Practical Permaculture Gardening
A TWO-DAY COURSE
Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 October 2009
10am-5pm both days
This course explores how Permaculture Design can be used to create beautiful, productive and wildlife-friendly gardens.
Venue
On the Saturday we will be based at the Earthship in Stanmer Park, Brighton and on the Brighton Permaculture Trust plot close by. Click here for directions to our meeting point.
On the Sunday we will begin at the garden of Pippa Johns, which is close to Southease station and is located between Newhaven and Lewes. The afternoon will be held in a nearby hall. Details about this venue will be sent with pre-course information.
Course tutor
Tuition will be provided by Pippa Johns an experienced tutor who has designed and created gardens using Permaculture Design for over 10 years.
Who is the course for?
The course is open to anybody interested in applying Permaculture ideas in their home garden, community garden or allotment. It is suitable for complete beginner gardeners as well as those with some experience who wish to increase the sustainability and productiveness of their plots. You may have some prior knowledge about or qualifications in Permaculture but this is not a necessity as we will cover some basic theory.
Please note that unfortunately this course is not suitable for wheelchair users.
What will the course cover?
By the end of the course you will have the skills to carry out a Permaculture Design for your plot and to start a garden from scratch without digging. Other topics we will cover include annual and perennial food crops, encouraging beneficial wildlife, composting, pest-control without chemicals, rainwater harvesting and maintaining soil fertility. There will be the opportunity to carry out at least one practical activity each day and there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
Please note that attending this course does not qualify you to use the term 'permaculture' as part of your work as a professional or with the public, such as being a gardener, a teacher, a designer, giving talks about permaculture, etc. In order to do this you need to complete a permaculture design course such as our Building sustainable communities course.
What you will need to bring
• Sun cream and a sun hat
• Waterproof clothing and wellies
• Gardening tools if you have them & can transport them easily
• Gardening gloves
• Pens and a notebook
• Packed lunch
Learning methods and outcomes
A discussion about what participants want from the course will be followed by short theory sessions and practical demonstrations. Weather permitting a large part of the course will be outdoors including practical hands-on experience with guidance from the tutor. We will visit an established Permaculture garden and look at some of the projects at Stanmer Park. By the end of the course participants will have learned several practical techniques and design tools, which they will then be able to apply to their own gardens and allotments.
What next?
This short course is not accredited. It does not lead directly on to any other courses but will provide a taster for those progressing to work or courses in horticulture, sustainable garden design and market gardening. Those interested in the ideas of Permaculture Design could follow it with one of Brighton Permaculture Trust's Permaculture courses, held regularly in Brighton.
Fees
Fees include tuition, refreshments, handouts and information sheets.
£165 - Sponsored/organisation rate
£165 - Individual income more than 25k/yr
£130 - Individual income 18-25k/yr
£95 - Individual waged less than 18k/yr
£60 - Individual, concessionary rate
Concessionary rates are available to people in receipt of means tested benefits, students & OAPs.
We endeavour to make our courses affordable to all. Unfortunately we do not receive any external funding and as such rely on large amounts of voluntary input to run courses. In some circumstances we may be able to negotiate fee reductions if you can offer significant other support or facilities.
See the cancellations, refunds and transfers policy.
Booking
Advanced booking is essential. Places are currently available on this course/event unless there has been an exceptional number of reservations in the last 48 hours, so please complete a reservation form rather than contacting us regarding the availability of places as these are allocated in the order received. If places are still available then reservations can be made until midday the Friday before the course/event.
To reserve a place please fill out the online reservation form. When we have received your reservation we will email you to confirm that a place is available and request payment. Payment can be made either online using a credit/debit card or by post with a cheque/postal order. A place is not secured until we have received the requested payment.
Please do not reserve a place if you are not able to pay for it immediately. If your circumstances are exceptional we may be able to make a special arrangement, but please contact us before reserving a place.
Click here to fill in an online reservation form having read the information on this page. We email to confirm your reservation within three days, please check your spam or junk email folder (especially Hotmail account holders).
Contact us
For further information or if you have problems with your application/booking please contact us.
