header13.jpg
Preceding Day
Sunday 07 December 2025
Following Day

  • Gardening For Happiness: The Basics of Gardening

    Teacher: Chris Dalzell
    Cost: 2 days accommodation + surcharge
    Dates:

    chris dalzell pChris Is Back!

    They say that 'your life begins the day you start a garden'. If you are looking for some green thumb inspiration and motivation,  join Chris for an uplifting weekend of basic gardening tips where you will learn the practice and art of gardening. The weekend will entail plant identification and plant selection of trees, shrubs, ground covers and bulbs. He will show you how to prepare a flower bed and how to lay out your plants, and how to plant trees and other plants and their maintenance. He will also advise on plant propagation showing the different forms of cuttings, seed sowing and dividing large plants and the pruning of shrubs and trees and highlight the importance of soil and how to rejuvenate a nutrient-depleted soil and deal with pest and diseases all this. Experience this – and more. Celebrate the BRC's gardens and its green spaces and listen to Chris’ latest fascinating experiences at Gardens On The Bay in Singapore.

    View teacher details
     Chris Dalzell was Curator of the Durban Botanic Gardens where he was in charge of special collections. He has studied, lectured and travelled internationally, collecting plant specimens from USA, Canada, Brazil, S.E. Asia, Australia and New Zealand.  For many years he guided the South African exhibition at the international Chelsea Flower Show where his stall was consistently awarded Gold and Silver-Gilt Medals. He was appointed Assistant Director for the development of Gardens by the Bay in Singapore from 2010-2012 and recently as Director of Conservatories from 2023-2025. He currently runs his own landscaping business Chris Dalzell Landscapes.

  • A Personal Retreat : Rest, Reflect, and Restore – 15% discount mid-week

    Teacher: Shogan Parker
    Cost: Number of days' accommodation
    15% discount offered for mid-week bookings in August
    Dates: 08:00am - 05:00pm 

    will parkerAs autumn approaches, we invite you to take a break and join us for an unstructured personal retreat. During your stay, you can enjoy qigong and meditation - to promote relaxation. Alternatively, you may choose to simply enjoy the tranquillity of the space, embracing the art of doing nothing. Imagine cozying up by a warm fire, savouring delicious vegetarian meals, and immersing yourself in silence. This time out offers a slower rhythm, allowing you to step back from the busyness of life and find peace within.

    View teacher details
    William (Shogan) has been practising meditation for nearly 20 years, cultivating stillness and inquiry. He took precepts with Dae Chong, Osho at Poplar Grove and now leads morning and evening zazen at the BRC, weaving verses from the Dhammapada into meditation for reflection and insight. With a keen interest in how the Dharma might evolve in an AI-driven, multiplanetary future, William embraces both tradition and possibility. He also guides qigong in the mornings and offers tai chi in the afternoons, integrating movement into mindfulness. His practice is an invitation - to sit, to move, and to explore the ever-expanding nature of awareness.