Grow Year Round No Dig Gardening Courses

NEW FOR 2023 – “Grow Year Round” No Dig Gardening Courses at Ael Y Bryn, Stephanie Hafferty’s half-acre homestead in Wales

Stephanie Hafferty holds a basket overflowing with fresh vegetables harvested from her no dig garden.

Learn how to grow your own food, whatever size your plot. Learn the skills you need to harvest healthy delicious homegrown food year round, using sustainable, planet friendly, no dig gardening.

Growing some of your own food is a wonderful cost efficient way to add delicious nutrient-rich ingredients to your diet, learn new skills and have fun. In this day course Stephanie shares her years of expert knowledge and incredibly productive no dig garden, started on March 31st 2021, to show how you can grow your own year round, affordably and in harmony with nature, whatever size space you have.

The course is located at her half acre homestead in Ceredigion, Wales – which was created entirely by Stephanie, using no dig methods and on a limited budget.

What does the course include?

  • How to create a no dig garden, easily and affordably
  • How to create a healthy soil ecosystem
  • Different mulches and cover crops, including using green manures
  • Many kinds of compost and their applications
  • Composting techniques for every size of garden
  • Homemade plant and soil feeds
  • Water harvesting and saving
  • Propagation and sowing – including frugal off-grid solutions
  • Keeping plants healthy
  • Crop protection
  • Discouraging unwanted visitors (aka “pests”)
  • Growing undercover – greenhouses, polytunnels, cloches, homemade techniques
  • Maximise growing space with companion planting, interplanting and multi sowing
  • Resilient ways to garden in a changing climate
  • Wildlife gardening, and how working with wildlife increases yields, protects crops and enhances plant health
  • Seed saving
  • Real life solutions for what to do if you’re going on holiday/ working away/ can’t get to your plot for a while
  • Practical hands on activities according to the time of year
  • How to grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers to create your own “larder in the garden”
  • Stephanie is not only an experienced grower, she specialises in what to do with what you have grown, and will share her tips to increase your self sufficiency – and save money too.

The day course runs from 11am to 3:30 (arrivals from 10:30) in Ceredigion, a spectacularly beautiful part of Wales. Cost is £95. Beverages are provided, please bring your own packed lunch.

The course is based entirely outside in the garden, with the polytunnel and outdoor kitchen providing shelter from weather. You will need to bring appropriate outdoor weather clothes. There is a compost loo.

Group bookings and bespoke courses – we offer garden tours, group bookings and bespoke courses here at Ael Y Bryn. Hosted by experienced and qualified educator Stephanie Hafferty full details are here. Alternatively, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Please read the course terms and conditions here. The course is not suitable for children or pets.

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Grow Year Round No Dig Gardening Course Voucher

A £95 voucher redeemable against one of the Grow Year Round No Dig Gardening courses at Ael Y Bryn, to use yourself or give as a gift.

The voucher can be used to pay for a place on one of the Grow Year Round No Dig Gardening Courses. There are limited numbers of attendees, and so if you wish to book for a specific date then we suggest that you book that course date directly, to ensure a plac…

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About Stephanie
About Stephanie

Stephanie Hafferty is a no dig homesteader, and a garden and food writer and educator. A leading expert in no dig gardening and award winning author, Stephanie has worked and grown in kitchen gardens, market gardens, allotments, private estates and home gardens, for over 30 years (14+ years using no dig methods).
She shares her knowledge nationally and internationally, travelling to give talks and workshops including Kew Gardens, the Blue Peter Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2022, BBC Gardeners World Live, many RHS Garden Festivals, the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carlow Festival (Ireland) and permaculture events. In 2021 she co-designed and project managed the acclaimed RHS No Dig Allotment Demonstration Garden at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival.
An enthusiastic and inspirational teacher, Stephanie explains how to grow year round using climate friendly organic no dig methods for abundant harvests and fewer weeds, working harmoniously with wildlife, and what to do with your harvests, from seasonal meals to preserving, homemade body, home and garden care, remedies and natural dyes. 

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About the location

Ceredigion is one of the least spoilt regions of Cymru (Wales), with spectacular landscapes including mountains, waterfalls and an outstanding coastline. Ael Y Bryn is located in a village 10 minutes’ drive from the university town of Lampeter – where the first ever Welsh rugby match was played! – in the Teifi valley. It is an excellent place to visit for the weekend, or for a longer holiday. There are plenty of camping sites, hotels, B&Bs and other accommodation in the area and fantastic places to eat and enjoy local Welsh produce.

Cymraeg (Welsh) is the first language here, widely spoken in the villages and towns, and on all of the signs – there are English translations too.

Whilst you are here why not also take the opportunity to visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Aberglasney Gardens, spot dolphins and seals at Mwnt, wander the steep narrow streets of New Quay down to the beach (brilliant for swimming) where Dylan Thomas based Under Milk Wood, the splendour of one of the UK’s largest raised peat bogs at Cors Caron, or the atmospheric Strata Florida Abbey ruins, burial place of Welsh princes and poets.

The Garden at Ael Y Bryn – accessibility

Situated on a Welsh hillside, this working garden is sloped and uneven and accessed by a short steep gravel drive, or steps. There are steps to different parts of the garden. Please contact us to discuss any questions you may have regarding accessibility.

Public transport

Due to the rural location, public transport can be infrequent. There are buses to Lampeter, and also to the village. Please contact us for more information, time tables etc.
The lanes are reasonably quiet and many people cycle. Be aware that the lanes are narrow and roads can be very steep.

Electric car charging points – we have been advised that the nearest electric car charging stations to here are in Lampeter, situated at the university campus. There are also car charging facilities at Llanercheron (about 20 minutes away).

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