Teacher

Botanical Boys

86 reviews

Ben and Daz of The Botanical Boys began their journey in 2009 when they took over a terraced garden in London Fields with a Japanese & formal English segments. Having no gardening experience prior, they really got stuck in and become members of the National Garden Scheme and opened up the space to the public for charity every year. They were selected for a spot on the BBC Great British Garden Revival program in May 2015 and were featured in a number of books and publications.

After a few assignments and holiday trips to South Africa and California it was succulents and their ability to be used in many structural forms, as with their sculpted Japanese and formal topiary English garden that led to a passion for creating designs on a smaller scale using air plants, cacti, succulents and a range of mosses creating beautiful terrariums.

Their love for plants and terrariums is infectious and people who join them on their workshops not only make a beautiful terrarium, but are taught about all the natural elements involved as well as provided aftercare instruction.

Crafts

Terrarium

Floristry

Reviews(86)View all reviews

Such a great way to spend a cold winter’s evening! The Botancial boys were perfect hosts and very knowledgable. Lots of great materials were made available and the prosecco was the perfect touch! Will definitely be signing up again!

I can't recommend this class enough. I'm a big obby fan and I have been to some great classes, but this has by far been my favourite experience. My sister and I were lucky enough to be the only ones in our session, and Darren and Ben made us feel so welcome in their studio. Darren's excellent reaching gave us the perfect amount of knowledge to confidently build a really unique terrarium each. There was a huge variety of materials for us to work with and we were told all about the fascinating history of the art of terrarium making. The prosecco was also a wonderful touch! The Eco-system jar we came away with was absolutely beautiful, I've already received so many compliments on it. Will definitely be creating some more! Thank you Botanical Boys!

This was a great way to spend a Friday evening. We not only got to build terrariums, but were also taught how to do it ourselves in the future. I'd definitely do more events with the Botanical Boys in the future 🙂

A wonderful relaxing afternoon with the botanical boys! Would highly recommend.

Reviews

A wonderful relaxing afternoon with the botanical boys! Would highly recommend.

Amazing workshop in a gorgeous setting. I had so much fun whilst learning loads about plants and drinking prosecco....what’s not to LOVE! would throughly recommend this class to anyone. So excited to have a self sufficient jar of nature coming home to live with me for years to come!

I had a great time and learnt loads about terrariums, I’m super keen to go again and I would recommend it to everyone

Had a thoroughly good time. Really liked that once you were taught the basics and shown what to do, the guys gave you plenty of time to do your own thing. Also amazing that a room of strangers felt like friends by the time I left.

This was beautiful one life experience workshop! Very welcoming and very good mentor Darren and Ben. Defenitely doing one again in mid August and Christmas

The class is very relaxing and the host very interesting. Our terrarium are now sitting proudly in our living room and we can't wait to have guests to show off a bit!

Darren and Ben were great. We loved the history lesson and the teaching. Taking home our terrarium we had huge smiles on our faces. Thanks Botanical boys!

I was happy with the terrarium we created during the workshop, and overall it was a good experience. I would have liked things to kick off a bit more quickly, though, with less of an introduction of the history of the workshop/brand, and also had a bit more conversation at the end about other techniques for making terrariums/materials and ideas for doing them at home.

Lovely class, lovely people! The perfect way to spent a slightly fragile Sunday.

I killed my last terranium so decided to give this class a go. It was wonderful. Darryl & Ben have an amazing space with so much inspiration & SO many options to play with (including cute little figures to help add some personality). My creation is awesome, I learnt a lot (including sand layering techniques and plant care) and I had so much fun.

So much fun and a gorgeous little terranium to take home :-)

wish it was a full day workshp- but inspiring for ideas

Darren was fantastic! His passion was contagious and it was so interesting learning about terraniums and their vibrant history in Britain and Australia. Loved every moment and got to take away something very special. Thoroughly recommend Botanical Boys!

Darren is a charismatic teacher who is knowledgeable about the history of terrariums. My parents loved the class and came away with two gorgeous terrariums that I have now stolen for myself :-)

Loved it!

I had such a wonderful time and learnt so much from this class. I love my bring home terrarium and would highly recommend this class to everyone.

I came with a couple of girlfriends and we all loved the class. It was great to get our hands dirty, to touch and feel nature, and leave with our own terrarium babies. Now, our group chats are 80% about our terrariums!

I absolutely loved this class! It was a lot of fun and really therapeutic, and my terrarium came out absolutely awesome! The guys are very knowledgeable and the space they use for the workshop is gorgeous, it looks like a greenhouse! I'll definitely do one of their other classes :)

It’s not every class that lets you create your very own world! I loved every second of this class. Darren and Ben were very welcoming and told us just enough about the history of terrariums and gave lots of inspiration on how to create our own. My jar is thriving and I’ve been telling everyone how much I loved this.

I gave this to someone as a Christmas present and had a great time making two lovely Terrariums. It was very informational but also relaxing and we were very well received by the Botanical Boys, I would definitely recommend this.

Really fun afternoon and a bautiful terrarium to take home!

We had a fantastic evening with the Botanical Boys learning about and building our own terrariums. Amazing working space with so much inspiration from the terrariums around the room and expert advice from the boys. Loved it and think everyone should try it, it's so relaxing and you have a beautiful unique ecosystem at the end. Thank you boys :)

Absolutely amazing evening! The guys were so informative, fun and friendly and let us bombard them with plant related questions. Have recommended this workshop to everyone who will listen to me!!!

So friendly and helpful! I had a great time and brought away a beautiful terrarium

Really fun class and good selection of materials!

This was such an educational and therapeutic session. I learnt so much and it was such a relaxed atmosphere creating, planting and sipping prosecco! Can’t wait to do another!

This workshop was wonderful. The boys are very welcoming and the class itself is both informative and enjoyable. The quality of the materials provided was also very good. We found the experience incredibly relaxing and loved having our terrariums to take home at the end of it. Thoroughly recommend.

Amazing! I had a really good time and left with a beautiful terrarium. Defiantly worth a visit.

SO MUCH FUN! This was our first obby experience and what a great one it was - it was informative, friendly, fun, and we came away with sonething which will hopefully last a good long time. Just the two of us in the class, and Darren and Ben were fab. Loved it and would fully recommend - even my boyfriend, who is not normally the creative type, said it was the best Friday night he’d had in years!

The Terrarium making class was excellent. Darren and Ben were great fun and we really learnt a lot. I would highly recommend the class to anyone, and the product we came away with looks great in our home.

The terrariums workshop was really enjoyable. Darren gave us a lot of information about the history and the techniques around terrariums. The space was beautiful and the atmosphere was very pleasant. Would recommend to anyone wanting to disconnect from the rush of everyday life!

I could not have picked a better class as my first Obby booking. Darren and Ben are exceptional; so friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. The entire experience was fun, educational, relaxing, artistic, creative; we loved every second of it! Highly, highly recommended; I'm telling everyone about it!

What a fantastic way to spend a few hours. The Botanical Boys were excellent hosts welcoming us into their home. Some people may feel uncomfortable with this but for us this made the experience more personal and relaxed . Being in a small group meant that there was great opportunity for interaction between the boys and guests. It was educational, fun and very therapeutic and best of all we came away with our own terrarium creations. No previous experience or creative talent required just go with the flow. This was booked as a birthday surprise. I’m definitely going again with my friends as my enthusing has been contagious. I highly recommend the Botanical Boys experience.

We had a magnificent time at the workshop. I was really worried that I wouldn't be any "good", but we were led through the process and came away with terrariums that we love. Very therapeutic!

I can thoroughly recommend this workshop - the venue is amazing (what décor!) and you are offered so much help and guidance to make a beautiful terrarium. The time was very calm and relaxing - I left feeling very zen!

I really enjoyed the workshop. It was two hours of inner stillness, creativity, life and also great pieces of information regarding Terrariums. Loved it.

Darren and Ben were so friendly and welcoming into their beautifully decorated flat in east London. Darren was so knowledgeable and extremely patient when guiding us through the steps. I am not typically a creative person but I found it really inspiring and actually left with a terrarium I was proud of. Would strongly recommend going as it really was a relaxing and enjoyable couple of hours with endless glasses of prosecco and a terrarium that you get to take home, what more could you want!!

Darren was a gorgeous host with lot of experience! I can absolutely recommend this course to everybody who is interested in plants and terrarium! Very professional course in a lovely location.

This class was so much fun - Darren is fantastic as is his apartment Came away with a brilliant product - highly recommend Rosie

Loved that we learnt some history and background to terrarium making and that little skill is needed to achieve something. I’m inspired to keep doing it and will 100% recommend the class to others + it’s perfect for a corporate activity. Really great class!

what a relaxing experience!

We had a really great time at this class. Ben and Darren were lovely and made the experience fantastic - great hosts and lots of knowledge. I would definitely recommend doing this class and will be booking again!

Great session! Going again for sure!

Darren & Ben were the perfect hosts, teachers - they have a beautiful studio/home. The class was chilled, educational and the perfect birthday present for my best friend. The quality of the plants, materials + teaching, the amazing terrarium vase you take home with you was way beyond expectations!

Great workshop! So much fun, ended up with a fab terrarium to take home and learned a lot too. We've tried other workshops were everything is very 'measured' - it says's one glass of prosecco, so you get one glass, class finishing on the exact time. But here class overran by 45 minutes because everyone were having so much fun and wanted to take photos etc in the end, everyone got several fill ups on prosecco, no limit on how many plants or items you wanted in your terrarium. Ben and Darren knows a lot about plants, have a lovely home/studio and created a really friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Would highly recommend the Botanical Boys to anyone who wants to try something new!

We had a great time making our terrariums with Darren from Botanical Boys. He was very knowledgeable, telling us the history behind them and talking us through each step of making the terrarium. There was a great choice of materials for us to make them unique, and the prosecco was great too! Would highly recommend this class :)

This class was great, amazing setting to hold such a creative workshop and am delighted with my new terrarium!

Super workshop in a cool studio. Botanical Boys are friendly and great teachers. Learnt a lot, and had a lovely gift to take home.

Incredible evening making terrariums, full of laughs and insights and couldn't be happier. Don't miss out!

Fullfilling and beautiful workshop in their special home. Beautiful terrariums and we learnt a lot! Thank you very much

Great fun yet relaxing class - the Botanical Boys really knew their stuff and were great hosts. Would definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed the evening course with the botanical boys. Instructions to the venue were straightforward, the venue was warm and supercool. Darren was fabulous, prosecco helped with the design phase and all materials were extremely well prepared. Loved it, and the resulting terrarium!

Wonderful, informative and the ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon – the time flew by because it was so engrossing! Thank you!

I loved the Terrarium Masterclass! Ben and Darren were so welcoming and made us feel so comfortable. Not only did we get to make beautiful terrariums but we had an amazing experience and learnt a bit of history too. I really enjoyed how they encouraged us to take pictures and get to know the other people around the table too. It was so much more than just making a terrarium - although I really am proud of mine and it looks so beautiful displayed on my dining room table at home. I'd definitely recommend this class and I think it was well worth the money, considering the amount of different materials and plants we were able to use when building our terrarium.

The terrarium masterclass with the Botantical Boys was one of the best things we have done in London! We are a couple and try to do new craft nights when we can. Darren was an amazing host, he really took the time to go through the whole history of terrariums and really helped us craft our own. We were blown away with just how much fun the evening was and how generous the Botanical Boys are with the tools to build a terrarium. Without a doubt one of the best craft evenings we have ever done. We will be back!!

Our terrarium class was amazing, there were only two of us so effectively a private class. Darren was knowledgeable and friendly, and the venue was so relaxing! I am happy to pick up this new hobby. I would highly recommend a class with Botanical Boys, and they do corporate events as well which I thought is a great idea for team socials etc.

Had an amazing afternoon with the Botanical Boys! Very fun, friendly and informative. Would highly recommend to anyone wishing to try out something new and exciting. Thank you!

Cannot recommend enough! The class was such a wonderful experience. Darren was an amazing teacher, the location is beautiful and the atmosphere is both fun and peaceful, there are so many inspiring ingredients available to craft your terrarium with, and you get something special to take home and treasure at the end :) I loved it!

When my friends and I signed up for this I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, I had never booked anything through Obby before but I was excited to give it a go. We had an incredible time with the Botanical Boys, Darren and Ben, and cannot recommend their class enough. Being welcomed into their lovely home full of terrarium inspiration, my friends and I had a great time and definitely intend to take another class. Darren was a great instructor who is obviously very knowledgable and incredibly patient while Ben did a great job of making us feel welcome and topping up our prosecco while taking lovely photos of the whole evening. I am really looking forward to my next class!

Bought as a gift and had a great time! They couldn't have been more helpful and we loved the terrarium we took away. Would definitely recommend!

A really enjoyable workshop. Would've loved it to be a bit longer :) nice location and friendly host.

Really great class. Learned a-lot, and had lots of fun! The Botanical Boys were extremely welcoming, helpful and knowledgable, and also have a beautiful workspace! Would definitely recommend.

Really great workshop run by Botanical Boys in their amazing flat in Dalston which is full of terrariums and other lovely decorative pieces! I learned so much about terrariums and even made my own to take home that I feel oonfident I can take care of! We were given red bush tea and prosecco during the class too. This is great idea for a gift to someone as it's an experience that can be shared and you get to take something home. I will definitely do one of their other classes!

I killed my last terrarium so decided to give this class a go. It was wonderful. Darren & Ben have an amazing space with so much inspiration & SO many options to play with (including cute little figures to help add some personality). My creation is awesome, I learnt a lot (including sand layering techniques and plant care) and I had so much fun.

When my friends and I signed up for this I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, I had never booked anything through Obby before but I was excited to give it a go. We had an incredible time with the Botanical Boys, Darren and Ben, and cannot recommend their class enough. Being welcomed into their lovely home full of terrarium inspiration, my friends and I had a great time and definitely intend to take another class. Darren was a great instructor who is obviously very knowledgeable and incredibly patient while Ben did a great job of making us feel welcome and topping up our prosecco while taking lovely photos of the whole evening. I am really looking forward to my next class!

Absolutely loved making a terrarium with the Botanical Boys - they were really friendly, gave us great instructions and gave us really interesting facts about the history or terrariums! I will be recommending this class to friends, and would love to do it again!

I went with a friend and highly recommend the workshop! The team was very nice and helpful.

This was such good value for money, I learned a lot and came out having made something I was really proud of!

The botanical boys were great, it was a fun, relaxed class but also very informative. We had the added bonus of sitting outside to enjoy the wonderful sunshine during the class. I will definitely be looking out for future classes with them and will be recommending friend and family to join me.

Darren and Ben were both lovely. They were very welcoming and the class started with a brief into to terrariums and their history. We had lots of options with different materials so that our terrariums could be personalised and they guide you every step of the way. The terrarium was a good size and everything was organised and ready when we arrived. These guys have a real passion for what they do and I would definitely recommend Botanical Boys!

Amazing workshop. The venue was easy to find and get to. It was relaxed and laid back. Not only did we build our terrariums we also learnt about the history & how to care for them. I’ve since posted a photo of my terrarium on instagram & all my friends are wowed by it. I’d definitely recommend the Botanical Boys terrarium workshop. A great way to spend a relaxed morning.

Loved the session, thank you. Very relaxing and learned a lot.

Really lovely evening surrounded by like-minded people and a world of botanicals. Love my not-so-little terrarium and can't wait to make many more! Thanks guys.

Fantastic. Great value and great teaching!

It was very interesting and useful. It exceeded my expectation....well done!

Really good workshop. The presenter was really helpful with his ideas and tips. The quality of the materials was excellent. Definitely recommend attending one of their excellent workshops!

good class

Absolutely Amazing

Really fun class learning about the history of terrariums then got to unleash our creative side arranging our own terrariums in a jar. Very well explained and organised.

Fabulous: the perfect amount of fun and factual information, unlocking a world of plants and possibilities 🙂

Amazing class and absolutely loved the terrarium I ended up with.

Really good fun workshop with the Botanical Boys providing great knowledge and help throughout. I have and would highly recommend this workshop to everyone. 6 stars if possible

Loads of fun, and the instructors were lovely and very knowledgeable. Really enjoyed it :-)