The Joys of 'No Dig' with Charles Dowding Boconnoc Estate

This September we are excited to be welcoming gardener and author Charles Dowding to Boconnoc for an informative ‘No Dig’ Workshop in our beautiful estate. During an inspiring presentation in Boconnoc House, Charles will show you how he has fine-tuned various no dig methods over the years. He will also be providing expert advice on succession planting, multi-sowing, pest reduction, the use of fleece and mesh and propagation.

Charles is one of the most well known experts in the UK who specializes in no dig and he has been an advocate of the method since he first started growing vegetables back in 1981. In fact, much of his career has been dedicated to teaching others about this approach, both in the form of his books and successful YouTube channel.

This method means you don’t disrupt the fragile soil life and the important microorganisms, fungi and worms that help feed plant roots. It’s a fantastic way to avoid using harsh chemicals and toxic concoctions in your garden whilst also helping you save time and money. The technique is also great for beginners as you’ll have less chance of failure during harvesting due to the improved growing conditions of your soil and you don’t need to worry about re-digging your flower beds each year.

Throughout the workshop you will have the chance to ask questions before we break for a delicious lunch.

Afterwards we will move into the Kitchen Garden so you can see how Stuart, the Head Gardener at Boconnoc has been experimenting with Charles’ technique in the onsite kitchen garden. Charles will demonstrate how to make a no dig bed on weedy grass. As a group we’ll then look at different parts of the garden as we see these techniques in action, including compost making.

If you would like to learn more about growing all kinds of vegetables productively, healthily and more easily join us for this inspiring day with Charles. We look forward to seeing you in September.

Lunch:

Homemade lunch will be cooked by our wonderful housekeeper Kay Bolitho using local fresh ingredients as well as produce from the Kitchen Garden. This will be served in our beautiful Garden room which has views stretching over the parkland. If you have dietary requirements or allergies please let us know.

Tickets are £140 to include workshop (£115) and two course lunch (£25) . The workshop starts at 8am and ends at 5pm.