Permaculture Introduction Course

This weekend course is ideal for you if you want to start growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs in a natural, ecological way. It covers the basics of permaculture design as well as demonstrating practically how to transform a property into a lush productive food system.

Courses are hosted in different locations with each venue offering a slightly different focus. If you find that there is no more space on the course at the venue and date of your preference please consider attending one of the courses at the another venue. There is more than enough overlapping that you are bound to take away lots to process.

PicardiPlace is situated only an hour’s drive from Cape Town, near the quaint village of Rawsonville on the beautiful Slanghoek Road. With courses hosted here, the focus is on small and medium sized systems incorporating a structured vegetable garden, poultry, and well-maintained fruit elements.

Permaculture design principles including zoning and sectors; Compost making and soil life; Sheet mulching; Vermiculture; Chicken Tractors; Water strategies and irrigation; Planting different beds/areas; Nursery work including sowing, transplanting, soil mixtures and propagating from cuttings; Seed saving and storage; Fruit tree strategies; Landscaping with productive plants.

It is stressed that this is an introduction course that explores all the above-mentioned areas from a permaculture point of view. It is impossible to go into great depth with all the areas – instead, the course is designed to capture your interest, provide a solid base to start off from and tie you into a support network for the journey ahead.

Soil type: Very sandy

Cost: R1200; The price includes course fees and two lunches (Saturday and Sunday).

Accommodation is available in the form of two dorms which each sleep four – one for men and one for women. For those who would like some more privacy there are four en-suite bedrooms with double or single bed arrangements.

Please contact Jaco for inquiries: jaco@picardiplace.co.za / 082 788 9019

Schedule:

• 18:00 - 20:30 on Friday (incorporating bring-and-share meal)
• 07:30 - 17:00 on Saturday
• 07:30 - 14:00 on Sunday

What to bring:

Hat, sun cream, gardening gloves (optional), containers for plant materials, seeds you may have to share; favourite permaculture / homesteading / gardening book. Memory stick of at least 8gb.

• Register here.