Discover the practical pleasure of growing your own highly nutritious food organically.
Current scientific research finally and officially confirms that organically grown food is not only more nutritious, but contains between 40 % and 90 % more anti-oxidants which are considered to help fight cancer and heart-disease.
World food production is the biggest unsustainable user of crude oil. As global oil production peaks and we in Ireland import up to 90 % of our food, indicators show that we need to act now and grow more local food.
Over the six Saturdays we will look at the current world food market, local farmers’ markets and small family sized plots. You will discover how easily food can be grown. Dig and no-dig methods, and successional sowing techniques provide your family and friends with bountiful harvests.
This course is designed to cater for the beginner and experienced gardener alike.
Come and meet the team on 1 March at 3 p.m. at The Hollies to gain an overview, have a look at the existing garden and enrol.
All day courses start at 9.30 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.
Lunch included. Fee per day: € 75
If you book all 6 courses you get one day for free – € 375
8 March Growing Organic Food – a day of inspiration and exploration of Possibilities
This workshop will begin with an introduction to the Hollies and a guided tour of the centre and its garden. We will take an indepth look into the sustainability of the current food system, both global and here in Ireland. We will then explore how to apply practical solutions into our daily lives of which growing and eating our own food will play an increasingly important role.
Tutor: John Conway
29 March Garden Management and Design
This workshop will focus on choosing the right site for your vegetable garden, on planning and designing the plot. We will also discuss and demonstrate different organic growing techniques. Other topics covered will be crop rotations, vegetable families and weed control. The course will include practical sessions on ground preparation, sowing and planting out young vegetable plants.
Tutor: Selvi Iyilikci
12 April Living Soil
In 1926 Dr. S. Marion proved scientifically that the use of artificial fertilizers leads to the distruction and loss of valuable soils. This day is designed to give participants a thorough understanding of soils and the life contained within. Healty soils lead to healthy crops which can resist many pests and diseases. We will compare dig and no-dig methods of growing and discover the importance of organic matter in healthy soils.
Tutor: Paul O’Flynn
26 April Compost made easy
On this day we will look at several methods of producing high quality compost. Successful composting saves you money and leads to a more sustainable method of gardening. Learn about the role of bacteria and the ideal ratios of components. During the afternoon session we will build a New Zealand style compost bin and fill it.
Tutor: Paul O’Flynn
24 May Grow food all year round.
One of the great pleasures of growing your own vegetables is to be able to enjoy your produce throughout the seasons, even in wintertime when the availability of fresh food in shops becomes limited. In this course you will learn about seed propagation and sowing techniques, especially successional sowing, which enables you to continuously harvest an abundance of crops throughout the year. We will also look at planting and harvesting times, a variety of vegetables and their nutrient requirements and the use of protected cropping as a way to help you to grow tender salad crops in summer and fresh greens, herbs and salads throughout winter.
Tutor: Selvi Iyilikci
28 June Growing food in a small garden
or ‘ Turning your backyard into a small garden’
This course will demonstrate how to create a garden in a small space without taking a lot of time.The workshop covers planning and layout, low input maintanance and growing techniques, container gardening, pemaculture principles, soil and fertility management and an introduction to a variety of Easy to Grow vegetables. After lunch we will move outdoors where we will be establishing a mini-garden using the no-dig system and locally available resources.
Tutors: John Conway, Selvi Iyilikci and Paul O’Flynn
Course Tutors:
Paul O’Flynn has 22 years of experience as a practitioner and teacher of organic horticulture.
Since 2003 he has been on the teaching staff of the highly successful 2-year ‘Practical Sustainability’ Course at the Kinsale Further Education College – Since 2004 also at the Return to Education Centre in Mallow.
Selvi Iyilikci trained at An T-Ionad Glas, Centre for Organic Education, for 2 years.She broadened her experience by working and volunteering on numerous organic farms and gardens, both abroad and in Ireland over the last few years. She is currently involved in developing the gardens at the Hollies into a market garden whith a community focusssed interest.
John Conway has a B.A. in geography and is currently researching for his Masters on issues surrounding food sustainability and the revival of localised food networks in Ireland. He is a keen gardener and enjoys growing and selling food at the Hollies Garden Project.