Our Artistic Garden for the Many Seasons

We are delighted to announce the launch of a series of garden courses designed to explore the inspiration and fundamental building blocks of our newly redesigned garden as a living canvas. We our garden isn't just a garden. It's a living canvas that paints itself through the seasons. Every visit reveals a new masterpiece and feels increasingly personal over time.

Logie Cassells introduces three revolutionary elements that transform garden design: Hans Hoffman's push-and-pull theory (visual dance on canvas), Monet's approach to light and colour, and Van Gogh's painting style of bold, emotional colours and movement.

Students will discover how artistic theory and garden design intersect to create spaces of wonder and reflection within its new canvas. But there is one more thing, we have mapped this entire experience to the Japanese 72-season calendar.

Course Details:

Rufflets’ courses are crafted for garden enthusiasts, budding designers, and those seeking an artistic connection with nature. Each course offers unique insights and practical techniques for creating magical garden spaces.

Course Unit 1: Our Artistic Garden - Past, Present, and Future - Thursday 13th February 2025

Explore Rufflets’ transformation into a living canvas, blending Monet’s Giverny inspiration with Hofmann’s abstract principles.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Historical development of Rufflets’ Garden
• Applying artistic theories like Hofmann’s “push and pull” concept
• Colour dynamics and spatial depth in garden design
• Monet’s influence on contemporary gardens

Course Unit 2: Celebrate the 72 - Season Japanese Calendar - Thursday 13th March 2025

Discover the Japanese tradition of micro-seasons, observing daily changes and celebrating the subtle shifts in nature’s character.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Track and interpret micro-seasonal changes
• Apply Hofmann’s spatial theories and Monet’s light studies
• Cultivate daily artistic awareness through journaling

Course Unit 3: Colour and Light in Seasonal Gardens - Thursday 17th April 2025

Master the interplay of colour and light to design luminous, evolving spaces inspired by Hofmann and Monet.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Principles of colour relationships
• Interactions between natural and created light
• Designing with structural and seasonal dynamics

Course Unit 4: A Pinch of Giverny Passion - Thursday 1st May 2025

Experience how Monet’s Giverny principles influence Rufflets’ garden design, enhanced by Hofmann’s modern techniques.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Monet’s philosophy of garden artistry
• Combining Hofmann’s and Monet’s methods for immersive garden experiences

Course Unit 5: Early Summer Garden Tour - Thursday 22nd May 2025

Explore Rufflets’ summer garden, identifying seasonal techniques and principles adaptable to any scale.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Awareness of seasonal light and shadow dynamics
• Scaling artistic garden principles for smaller spaces

Course Unit 6: Artistic Gardening for Home Gardens - Autumn 2025 - date TBA

An intensive one-day course for home gardeners, translating Monet’s passion and Hofmann’s techniques into practical steps for artistic gardening.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Foundational garden design principles
• Colour and light orchestration for home spaces
• Practical scaling and maintenance techniques

Course Schedule and Pricing:

Courses 1-5 - 9:00AM – 2:00PM - £85 per course
Course 6 - 9:00AM – 4:45PM - £145

Sign up for all 6 courses - £500 (saving £70)

What's Included:

Tea/coffee, cake and lunch
All course materials

Important Information:
You can join any course at any point but we recommend following the series from start to finish.

Reserve Your Place: 

Call: +44 (0) 1334 472594

Email: reservations@rufflets.co.uk

 

Logie Cassells' Bio:

Logie's journey is a testament to following one's true calling, from the polished floors of London's financial district to the rich soils of the world's finest gardens. After two decades immersed in the City's fast-paced rhythm, he traded fund management for the measured dance of seasonal growth, finding his authentic path in the art of garden design and the science of organic soil cultivation.

His metamorphosis began at the English School of Gardening, where two years of intensive study in plantmanship and design laid the foundation for a remarkable second act. The 2004 Chelsea Flower Show marked his debut, where his intimate town garden design demonstrated that even modest spaces could harbour extraordinary beauty.

Logie called Canada home for sixteen years, weaving his horticultural expertise into gardens across continents. His portfolio spans the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America, each project a unique conversation between land and design. Now, as head gardener at Rufflets since 2020, he brings his global perspective to this historic Scottish hotel garden.

Drawing inspiration from the world's most enchanting gardens – from the geometric splendour of the Alhambra to the artistic legacy of Givenchy and the exotic beauty of Marrakesh's Royal Monsour – Logie approaches gardening as a living art form. To him, gardens are not static displays but dynamic canvases that transform with each passing season, revealing new compositions of colour, texture, and form. Like any profound relationship, he believes a garden deepens with time, each visit unveiling fresh details and strengthening the personal connection between visitor and landscape throughout the garden season.

And the mystery itself is the doorway to all understanding