A day course to enthuse and inform you of easier and time saving ways to grow great food.

(This day course is aimed at adults but it is available to book for interested children aged 11 to 18. The cost is £97.50 and you can buy a child’s place here. Please email Nicola at [email protected] with the names and ages of the children so we can welcome them when they arrive.)

There is plenty to see in the garden at this time of year. We check progress of various experiments, including the two beds of dig/no dig. Undercover, the Polytunnel is now being cleared of summer plantings and salad transplants for the winter are going in.

You will learn a vast amount in one day, about all aspects of growing for food, and gardening generally. These courses open the door to your growing more food in less time, and with more enjoyment.

Part of the course is about compost making, using the examples of my composting process here. Which ingredients are good to use, in what proportions, how big a heap to have, whether it needs to get hot, how long to leave it and whether turning is worthwhile. Then a look at assessing the readiness of compost, when to spread it and how to deal with the weed seeds.

In addition, we look at other types of compost and the best ones to buy, plus how long you may or may not need to keep them in a heap before spreading.

I explain the details of surface composting to feed both soil and plants for a whole year. In one dressing and with no other plant feeds needed.

In the greenhouse I demonstrate the value of becoming skilled at propagation, how little space you actually need to grow hundreds of plants at a time, and thousands over the season (should you need to!). We look at module trays, compost, sowing methods and suggest best timings.

You learn time saving tips in many aspects of growing, from watering and plant care, to less weeding, and increased harvests in relation to the time and space given. Yield per square metre is a key goal, to save time and effort.

The course includes tea and coffee and a tasty lunch of many vegetarian dishes made with produce from the garden.