Soft colours, hardy perennials, Mediterranean vibes — bring your garden to life

Join us for a creative and practical workshop exploring the beauty of hot, dry garden design. Guided by Elizabeth Wilks, you’ll create elevations of plant combinations with a selection of hardy perennials perfect for Canterbury’s summer climate.

In this two and half hour workshop you’ll explore perennial garden design for a hot sunny border. Learn about diverse plant and flower forms, and how to use colour and texture to both unify and diversify a design.

Workshop Focus

Designing for hot, dry conditions

Choosing and combining resilient perennials

Creating a balanced colour palette

Understanding plant placement and spacing

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What’s included

Each participant will receive four tube plants* to form the foundation of your border: Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus, Festuca actae, Rosmarinus ‘Tuscan Blue’, and Cistus lusitanicus (images left to right below).*Substitutions may be required depending on availability

A selection of 28 seed species in soft pinks, blues, lilacs, and hints of yellow — chosen for resilience, variety, and design potential.

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Tutor Elizabeth Wilks

TutorElizabeth Wilks is an environmental scientist and lifelong gardener with a passion for garden design. Her diverse upbringing across Africa, the UK, and Southeast Asia has enriched her appreciation for various climates and landscapes. Since the early 1990s, she has called New Zealand home. Elizabeth's design philosophy emphasizes creating plant communities tailored to their environment, embracing Beth Chatto's "right plant, right place" approach. She focuses on developing naturalistic gardens that harmonize with their surroundings.

Visit Elizabeth's Instagram page

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Date & Pricing

Wednesday 21 January 6.30-9pm
The Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens

$129 CHS Members & Friends of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
$169 Non-Members
Bundle the course with a CHS Membership and pay just $194

You will note we offer two ticket types: General Admission and CHS Member. A CHS Membership can save you up to 30% off workshops and courses AND provides great discounts at local retailers as well as FREE attendance at our Monthly Meeting, Garden Life.