Organic no dig garden & kitchen, plant-based cook, award winning author, small scale homesteader and mum of three.

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No Dig Gardening

Instead of turning the soil, I spread an annual mulch of compost. This layer is incorporated into the soil by the diverse organisms living below. Their actions of eating and excreting improves the soil’s structure and fertility, making it excellent for growing food and other crops.

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See how I am using second hand black plastic to clear a weedy area in my garden, which has a lot of creeping buttercup in it. To make the most of the space, I'm growing potatoes under the polythene using just a small amount of compost - this will clean the soil of weeds and grow a tasty harvest of potatoes. This plastic had been used to protect a delivery from rain, so I saved it (it's best to avoid buying new plastic, as much as you can). Later in the summer when I harvest the potatoes the plastic will be dried off, stored and reused another time. I grow a lot of potatoes, using different no dig techniques and will share how in other videos. Apologies for the sound quality. I had lost my microphone (now found thankfully) and had to use the one on my phone. Looking on the bright side, it does mean that the sounds of the creatures which live on this Welsh hillside also feature in the video (and the sound of rain falling....!) I give talks and workshops about no dig gardening, sustainable growing and homesteading across the UK. More info here: https://nodighome.com/events/ My website: https://nodighome.com Follow my new garden on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniehafferty/ Regular blog updates: https://nodighome.com/blog-posts/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steph_Hafferty My books: No Dig Organic Home and Garden (co-authored with Charles Dowding) winner Garden Media Guild Awards Practical Gardening Book of the Yearhttps://nodighome.com/my-books-and-writing/no-dig-organic-home-and-garden/ The Creative Kitchen plant based recipes using seasonal ingredients you can (almost!) entirely grow in your garden/allotmenthttps://nodighome.com/my-books-and-writing/the-creative-kitchen/
How to grow no dig potatoes and clear weeds cheaply, using less compost
YouTube Video UCkc8ZkG1PCv4GT8xJ5BpzZA_WwokONPvYvE
I made a new no dig asparagus bed on weedy grass in a an hour or so, using this quick and simple method. This delicious perennial vegetable is a wonderful addition to your edible garden. Once established, it crops for at least 15 years, producing tasty spears, a seasonal treat every spring. It is worthwhile waiting three years before harvesting to allow the roots to establish themselves properly, and then you'll be rewarded with many years of harvests. Asparagus is so versatile: steamed, roasted, in soups, grilled, in salads.... yum. There are many complicated "rules" around planting and growing this delicious long living perennial vegetable. You don't need to dig trenches, add sand to your soil and you certainly don't need nasty chemical herbicides. So looking forward to these harvests in three years! My books: No Dig Organic Home and Garden (co-authored with Charles Dowding) winner Garden Media Guild Awards Practical Gardening Book of the Year https://nodighome.com/product/no-dig-organic-home-and-garden/ The Creative Kitchen plant based recipes using seasonal ingredients you can (almost!) entirely grow in your garden/allotment https://nodighome.com/product/the-creative-kitchen/ I've been growing my own for around 30 years, and using no dig methods for almost 14 years. In March 2021 I moved from Somerset to West Wales where I am setting up a no dig homestead on half an acre: my #halfacrehomestead Passionate about gardening, food and making things, I write for various publications including national and international magazines, books, and give talks and workshops. In 2021 I designed and project managed the RHS No Dig Allotment Demonstration Garden at Hampton Court Garden Festival, together with Charles. My books: No Dig Organic Home and Garden (co-authored with Charles Dowding) winner Garden Media Guild Awards Practical Gardening Book of the Year https://nodighome.com/product/no-dig-organic-home-and-garden/ The Creative Kitchen plant based recipes using seasonal ingredients you can (almost!) entirely grow in your garden/allotment https://nodighome.com/product/the-creative-kitchen/ My website: https://nodighome.com Regular blog updates: https://nodighome.com/blog-posts/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniehafferty/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steph_Hafferty #nodig #backyardhomestead #halfacrehomestead
How to make a quick no dig asparagus bed
YouTube Video UCkc8ZkG1PCv4GT8xJ5BpzZA_Jc_8FKnLl_I
Learn how to grow your own microleaves in this rather giggly video! My daughter Caitlin lives in a tiny flat in a city, and loves to eat fresh food. On a recent visit home to Wales we made this video about how to grow microleaves using up-cycled materials and seeds from the spice cupboard, store and also regular garden seeds. Packets of garden seeds suitable for growing as microleaves are available in many supermarkets and other stores in urban areas, including budget pound/dollar stores. A bit about Caitlin: Caitlin is passionate about working with people in innovative ways to tackle complex environmental issues. She is currently in the final year of her PhD at the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), http://www.ccri.ac.uk a specialist research institute working in policy, planning, food, agriculture and rural affairs. Her research sits at the intersection between environmental planning, environmental governance, and digital technology, focusing on the ways that we can use different tools and methods to involve members of the public in environmental decision-making. She posts about her work on her blog/website https://caitlinhafferty.blogspot.comand is active on Twitter – follow her https://twitter.com/CaitlinHafferty @CaitlinHafferty! Thank you for viewing my channel, I really appreciate it. If you'd like to subscribe that would be fantastic. I am still learning how to edit the videos so it's all a bit homespun 🙂 But I am very much enjoying learning! And me.... I've been growing my own for around 30 years, and using no dig methods for almost 14 years. In March 2021 I moved from Somerset to West Wales where I am setting up a no dig homestead on half an acre: my #halfacrehomestead Passionate about gardening, food and making things, I write for various publications including national and international magazines, books, and give talks and workshops. In 2021 I designed the RHS No Dig Allotment Demonstration Garden at Hampton Court Garden Festival, together with Charles. My books: No Dig Organic Home and Garden (co-authored with Charles Dowding) winner Garden Media Guild Awards Practical Gardening Book of the Year https://nodighome.com/my-books-and-wr... The Creative Kitchen plant based recipes using seasonal ingredients you can (almost!) entirely grow in your garden/allotment https://nodighome.com/my-books-and-wr... My website: https://nodighome.com Regular blog updates: https://nodighome.com/blog-posts/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieha... Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steph_Hafferty #nodig #backyardhomestead #halfacrehomestead
How to make a tiny salad garden on an urban windowsill
YouTube Video UCkc8ZkG1PCv4GT8xJ5BpzZA_-qBNsVrCXgw
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What I Do

Throughout the year I give talks and workshops about no dig gardening and small scale homesteading with a family to look after.

My no dig kitchen is full of inspiration. Look up a range of plot to plate recipes here on the website and try them for yourself!

As well as blogging, I have written books about my garden and I regularly contribute to a range of magazines and other publications.

Stephanie Hafferty

Homesteader – Writer – Gardener – Consultant

seasonal recipes – public speaker – no dig kitchen – event organiser

What you can expect

After several years, there is a huge amount of information on this website to help support your own no dig, organic adventure.

  • Homesteading
  • Overcoming gardening problems in the real world
  • Natural household
  • Body & garden products
  • Plot to plate recipes

Reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“A must have for all serious veg growers.”

It’s a superb book and their blow by blow account of converting a meadow into a magnificent vegetable plot in around five years, with photographic evidence and detailed tabulated results, is so compelling I have given half my plot over to non-dig this month and already the difference is becoming obvious.

Tyke

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“This is the book on no dig gardening that we have all been waiting for.”

Not only does it have over 200 pages with all the information you were hoping to find, it is also one of the best presented books I have handled in a long time. The writing is clear with no hype or waffle and is laid out beautifully making full use of the photographs to create an easy to follow instruction guide that you will come back to again and again.We are very happy with the box and we value that we can have the standard box or choose our own.

Burra

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“So informative”

The sort of book to refer to throughout the growing season……or to curl up with besides a log fire with a glass of sloe gin as the first snow falls. Charles and Stephanie give clear instructions on how to move towards a low effort, great returns style of gardening. Fantastic illustrations and an enjoyable style of writing.

P. Edwards