends to her role as the stylist on the 2023 Country Living Christmas Fairs photoshoot, where she shaped the stunning campaign imagery.
Selina, a distinguished freelance Stylist and Author possesses a decade of expertise. Her creative prowess shines in styling lookbooks, event orchestration, and crafting engaging content in decor, inspiration, craft, shopping, and lifestyle. Esteemed collaborations include Country Living UK, Country Homes & Interiors, Sony, Dobbies Garden Centre, and Wayfair. Selina is a monthly contributor to Modern Gardens magazine, offering invaluable styling insights. She is also the author of eight best-selling Interior/Garden books, celebrated internationally. Known for adaptability and reliability, she seamlessly incorporates diverse craftsmanship, from sewing to baking, to breathe life into her creative vision.