ONE OF the country's leading garden designers will be running courses in the picturesque surrounds of Barton Manor, hoping to make a difference to Isle of Wight residents' own green spaces.

Wendy Wright will be running a three-day course at the Whippingham estate, between Tuesday, October 15, and Thursday, October 17, with flexibility to do a two-day version, or just the final day, focussed on plant design.

She will cover the design principles necessary to create a well-balanced garden plan and, enable the gardener to reassess the site with a more professional eye. 

Anything from site analysis, proportion and the use of hard materials, to water and garden ornament, ideas on how to produce a pleasing, harmonious garden and troubleshooting advice, is included.

Leading British garden designer, Wendy Wright.Leading British garden designer, Wendy Wright. (Image: David Bell) Wendy, who has designed gardens across Britain, in California and Italy, is listed in Debrett’s Distinguished People of Today and The World Who’s Who of Women.

Notably, Wendy trained at the world famous Inchbald School of Design and exhibited her designs at the Chelsea Flower Show.

There's still time to enrol on a garden design course

To enrol at Barton Manor, follow the LINK or visit Wendy Wright's website

Wendy, who will make her first teaching visit to the Island, is very excited about the prospect of running courses at Barton Manor. 

"It could not be a much better location," she said.

"The course is quite intensive, learning all the basic ground rules of garden design, as a professional would.

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"It'll be a taster really, showing them what I'd normally teach over three weeks.

"Being at Barton Manor will make a huge difference, because students can take in the views and, using what they've been taught, can assess them in a more professional way."

Barton Manor's grounds were established by King Edward VII, who used it as his private retreat.

He carefully adopted the principals of classical garden design, devised by the ancient Greeks, then adopted by the Romans, which, even today, remain as blueprints for today.

"King Edward VII managed to capture the grace of the Jacobean house beautifully," Wendy adds.

"I'll bring Barton Manor's borders into the course, as examples, to illustrate and show accurately what I'm trying to teach.

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"For me, garden design is not a challenge, but a delight. 

"Most of us have a garden that's a bit of a 'mish-mash', because, unless we know the ground rules of design, to eliminate things that aren't right, we simply don't know what to do.

"I came into it from an artistic side, so had to learn the horticultural side. 

"But it doesn't matter which side come in from — artistic or horticultural — you have to learn the rules. 

"Even if you don't have an artistic bone in your body, you'll definitely come away from the courses feeling inspired."