About Sprout Port
Cultivating knowledge, growing confidence, and transforming outdoor spaces through accessible education
Our Story Began in a Greenhouse
Sprout Port emerged from a simple observation: countless people yearned to create beautiful gardens but felt overwhelmed by where to begin. Professional landscape design courses were expensive and time-consuming. YouTube tutorials, while helpful, lacked structure and depth.
Founded in 2019 by a collective of horticultural educators and practising landscape designers, we set out to bridge this gap. Our mission was clear: deliver professional-quality gardening education in a format that fits modern lives.
Five years later, we have helped over two thousand students across the United Kingdom develop skills that have transformed not only their gardens but their relationship with the natural world.
What Sets Our Approach Apart
We believe effective garden education requires more than passive video watching
Structured Progression
Each course builds systematically, connecting concepts so knowledge compounds rather than fragments
Community Learning
Active forums where students share progress, ask questions, and learn from diverse garden contexts
Practical Application
Every module includes projects designed to apply theory directly to your own garden space
Meet Our Lead Instructors
Industry professionals who bring decades of combined experience to every lesson
Thomas Blackwood
Garden Design LeadFormer head gardener at a National Trust property with 23 years of experience in historic garden restoration and contemporary design.
Eleanor Whitfield
Horticulture SpecialistBotanist and educator who has taught plant science at three universities and consulted on urban greening projects across Europe.
David Pemberton
Landscape ArchitecturePractising landscape architect whose residential projects have been featured in Garden Design Magazine and Country Living.
Our Educational Philosophy
Gardens are living systems, and we believe education about them should reflect that complexity while remaining accessible. Our courses avoid oversimplification without becoming intimidating.
We respect that students arrive with different backgrounds, schedules, and aspirations. A retired professional redesigning their forever home has different needs than a young parent creating a child-friendly outdoor space. Our curriculum accommodates this diversity while maintaining rigorous standards.
Above all, we believe that connecting with plants and designing outdoor spaces should bring joy. Learning should feel like discovery, not duty.
What impressed me most was how the instructors balanced scientific rigour with practical wisdom. I learned not just what to do, but why certain approaches work in British gardens specifically. That contextual understanding has made all the difference.