with Graham Bell

date: 23/03/2022

times: 10:00 - 16:00

venue: The Garden Cottage, Lees Stables, Kelso Road, Coldstream, Berwickshire, Scotland, TD12 4LF

Graham Bell is an internationally known and respected teacher of Permaculture and several underlying disciplines including Forest Gardening and Food Preservation.  He has dedicated his working life to helping others achieve the skills to live sustainably.

His own home garden is a mere 800 sq metres (0.08 hectares) which at peak yield produces 1.25 tonnes of food a year (pro rata 16 tonnes a hectare - twice the best yield that chemical farmers in his district get on the very best farmland (Grade 1) 500 trees and 5000 plants for sale, half the household’s energy needs, a soft living room and an amazing teaching space which welcomes (and feeds) a thousand visitors every year from all over the planet (literally).

These visitors include an amazing array of wildlife including thirty-eight resident species of bird, another twenty who come on a daily basis, just for lunch, and twenty who come on their holidays.  Graham says “You just have to create the right habitat and then the right things happen”, a philosophy which applies to his teaching as much as his garden.

“I’m sure there are many people out there who are much cleverer than me.  What I offer is a certain gateway to an amazing future.  Easy to digest, clear and in simple language that everyone can understand.  I can’t empower anyone.  People can only empower themselves.  But what I can do is offer you the space, the knowledge and the insights where this will all become apparent for you.  You will leave our meeting with all the direction you need to take your life forward for personal gain and the good of all the planet.”

A hands-on day exploring Graham’s garden / philosophy and approach.  A discussion based learning experience from an experienced permaculture practitioner.  There will be lots of opportunities to discuss ways to incorporate this approach in your own Garden Design practice.

target audience: For anyone with an interest in incorporating Forest Gardening & Permaculture philosophy

items to bring: Warm / waterproof clothes and footwear / note pad & pen