Raby Castle, Park and Gardens and Durham-based Periwinkle Barn have joined forces to create a new floristry residency and bespoke workshops for visitors.
The new collaboration will be hosted within The Conservatory in Raby’s Walled Gardens, where Deborah Simpson Boston, a floral designer and owner of Periwinkle Barn, has worked with Raby’s team of experts to create a beautifully designed flower pop-up shop.
The retail space, featuring seasonal bouquets, tools and books about gardening and floristry, will be within the central space of The Conservatory, alongside an exhibition area detailing the history of Raby’s 18th century Walled Gardens and a space where Deborah will host a series of workshops on selected dates.
Deborah said: “Everything is so beautiful and well thought out here at Raby – it really is a dream place to work with its calming and soothing atmosphere. I hosted workshops at Raby Castle in the summer which was a fantastic introduction and I’m really looking forward to my ongoing residency here for the next few months. The winter period will bring seasonal workshops including wreath making, tablescapes and so much more.”
Deborah returned to the Durham countryside after studying and working in Brighton and London and has been growing delicate and romantic stems from her 400-year-old barn since 2022. She has over ten years of experience in event flowers and created the flower display for the 2025 Royal Maundy Service at Durham Cathedral, which was attended by His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
With a passion for British flowers, sustainability is also a keen focus for Deborah at Periwinkle Barn. She said: “I’ve made the conscious decision to work as sustainably as possible, growing and using seasonal British stems from spring to autumn. From late autumn to winter, I source stems which are as sustainable as possible without chemicals or pesticides.
“My ethos closely aligns with Raby’s – there’s a wonderful synergy between us both and it’s brilliant to work with like-minded people.”
During her residency, Deborah will be working closely with Raby’s assistant head gardener, Becky Crowley, to utilise the cutting garden at Raby and what is available there seasonally, which will also provide an interactive element to the Periwinkle Barn workshops.
Becky said: “Deborah has designed a fantastic series of workshops for our visitors to enjoy, focusing on different flowers and floral creations, incorporating a wide variety of methods to learn too. They will be taught from a sustainable point of view whilst also making use of the flowers we have available in our cutting garden and have been thoughtfully designed so visitors can take part in them as an entire series, a selection or even just a standalone experience.”
The Periwinkle Barn workshops will focus on a floral meadow box, hand-tied floral arrangements and urn arrangements alongside a selection of seasonal and festive creations, from advent candle wreaths and luxury Christmas wreaths to Christmas garlands and table arrangements including pots and bouquets.
The workshops will take place on the following dates between 10am and 12pm and tickets are between £50 and £70 per person:
- Floral Meadow Box on Saturday 1st November
- Hand-tied Floral Arrangement on Saturday 8th November
- Dutch Masters Urn and Fruit on Saturday 15th November
- Seasonal Tablescape on Saturday 22nd November
- Advent Candle Wreath on Sunday 23rd November
- Luxury Christmas Wreath on Friday 5th December and Saturday 6th December
- Luxury Door Swag on Sunday 7th December and Sunday 14th December
- Christmas Wreath on Friday 12th December
- Luxury Christmas Wreaths on Saturday 13th December
- Christmas Table Arrangement Pot on Saturday 20th December
- Christmas Table Arrangement Bouquet on Sunday 21st December
- Christmas Garland on Monday 22nd December and Tuesday 23rd December
- Christmas Table Arrangement on Wednesday 24th December
The Conservatory featuring the Periwinkle Barn residency will be open between 10am and 4pm, Thursday – Sunday, where visitors can also place bespoke wreath orders with Deborah in the build up to Christmas, and delivery of these special festive items can be arranged.
To find out more about the Periwinkle Barn floristry residency at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens and to book workshop tickets, visit: www.raby.co.uk/events/raby-x-periwinkle-barn/
