March 2025 in The Walled Garden
March 2025 in The Walled Garden
March was our busiest month of the year so far, with masterclasses in floristry, wild swimming, yoga and gardening taking place across a number of our beautiful venues: The Conservatory, The Greenhouse, the sauna, Hawarden Old Castle and within The Walled Garden itself.
Here’s a rundown of the exceptional workshops we hosted on Hawarden Estate in March 2025…
8th March - Garden Planning & Seed Sowing with Welshborn Flowers
During this workshop with expert an horticulturist, Mark from Welshborn Flowers, guests were provided with a how-to guide to getting started with seed sowing and planning their beds for the year ahead.
Mark guided us through different types of seeds and how to get the best results for each plant. But of course it wasn’t all theory; we were then shown practical tips on what to do once our seeds germinate and how to care for our new plants to help them grow and flourish in specific environments in our own gardens, allotments, window boxes...
In all took place within sight of our iconic GROW mural, inside our Victorian greenhouse.
14th March - Nurture in Nature: Yoga Retreat with Emma Garland
Suitable for beginners and seasoned yogis alike, Emma’s yoga retreats remain steadfast in their popularity, with an ever-growing group of friendly returning guests.
This wellbeing yoga day focused on tuning into our inner strength; inner strength within our body. Emma helped us all to access some of those more underused muscles in the body to help us feel stronger, taller and more confident in body and posture. We began the session with hot drinks and introductions before heading up to Hawarden Old Castle for an unforgettable breathwork session overlooking parkland and te Cheshire plains beyond. We finished the session feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and, most importantly, deeply relaxed.
Beyond the yoga itself, the day culminated, as they often do, with a great communal lunch from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop. Where conservations flow from a debrief on the morning itself, to stories shared with new friends.
15th March - Spring Wreath Making with Welshborn Flowers
A week on from his gardening masterclass, Mark Mckee AKA Welshborn Flowers, returned to The Walled Garden to lead a group of understated* creatives as they got hands-on with floristry, learning how to create stunning, dried, seasonal wreaths alongside this expert florist.
*Many of our guests often claim they’re not creative by nature. Perhaps because of their jobs or their responsibilities at home or a lack of time. But with Mark’s guidance every guest leaves with newfound or freshly discovered confidence.
More practically, each guest left with the wreath they made during the class, and with the skills to pick flowers from their garden and to put them together confidently and beautifully in future.
23rd March - Cold Water Wild Swimming & Sauna with Sheena Corry
Our first cold water swimming session of the year, hosted down at our private lake and nature reserve, with the exceptioanl Sheena Corry from The Forge at Corwen! The morning session sold out quickly, so a further afternoon session was soon added.
The session was for beginners and seasoned cold water swimmers. Together we experienced the magic of the lake on Hawarden Estate, and felt the benefits of cold water therapy. Sheena guided us through the whole experience, starting with a walk through the beautiful Walled Garden to the lake, where we learned tips and techniques from our Wild Swimming expert. Sheena will guide you through the experience, which includes breathwork and mindfulness.
Over a few hours of cold water immersion, exhilerating saunas and mindful breathwork we learned a variety of new skills:
We felt motivated as we began to build better and healthier habits.
We created a connection with practising wellness in the great outdoors.
We embraced the seasons, working with them and not against them.
We felt emotionally and physically boosted and to learn the benefits of cold water swimming.
We felt inspired through movement and knowledge.
Cold water therapy is known for lowering stress and blood pressure. It also boosts your circulation and detoxes your body, as well as giving you a clearer skin complexion. It’s immune boosting, too!
30th March - Mother’s Day Bouquets with Welshborn Flowers
We saw lots of Mark Mckee during March, with this sold out Mother’s Day celebration masterclass being his third visit this month alone.
At this floristry masterclass guests moved away from traditional spiralling techniques and were gently encouraged to find their own signature style. The results were beautiful, and the skills learned along the way will give each guests the confidence to replicate these bouquets for many years to come. And, not just for Mother’s Day!
