Raby Castle, Park and Gardens and Durham-based Periwinkle Barn have joined forces to create a floristry residency and bespoke workshops for visitors. The collaboration will be hosted within The Conservatory in Raby’s Walled Gardens, where Deborah Simpson Boston, a floral designer and owner of Periwinkle Barn, has worked with Raby’s team of experts to create a beautifully designed flower pop-up shop.
The retail space, featuring seasonal bouquets, tools and books about gardening and floristry, will be within the central space of The Conservatory, alongside an exhibition area detailing the history of Raby’s 18th century Walled Gardens and a space where Deborah will host a series of workshops on selected dates.
Deborah said, “Everything is so beautiful and well thought out here at Raby – it really is a dream place to work with its calming and soothing atmosphere. I hosted workshops at Raby Castle in the summer which was a fantastic introduction and I’m really looking forward to my ongoing residency here for the next few months. The winter period will bring seasonal workshops including wreath making, tablescapes and so much more.”
During her residency, Deborah will be working closely with Raby Castle’s assistant head gardener, Becky Crowley, to utilise the cutting garden at Raby and what is available there seasonally, which will also provide an interactive element to the Periwinkle Barn workshops.
Becky said, “Deborah has designed a fantastic series of workshops for our visitors to enjoy, focusing on different flowers and floral creations, incorporating a wide variety of methods to learn too. They will be taught from a sustainable point of view whilst also making use of the flowers we have available in our cutting garden and have been thoughtfully designed so visitors can take part in them as an entire series, a selection or even just a standalone experience.”
The Periwinkle Barn workshops will focus on a floral meadow box, hand-tied floral arrangements and urn arrangements alongside a selection of seasonal and festive creations, from advent candle wreaths and luxury Christmas wreaths to Christmas garlands and table arrangements including pots and bouquets.
Workshops take place on the following dates between 10am and 12pm and tickets are between £50 and £70 per person:
- Hand-tied Floral Arrangement on Saturday 8 November
- Dutch Masters Urn and Fruit on Saturday 15 November
- Seasonal Tablescape on Saturday 22 November
- Advent Candle Wreath on Sunday 23 November
- Luxury Christmas Wreath on Friday 5 December and Saturday 6 December
- Luxury Door Swag on Sunday 7 December and Sunday 14 December
- Christmas Wreath on Friday 12 December
- Luxury Christmas Wreaths on Saturday 13 December
- Christmas Table Arrangement Pot on Saturday 20 December
- Christmas Table Arrangement Bouquet on Sunday 21 December
- Christmas Garland on Monday 22nd December and Tuesday 23 December
- Christmas Table Arrangement on Wednesday 24 December
The Conservatory featuring the Periwinkle Barn residency will be open between 10am and 4pm, Thursday – Sunday, where visitors can also place bespoke wreath orders with Deborah in the build up to Christmas, and delivery of these special festive items can be arranged.
To find out more about the Periwinkle Barn floristry residency at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens and to book workshop tickets, visit www.raby.co.uk
