Step into the Garden at the turning of the season and celebrate May Day with flowers, seasonal traditions, and hands-on printmaking.

May Day has long marked a time of light, growth, and abundance, when hawthorn, primrose, and marsh marigolds were gathered and placed at doorways to bring luck and prosperity. Their bright colours reflected the returning sun and the promise of the warmer months ahead.

In this workshop, we’ll take inspiration from these traditions and the garden itself to create your own floral tribute to the season. Using tetrapak printing, we’ll turn recycled cartons into versatile printing plates, a simple, sustainable material that allows for intricate, delicate prints, easily replicated at home.

We’ll begin outdoors with loose observational sketches of seasonal flowers and foliage. Back inside, you’ll transfer your drawings onto tetrapak plates, etch them using simple tools, and print by hand with rich, quick-drying inks onto textured papers. Guided by Emma Bond, botanical illustrator and printmaker, you’ll explore mark-making, texture, and the joy of creating with your hands.

This process-led, hands-on workshop leaves plenty of room for experimentation and play, encouraging a deeper connection with nature and the turning year. Over two hours, you’ll create a beautiful hand-printed artwork to take home, along with the confidence to continue exploring tetrapak printmaking at home.

No prior experience is needed, just curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and a love of working with your hands.