Discover Heirloom Chrysanthemums

Forget the Chrysanthemums you normally see in florist’s bouquets and enter the world of the Heirloom Chrysanthemum. Learn about this amazing, long lasting cut flower which appears after the dahlias have finished (around Mother’s Day). Plant Heirloom Chrysanthemums in your garden for valuable late Autumn and early Winter colour.

Part 1:  How to Grow

Learn about the myriad of flower shapes and colours available, and which varieties make the best cut flowers.

Chrysanthemums are grown differently to most other plants so you’ll need to do a different set of jobs each season. We’ll share the secrets to this fun and easy process:

-       How to source chrysanthemum cuttings

-       When and where to plant

-       How to ‘stop’ your plants for lots of flowering stems

-       The importance of ‘staking’ and corralling

-       The art of ‘disbudding’ to control flower quantity and size

We’ll provide you with a list of heirloom chrysanthemum growers who sell rooted cuttings.

Part 2: Taking Cuttings

Get hands-on and learn the process of taking cuttings. You’ll be able to take these cuttings home to take root and grow in a frost-free place over winter, ready for planting out in spring.

Part 3: A Dutch Masterpiece

Enjoy a tour of the garden or flower farm. Forage for foliage and pick some extra filler flowers to complement the focal flowers we have brought from the flower farm.

In this fun part of the day, you’ll learn how to make a vase arrangement in the style of the Dutch Master painters. Using only sustainable floristry techniques, you’ll make a grand front facing display, with a mix of colours and flowers (including Heirloom Chrysanthemums of course!) This is perfect time of year for this style of arrangement when you might have small quantities of a wide range of flowers left in your garden.

What’s Included:

-       A welcome gift on arrival

-       Afternoon tea with sweet and savory treats.

-       Garden / Flower Farm tour, all course material, small group instruction.

-       Your Dutch Master-Inspired Vase Arrangement to take home

-       Heirloom Chrysanthemum Cuttings to grow in your garden

The Location:

We are running this class at one location:

The Oaks is conveniently located in Blakiston in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. The workshop is held in the beautiful studio of the heritage home of acclaimed journalist and author, Christine McCabe. We will tour Christine’s incredible garden and visit her cutting garden.

Notes:

Please wear closed toe shoes for the tour and bring sun protection with you. We are able to provide vegetarian options for the tea but sadly don’t have the resources to cater for other diets. If you have specific requirements, please bring your own refreshments.