Course Description

"The content was delivered excellently with a fantastic level of detail and knowledge"

At a glance, this course:

• Promotes low impact living
• Supports biodiversity
• ​​​Teaches homegrown food production

About the workshop

A four day course, split over two weekends, on creating and managing a successful and abundant food garden. The course will include hands-on practical sessions and all the theory you need to make your kitchen garden grow and keep your larder full. From crop planning to soil care, pest control to storing produce, this course will show you environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches to growing your own food. The course will give you time saving and energy saving tips and inspire you to create a garden that works in harmony with nature.

The course will cover:

• Seasons in the gardener’s year
• Permaculture methods which will help you create a more productive garden
• Soil care, testing and profiling
• Different kinds of composting and mulching
• No-dig methods
• Crop planning to produce food all year round
• Advice on the best annual and perennial vegetables to cultivate
• How to plan your mixed vegetable crop to maximise space, deter pests, minimise weeding and watering
• Forest gardening
• Pest management
• Growing fruit trees (understanding rootstocks and fertilisation)
• Making plant feed
• Guidance on how to store and preserve produce and energy saving tips for harvesting. 

The course will give you:

A permaculture perspective on kitchen gardening, including:

• Knowledge of how to plan food crops and which jobs to do in each season
• Understanding of how to care for soil and create good compost
• Methods for deterring pests and minimising the need to weed and water
• Information on growing fruits trees and storing produce
• An understanding of the principles of no-dig gardening, poly-cultures and perennials and hands-on experience of the methods involved

This course is suitable for:

People who have some experience of gardening, who wish to be successful kitchen gardeners and for people interested in learning more about permaculture methods of growing produce. 

What to bring:

• Notebook and pen
• Camera (optional)
• Clothing suitable for doing practical activities outdoors – sturdy footwear, warm layers, waterproofs and sun protection
• A pair of indoor shoes for the classroom
• A packed lunch, or lunch can be purchased from the Beech Café

Cancellations, refunds, and bursaries:

Full fee for all four days is £350 with an option to pay a deposit to spread the cost of this course. At checkout choose to pay £350 in full or a £75 non-refundable deposit to book a place with the final balance of £275 due by Friday 29th January 2027. 

Read the full Adult Courses Cancellations and Refunds Policy and Courses Bursary Fund Information.

About the tutor

Caroline teaches gardening, regenerative framing and agroecology on adult short courses, Further Education and Higher Education programmes. She co-authored the book Food from your Forest Garden with Martin Crawford, and has a background in organic food growing, horticulture and eco-catering.

Caroline’s experience includes managing 2 acres of intensive organic vegetable production, managing 5 acres of ornamental and food gardens at a meditation retreat centre, and catering for groups, courses and retreats. She now teaches at venues around the country including Shift Bristol, The Sustainability Centre, The Apricot Centre and Exeter University.  Caroline lives on a 4 acre smallholding on Dartmoor with her family where they produce vegetables, fruit, eggs, honey and firewood. www.whitefieldpermaculture.co.uk