How to create a low maintenance edible garden/allotment

1^st November 08

10 – 5pm

This course will focus on design strategies and techniques for creating your own edible garden. We will discuss types of perennial edible plants which can be used, including cut and come salad and herbs, soft fruit, fruit trees and vegetables. We will carry out a mulching practical using cardboard, newspaper and straw to show how to suppress weeds, conserve water and improve the soil condition.

We will visit  The Lolliplot edible communal garden for children with hearing loss and focus on how to create a high yielding food garden with a minimum of labour input. The visit will give an opportunity to see how to maximise space on an allotment plot or garden using multi layered edible planting.

There will be slide shows showing some of the urban edible gardens designed and created by Chris Chidlow in York and London and a slide show of more edible plants not featured in the visit.

There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions.

Cost of course: £60 waged £40 unwaged/ low wage (Including a soup lunch & tea and biscuits at break times)

Summer Fruit Tree Pruning

26^th July 08

9.30 – 12.30pm

This course will give a hands on opportunity to learn the basics of summer fruit tree pruning, We will be pruning fruit trees to a globlet shape which is an ideal style to keep on an allotment plot or small garden also we will explain cordon and espalier pruning.

Cost of the course £30 waged £20 unwaged/low wage (Including tea and biscuits)

 This course will be held at The Lolliplot communal garden for children with hearing loss at Holgate allotments York.

Introduction to Permaculture Design

13^th& 14^th September 08

10 –5pm on both days (doors will be open from 9.30am)

On the course we will show how Permaculture ethics and design principles can be used to create sustainable systems in your home, garden, work place and local community. With the price of oil and food prices escalating this design methodology will be invaluable in the future of energy conservation.

Over the two days we will demonstrate how to apply Permaculture ethics and principles to your design projects we will cover, your input and output analysis, observational design, zoning and sector planning, edible landscaping and plant guilds, we will have a group practical and watch two Permaculture related DVDs.. We visit two Permaculture projects in York. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions.

Cost of the course £120 waged £80 unwaged/low wage (Including lunch and tea and biscuits at breaks.)

No Dig gardening

4^th October 08

10-5pm

This course will focus on how to create a no dig system, we will look at the design of raised beds and materials to make them, composting and mulching. (There will be a mulching practical.) The no dig system can be used for edible gardening or ornamental to create a low maintenance garden. This system improves soil condition, conserves water and human energy used in the garden.

We will visit the stables edible garden and the Lolliplot edible communal garden for children with hearing loss these are good examples of no dig gardens.

There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions.

Cost of the course £60 waged £40 unwaged/low waged (Includes lunch and tea and biscuits at breaks)

All courses will be held at the stables Project except Summer Fruit tree pruning.

Directions to The Stables Project 10A Nunmill Street York Y023 1NU

Coming from the Scarcroft Road end of Nunmill Street, the venue is just past the first house on the left (No 10) down the alleyway. It is about a 15-minute walk from the train station.

If you are coming by car there is car park on Bishopthorpe road but it can get very full. The best place to park is on Nunthorpe crescent, it is free to park here at the end of Nunthorpe crescent are steps up to Southlands road, turn right at the top of the steps and Nunmill street is the second road on your left it is a 5 minute walk and the venue is at the far end of Nunmill St, on your right turn down the alley before No 10.

Terms and conditions

To reserve a place on any of the courses please sent a cheque for £20 made payable to Green Dragon to Basement flat, 4 Wenlock Terrace York Yo10 4DU 2 days before the course starts.

This deposit is non refundable if a cancellation is made to cover administration costs.

The balance for the course can be paid by cheque on the day of the course.For any more information about the courses you can contact

Chris Chidlow Dip Perm Des

19 years Horticultural experience on 07981 099068