Capel Manor Apprentices ‘Learn to Clip’
On a cold but bright Friday at the end of November, EBTS UK spent the day with 16 apprentices at Capel Manor College, Gunnersbury, West London. Under the guidance of Darren Lerigo and Chris Poole students learnt about types of tools used in topiary and clipping, how to clean and sharpen them, what plants can be used for topiary and how to assess the plants structure to see the designs it could form.
Thanks to Head Gardener Chris Ellis and his team at Gunnersbury Park, the students were also able to test what they had learned by clipping the boxwood hedges in the Italian garden. They were also shown how to spot box moth caterpillar damage and how to deal with the problem.
In the afternoon, the students were able to try their new skills of assessing the shape and form of a plant to clip their very own table top topiary to take home with them.
-
- Introducing the apprentices to the ideas
-
- Explaining sharpening and cleaning of tools
-
- Discussion on the correct tools for the job
-
- Out into Gunnersbury Parks Italian garden
-
- Selecting a tool and cleaning before clipping
-
- Practising getting a flat top
-
- Guidance on hand for technique
-
- Making sure not to clip the wisteria
-
- Keeping it vertical
-
- More clipping
-
- And yet more...
-
- Many hands make quick work - Italian garden clipped
-
- Back after lunch to get creative
-
- Lemon cypress creations
-
- More inspirational shapes
Thanks to Capel Manor’s Roger Clarke, lecturer and assessor, for inviting EBTS UK to give the course and we look forward to doing more in the future.
Students attending an EBTS UK ‘Learn to Clip’ course are offered one years free Student membership to the Society. If you are interested in attending a course keep an eye out on the website for future dates or if you would like a course to be run for a group of students or gardeners please get in touch by emailing chairman@ebts.org
