Back by popular demand – another day of workshops this autumn! Join Brigit’s Garden for more creative, inspiring and practical hands-on skill building that helps us all live more sustainably – each taught by expert tutors.

This event has kindly been supported by funding from SSE Airtricity Generation Green Community Fund.

Willow Basket Weaving with Thomas Delaney
Full-day workshop 9.45am -4.30pm. €95 (includes coffee break with scones and lunch)
A round wicker basket with a woven geometric pattern in various shades of brown, placed on a wooden surface. Learn the ancient craft of weaving baskets out of willow from Tom, a master basket-maker. Over the day you will make a traditional bread basket to take home. All materials are provided and no experience is needed.

Dry Stone Wall Building with Fergus Packman
Full day workshop, 9.45am – 4.30pm. €85 (Includes coffee break with scones and lunch)
A stone wall with moss and plants thrives between the rocks, showcasing nature’s resilience—perfect for a Sustainable Living Skills Weekend. Learn from a master wall-builder how to construct a traditional drystone wall out of local limestone. You will be hands-on, learning the techniques of laying the foundation, choosing the best stone, building the wall and capping it off. This workshop will be held outside so please dress appropriately. Steel-toed boots are recommended if you have them. Gloves will be provided.

Living Willow Structures with Maria Buitenhuis
Full day workshop, 9.45am – 4.30pm. €85 (includes coffee break with scones and lunch)
A tunnel-like path made of willow shaded by thin tree trunks and leafy branches, with sunlight filtering through onto the ground beneath. Living willow is a wonderfully versatile material that can be used to create many garden structures including archways, fences and arbours, as well as tunnels and domes for children. Ideal for gardens, schools and community spaces. At this hands-on workshop, Maria will show you how to select and cut willow wands, and how to plan and construct a range of structures including an archway and a dome. You will cover all the basic techniques needed to make and maintain your own living willow structures at home or in the community. Maria is the Garden Coordinator at Brigit’s Garden and an experienced nature connection facilitator.

Autumn Foraging with Olwyn Williams
Full day 9.45am to 4.30pm €85 (Includes coffee break with scones and lunch) OR morning only, 9.45am – 12.45pm, €38 (includes coffee break with scones)
A woman stands outdoors in sunlight, holding green plants and examining them with her hands amidst tall foliage. Come and spend a day getting to know wild food plants and how to use them with expert forager and teacher Olwyn Williams. The morning will be spent outdoors meeting the plants in Brigit’s Garden and getting to know them through the senses, learning how to safely identify them, understand their seasons and habitats, learn any poisonous or non-edible lookalikes, and chat about the ways they are useful to us. In the afternoon, depending on what fruits or roots are available on the day, we will use freshly picked plants to make a fresh herbal tea, an infused vinegar or alcohol for food or medicinal use, and probably a pickle or lacto-fermented product. These are versatile processes that can be used with many wild foods. Practical and hands-on, we will also cover foraging safety and respectful harvesting, and chat about why foraging is important in a modern context. If you are a gardener, you might find that some of your most vilified weeds are actually highly nutritious foods!
*Please dress appropriately for spending the morning outdoors. If you are doing the full day, please bring a couple of clean glass jars with lids for your products.

Natural Fibre Cordage with Carol Barrett
Morning workshop 9.45am – 12.45pm, €38 (includes coffee break with scones)
A coiled rope made of twisted natural fibres lies on green grass. Join us around the woodland fire and explore different natural materials that can be used to make cordage (string and light rope) such as nettles, sedges, bark and New Zealand flax. We will discuss when, where and how to harvest sustainably, and explore Irish cultural and heritage practices in cordage and rope making as well as some Scandinavian braiding techniques. All materials will be provided, and you will make your own cordage to take home. The workshop will take place outside under the woodland shelter, so please dress accordingly. Carol is an expert crafter, forager and environmental educator.

Growing Native Trees from Seed with Saul Mosbacher
Morning workshop, 9.45am – 12.45pm, €38 (includes tea break)
Saul stands in a glasshouse surrounded by lush green plants and leafy saplings. In this workshop we will look at many of our native tree species and learn how to collect their seeds, and also what treatment they need to prepare them for planting. We will discuss planting and growing trees on a small, medium and large scale. Much of the workshop will be hands-on, where we will harvest and prepare seeds ready for growing, with some for you to take home. Saul has been collecting native tree seeds and growing trees for the last 30 years and runs Wild Oaks tree nursery in Co. Clare.