Creative Maintenance Courses
Some plants are born architectural & others have it thrust upon them
“It feels like entering a new world… They put an instant confidence in you to practice and learn and offered constant guidance throughout…”
Take A look At Our Latest Course…
CREATIVE MAINTENANCE & NIWAKI COURSE
pOSH & CURVY
Our courses are very popular so please head to our online shop and book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Tickets for our courses are available from our online shop:
Join us 10:00am to 4:30pm at Architectural Plants, Pulborough. Guy will lead the day with an introduction and tour of the nursery. You’ll get to work with him and our Creative Maintenance, Topiary and Niwaki experts.
There’s a 10% discount on all tools purchased on the day. Lunch & refreshments will be served by The Secret Sussex Supper Club.
We would suggest that you come dressed as you would to work in your garden and also bring a light rain jacket.
Let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements.
We look forward to clipping with you.
Past Creative Maintenance Courses
We’ll also provided a slap-up lunch, complete with wine, provides by The Secret Sussex Supper Club to set everyone up for the busy afternoon. Attendees left with a host of new skills to try out in their own garden or to take back to work.
Niwaki Training & Clipping With Linda
We have also hosted a specialist Niwaki training and Clipping Course. Course clippers learned how to create, train and maintain a Niwaki.
At Architectural Plants, we’ve been growing, training and planting our own Niwaki for over 20 years. We have our own style and we work with three plants; Myrtus apiculata, Phillyrea latifolia and Quercus ilex. These are all grown by us from seed or cuttings. It’s a long process that requires skill and patience, but it’s very rewarding.
The day course suits all levels. Tuition will be provided by owner, Guy Watts, and our in-house clipper and Niwaki expert, Linda Adames.
The Course Outline
10:15am:
Registration and coffee.
10:30am – 11:30am:
A short introduction and a tour of the nursery to discover the different styles we grow and sell.
11:30am – 1:00pm:
Tool choice and tool care. Then learn to train your own Niwaki from one of our juvenile trees. These can be
purchased after the course at a reduced price.
1:00pm – 2:00pm:
Lunch.
2:00pm – 3:45pm:
Clipping and aftercare of a finished Niwaki.
3:45pm:
Coffee, debrief and questions.
On the day of the course, our attendees got 10% off any plants or tools.
A Testimonial from one of our Creative Maintenance Course attendees
“I visited architectural plants for the 1 day Creative maintenance course. The nursery is super impressive, it feels like entering a new world. 300 year old olive trees and impressive niwaki specimens. Its a beautiful site to visit.
The course was nicely laid out. They put an instant confidence in you to practice and learn and offered constant guidance throughout. The session on Niwaki in the afternoon was a nice intro. Though I realised this is a far more intense skill to envision and learn. The highlight over everything, despite my desire to learn skills for professional development was the lunch which was just outstanding. I had a great day on the site and I look forward to visiting again.”
-James Kerr, April 2026