The Minimalist Gardener: Low Impact, No Dig Growing

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His minimalist approach uses techniques such as no-dig, raised beds, perennial vegetables and self-seeding salads as ground cover, and mulching when appropriate. As for making compost – throw the material on the ground and it will turn into compost right where it sits – why do you need to give it a special place to do what it wants to do anyway? In the last chapter Patrick takes a look at permaculture beyond our own gardens and plots and gets us thinking about how we can move toward collaboration and integration with neighbours and wider communities. His apparent excitement in showing off his splendid leeks, while casually grazing on some perennial broccoli was contagious, and the series of short films he made about growing vegetables leave one in no doubt of his passion for it. Written by an acknowledged expert, this friendly guide will help you grow food in whatever space you have - large or small, rural or urban - with minimal bought in inputs, and maximum satisfaction.

Patrick appeared in several BBC TV programmes, popular gardening videos, and taught many permaculture and other practical courses, throughout the UK. They look as though they would just need a good scrubbing to prepare and are apparently very tasty, sweet and a good source of carbs cooked or raw.The term ‘minimalist’ refers to the amount of work put into maximising harvests and may be a more comprehensible term to draw interest from conventional gardeners.

This is the first in a collection of Patrick Whitefield’s pioneering writings, celebrating his life. Patrick Holden from The Sustainable Food Trust wrote, "It is only towards the end of his life that the wider significance of permaculture ideas began to emerge . Patrick was a contributor to Permaculture Magazine and wrote quarterly seasonal articles about gardening, particularly drawing upon his own gardening experience and the wealth of experienced gained from his years as a permaculture teacher and consultant. Audiobooks from Chelsea Green Publishing | We have partnered with Glassboxx to bring Chelsea Green books in audio formats, easily and securely.

As a permaculturist he had ways of gardening that worked with nature rather than against it, and over the years he found ways of making the work simpler and less arduous, while equally if not more productive. Packed with design principles and examples for small gardens, Patrick's down-to-earth legacy continues to inspire.

I found it almost a complete practical gardening course that you can use as needed, a series of easy to follow practicals you will be itching to get out and try. Mulch and other soil building techniques are welcome, and raised beds and other features such as rain barrels and compost bins have their place.Both novice and expert gardeners, conventional, organic and permaculturists will find new inspiration, ideas and step by step instructions – literally, on the dry stone step and path building section! the true significance of Whitefield's ideas was not adequately acknowledged during his lifetime, but his influence will survive him. There were plenty of other suggestions to try out as well including pink purslane, sea beet, and herb patience as well as more familiar perennial kales and broccoli. Patrick Whitefield (1949 – 2015) was an early pioneer of permaculture, adapting Bill Mollison’s teachings with a strong Southern Hemisphere bias to the cooler, maritime climate of the British Isles. Patrick Whitefield (11th February 1949 27th February 2015) was an early pioneer of permaculture, adapting Bill Mollison s teachings with a strong Southern Hemisphere bias to a cooler, maritime climate such as the British Isles.

If you keep having to duck your head to mow underneath a tree, or go up a ladder three times every summer to cut ivy out of the gutters, or hire a hedgetrimmer to cut the Eleagnus that keeps growing in front of the windows and blocking the light – do something about it! There is also a whole section on fruit that could be a great time saver, learning from others’ experience. Get yourself secateurs, a piece of hessian for collecting prunings and weeds, a spade and a fork, a hand trowel, some shears, a hoe and a scythe and a stone to sharpen it. Chapter one succinctly describes permaculture approaches to minimalist gardening with very clear, simple explanations that completely demystify the terms whilst gently and convincingly introducing some of the more revolutionary permaculture techniques that newbies can find a bit dubious.The Minimalist Gardener brings together a series of 17 articles written by renowned grower, permaculturist and teacher, the late Patrick Whitefield and originally published in Permaculture magazine over a period of more than twenty years. Discount Codes cannot be combined with any other offers (books on sale or multiple discount codes, for example). Patrick describes an evolving system that is totally chemical free, requiring little input from outside the garden gate.