Flowers with Iona: Seasonal Floral Decoration Courses at Ballymaloe House

Your day will begin with tea or coffee and scones on arrival in the conservatory, followed by a walk about the grounds and gardens of Ballymaloe (subject to the weather conditions - please bring appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear).  Iona will talk about the seasonal plantings and the planning that provides an abundance of flowers for her to use in the house and bedrooms annually and seasonally.  Back in the conservatory at Ballymaloe House, Iona will demonstrate and share her floral design tips before and after lunch together.  Iona will share her expertise on the types of flowers and foilage at this time of year and the techniques she uses, choice of vase selection and proportions, use of colour and structure of the arrangements and suitability of location for the arrangements in the house.   

Questions, guest discussion and sharing of ideas welcomed and encouraged. 

Arrive 09.30am - day ends around 5pm 

Course includes morning coffee, lunch and tuition.

€120 per person (special bed and breakfast rate also available - call 021 465 2531 to book)

Details of upcoming Spring / Summer Courses:

• Spring Flowers & Easter Decorations: Thurs 18th April
  • With the return of spring, it is also marks the return of colour and vibrancy to the Ballymaloe gardens, they are flourishing with spring bulbs which were planted in the autumn, and the long established spring flowering shrubs will be bursting into bloom, which gives us lots of material to work with for creating seasonal displays in the house for Easter by creating spring flower tables centres and bouquets, Easter baskets for the easter egg hunt on easter Sunday, as well as other traditional Easter decorations such as an Easter tree, Easter gardens, Easter egg decorations & other seasonal crafts.   
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• Decorating for Summer Entertaining: Thurs 23rd May

  • A day for planning for Summer table centres and show pieces, if you are looking forward to the summer and planning on hosting a seasonal gathering over this summer this is a lovely way to see how we decorate our tables for the many special events we host in the house over the summer from alfresco diners, special family celebrations and intimate weddings.

• Summer Roses: Thurs 20th June

  • A Ballymaloe favourite, we will be looking at how to pick, plant and care for our ever growing collection of favourite varieties of roses and summer companion flowers, I will be demonstrating all types of seasonal arrangements exploring and foraging Ballymaloe's gardens and woods for material.

• A Day of Summer Flowers: Thurs 26th July

  • As the summer season reaches its hight and the Ballymaloe gardens are at their most abundant and productive, at this time seasonal arrangements become their most elaborate and also their most fun to create, from adorable posies to stunning centre pieces the choice is almost unlimited with lots of colour and luscious greenery. The gardens are our key for inspiring show stopping displays  

Autumn / Winter 2019/2020

Harvesting the Flower Garden: Thursday 27th September

• As the year turns and Autumn starts to take its toll on the garden, it’s time to look towards preserving summers efforts in the garden for our autumn displays. Today we will be using different techniques for preserving and drying leaves and flowers, we will be working with glycerin, bleaching, dying, different drying methods, working with berries seed heads and seasonal foliage and flowers. We will also look at different methods for gathering some our own seeds for and taking cuttings for the following year

Halloween decorations & Autumn displays: Thursday 24th October                                           

• As the season turns fully to autumn there are a whole new range of flowers available and turning leaves and berries creating a new palette of textures and colour to work with. That dresses the house perfectly for darker nights and cosy evenings spent by the drawing room fireside. It is the perfect place for telling stories and preparing for this spooky time of year. Halloween is a time when we can be creative with, carving creations in gourds and pumpkins from the traditional to the inspirational. We will be working with candles and lights and building sensational seasonal displays with a little floral magic to create the whimsical for this enjoyable season. (As It’s also the perfect time to be planting bulbs for indoor winter displays, we will go through the methods of planting and the care required, types of flowers that cope with being forced.)

Thanksgiving Decorations The Irish take on an American tradition: Thursday 28th November                                              

• Today’s demonstration will look at the Cornucopia style displays, Autumn wreaths, and harvest sprays and most importantly Table Centerpieces for this charming season that celebrates the summer and autumn harvest from the Ballymaloe Gardens and Farm and chases away the gloom and dark nights of the impending winter and takes us towards the sparkle of the Christmas season.

Christmas Flowers and Decorations for the Country Home: Thursday 5th December

• This is a very busy day, which is a festive season decoration A-Z. During the day we will be looking and discussing at all things Christmas, we will begin by walking round the grounds, and looking at they types of foliage to gather, and we will also go around the house. Which will have just been elaborately decorated for the up-coming festive season, I will explain my methods for decorating the house for one of my absolute favourite times of the year. The day will cover all things Christmas trees, mantelpiece decorations, swags, stair garlands, wreaths, table centres, Kissing boughs, Christmas lights and other traditional seasonal displays, inspiring you to start preparing your own decorations, so you can wow family and friends for the upcoming festive party season.

An Afternoon Christmas Decoration Demonstration and Dinner: Thursday 12th December  

• Come and spend an afternoon at Ballymaloe talking about all things Christmas with explanations and demonstration for planning a the perfect Christmas table all packed in to a fun afternoon with Christmas wrapping and crafts tips and topped off with a Christmas cocktail and a fabulous Ballymaloe dinner, its a great way to start off the Christmas season and get into the spirit of the season and to take some ideas and inspiration home for your own decorations. 

Winter and Valentines Flowers: Early Feb 2020 (date tbc)

• Winter flowers and displays are completely different from those of in the rest of the year, they are simple and based on line and form, and develop in the vase. There are many beautiful winter flowers that are small and delicate and need a different way to show off in their simplicity. By bringing branches in the warm of the house and bringing on their development forced flowers, winter flower baskets, and look at different alternatives Valentine bouquets and crafts, other than the imported red rose.

Spring 2020

Mother's Day Flowers: Early March 2020 (date tbc)

• Learn about the history of Mothering Sunday, and making a traditional Mother's Day posy and flower basket seasonal flowers and dressing table centres for celebration of family gathering