As autumn arrives in London’s oldest botanical garden, we invite you to capture the beauty of the season in clay. Join us for a calming botanical clay printing workshop and create your own decorative dish or set of tiles.

Led by potter Emily Chilvers, this hands-on session explores the art of printing with natural materials. Clay’s soft, tactile nature makes it the perfect medium for recording the delicate textures of leaves, petals, and seed heads as the seasons shift. You’ll experiment with surface pattern and natural colour to craft your own unique clay pieces.

After the workshop, your clay pieces will be glazed and kiln-fired just next door at the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Once they’re ready, approximately two weeks later, we’ll invite you back to the Garden for a relaxed return visit. You’ll receive free entry and a complimentary hot drink to enjoy as you collect your finished piece and see how it’s transformed in the kiln. A lovely excuse to return, reconnect with the Garden, and admire your work in its final form.

Workshop Tutor:

Emily Chilvers is a potter and basket-weaver based in Surrey. She runs a variety of classes for all ages across the South East with a particular emphasis on creative nurturing and therapeutic making within health and care settings. She has been pottery tutor at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the Chelsea Pensioners since 2013.

Alongside her teaching practice she makes a small batch of work from her garden studio and sells via her Etsy shop @EmilyChilversCraft Instagram @makingwithemily