2026/27

• 1:1 consultation sessions on foliage growing – £140
• I am not currently offering courses in foliage growing or floristry.

Costing £140 – the consultations are great value for money. Over 1.5 hours, we will cover the kinds of foliage florists want, what plants to grow & how to grow them, maintenance and pruning, some propagating techniques, conditioning, pricing, presenting foliage for sale, weed control and ground cover planting as well as optimum spacing for harvesting. 

Please contact Zanna to find out more.

Foliage growing consultations:

These sessions are based on a questionnaire sent out prior to the session, and we will cover much of the information given in the course (see below). It often helps to send a video tour of the growing space in question. From this information specific foliage recommendations can be prepared based on site and needs. Please contact me to find out more.

Here is a recent consultation testimonial:

‘What Zanna doesn’t know about foliage is probably not worth knowing. I was fortunate to have a one-to-one foliage consultation with Zanna, and in 90 minutes learnt more than i could imagine. Her years of experience and dedication to growing British foliage means she is a wealth of knowledge, a walking encyclopaedia of how to best cut, condition, prune and care for foliage plants. Zanna is a natural teacher and leaves you not only with a notebook of helpful information, but an inspired confidence to grow the best foliage possible.” James Greig, Stem & Green

Click here to book

Growing foliage for floristry consultations 2026/27:

The consultations will be tailored to the specifics of your site and requirements. We’ll look at the details of how to grow foliage for ease of harvest, when to cut what, whilst keeping an eye on how to also have good stems for future years. I’ve been a florist and a grower for over 10 years now, and can give insights into both. I’ve developed a plant library at Spindle, but also harvest from it and sell my foliage wholesale.

I will be providing access to detailed pdfs of recommended plants and varieties, local s.w. plant suppliers, and optimum times for taking cuttings.

This consultation is aimed at people with a few years’ experience of gardening and some knowledge of flower / foliage growing. Floristry knowledge / experience is also definitely a plus. We would strongly recommend getting some work experience in a florists’ shop for anyone who is wanting to grow flowers or foliage for floristry. 

I’m an experienced gardener, having learnt under a professional, and I’ve got many years under my belt of learning on the job. I’ve also worked for ten years as an event and shop florist. I have a passion for working with interesting and unusual foliage grown in the UK, and in sharing the knowledge I’ve learnt along the way.

The on-line foliage growing consultation will cover the following topics:

• The kinds of foliage florists want
• What foliage is most versatile
• What plants to grow & how to grow them
• Optimum spacing for ease of harvesting
• When to harvest
• Pruning tips
• Coppicing & pollarding
• Weed control
• Ground cover planting
• Propagating
• Pricing
• Presenting foliage for sale
• Turnover, production costs and markets for foliage

TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS COURSE ATTENDEES:

‘I did this workshop last year and learnt so much. Loved the tour of all the plants and the pros and cons and methods of growing each. And the take home sheets so you don’t have to remember it all at once! Thank you.’ Penny, ForagingPhloem 2023

‘I just wanted to say thank you so much for Saturday’s foliage course. I had such a lovely morning and have learnt so much from you. It was great to meet you and see your amazing field… it was so helpful to see what you have done and how you’ve planted out your space. You were so generous with your knowledge and i’m very grateful for all the advice you gave and also for the plant lists, which add to my never ending shopping list!’ Helen, Home Hill Flowers 2021

‘I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and learning more about the foliage aspect of farming. Such an amazing location and beautiful barn. I came away really excited about the future of growing more foliage and feel your course covered many of the questions that I had. The handouts are proving most useful albeit my shopping list is getting longer!’ Marney, Chetterwood Flowers 2021

FOLIAGE AGROFORESTRY PLANTING PROJECT:

Excitingly, we have also recently planted up .25ha of native foliage trees & shrubs on a neighbouring farm, having been awarded a grant from Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) for a farm diversification foliage growing trial.

In November 2024 we held a seminar at Spindle Flowers in West Dorset, in collaboration with the Soil Association and funded by FiPL / Dorset National Landscapes / AONB. We looked at how agroforestry works in practise on a farm scale and why foliage growing might be a good idea from an agroforestry perspective. Our focus was on questions of design, stakeholders, business models and partnerships, funding and constraints. As a result I’m delighted to share this aerial photo of ‘milk stand’ at Wyld Meadow Farm owned by farming friends of ours just down the road, where we did the planting. This is a ‘before’ photo.

After, in May 2026:

This is a long term project – it’ll be 4 yrs before they’re ready to harvest!

WREATH MAKING:

Some years I offer floristry & wreath-making courses, but sadly not this year.