Autumnal styling, sandwiches and scones at Dobbies' Cirencester store

For October, Dobbies Garden Centres has launched a brand new autumn edition of its hands-on planting experience, combined with a tasty Afternoon Tea in its Cirencester store.

Planting and Afternoon Tea: Autumn Edition is taking place on Tuesday 8 and Saturday 12 October, offering attendees the chance to create a seasonal style piece that can feature as a home or front door decoration.

The Planting

Attendees at Dobbies' Cirencester store will get to participate in a hands-on 90-minute workshop led by one of Dobbies' horti experts with a demo, Q&A session and the opportunity to craft your very own succulent planter, made from a pumpkin, to spook-ify autumnal decor (worth £40).

Dobbies will provide a terracotta pot, pumpkin and a mix of succulents such as Echeveria elegans, Aloe artisata and Graptopetalum pentadrum, all selected by Dobbies' Senior Buyer, Claire Bishop, who featured as a judge at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year.

Attendees will be invited to carve out a pumpkin to display the terracotta pot in, and then have the joy of picking succulents with a variety of colours and textures. Once Halloween is over and the pumpkin starts to fade, it can be recycled and the succulents can be used in the terracotta planter for an all-year-round display.

The Afternoon Tea

Before creating the seasonal succulent pumpkin, attendees at Dobbies' Cirencester store can enjoy a Traditional or Luxury Afternoon Tea, delving into three tiers of sweet and savoury delights. There are unlimited tea and coffee refills and the chance to upgrade the hot drink, or enjoy a glass of prosecco.

The Traditional Afternoon Tea offers an assortment of freshly made finger sandwiches, including smoked salmon with cream cheese, egg mayonnaise with watercress, and ham with rocket and wholegrain mustard. Customers can also enjoy Dobbies' famous scones, served with Cornish clotted cream and a pot of jam, and a delicious selection of sweet treats, including a rainbow meringue kiss and lemon mousse. The upgrade to the Luxury Afternoon Tea is an additional £4 extra per person.

What centrepiece will you create?

Dobbies' Events Programme Manager, Ayesha Nickson, is excited to see what centrepieces customers at the Cirencester store craft during this workshop. She said: "Our Planting and Afternoon Tea experiences have been hugely popular and this version with an autumn twist is the perfect opportunity to create a seasonal decoration that could be styled in your home or entrance way.

"Whether you're a novice and have little experience with plant styling, or are looking to have some interior fun this autumn, this experience in our Cirencester store is a great way to try something new. Plus our Afternoon Tea in the restaurant is a great way for attendees to enjoy a delicious array of sweet and savoury treats."

Booking

The Planting and Afternoon Tea: Autumn Edition is priced at £45 per person and is now bookable at dobbies.com/events.

Dobbies offers a programme of autumnal events. Families can get involved in Dobbies' Little Scare-lings, a frightfully fun Howl-o-ween party taking place across various dates throughout October, priced at £10.99 per child and £7.40 per adult.

To learn more about the autumnal events and to make a booking, visit dobbies.com/events.

Images - Left: Planting and Afternoon Tea: Autumn Edition at Dobbies
Right: Dobbies' Brand Ambassador Michael Griffiths with his family at Dobbies enjoying the Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience (© Thousand Word Media)