Table of Contents

Introduction by Darina Allen 7
Preface 8
Seasonal gardening: the benefits 12
Being there, little and often 14
Time-saving tips 16
Advantages of no dig 18
Soil structure the easy way 20
No dig perennials for food 22
No dig flowers 24
Making compost 26
Compost: the process 28
Sourcing compost 30
Weeds in a compost mulch 32
Weeds sign off 34
Mulching to clear perennial weeds 36
Sowing timeline 38
FAQs no dig 40
Perpetual Diary 42
Comparing growth 150
Sowing by the moon 152
More on rotation 154
Second crops/succession 156
Edible elegance 158
Paths, mulches, no dig 160
Planting and caring for fruit trees 162
Last thoughts and acknowledgements 164
Bibliography 165
Index 166

Promotional Information

Available on offer with other books on Charles Dowding's website

About the Author

Charles Dowding develops and explains time- and labour-saving methods of high-yielding nature-friendly gardening. He has written ten books and an annual calendar of sowing dates, runs a YouTube channel with 36 million views, writes for national gardening magazines, and gives talks and courses at home and abroad. He has created three online courses: No Dig Gardening, Course 1; Growing Success Course 2. His third online course appeared in 2021.


He has been growing professionally since 1982, and has been experimenting with No Dig methods for the past 20 years. His current site at Homeacres is well known for its rapid transformation from weedy pasture to beautiful garden in just a half-year (see the video "No Dig Abundance" on Youtube). Currently he crops an intensive 0.35 acres/1300 square metres, and sells GBP20,000 of harvests-mainly salad leaves-locally.

Reviews

RHS review in The Garden November 2017, by Jim Buckland of West Dean Gardens, Sussex; Although I have been gardening professionally for 45 years, I found this book enlightening, thought provoking and immensely practical in equal measure. I am confident that if this were the first volume to grace the shelves of a gardening novice, it would be equally stimulating and useful, and would ensure a smooth start to a growing life. It does exactly what the title suggests it will do, and does it with clarity, humour and immense practicality; Lynn on Amazon, June 2017 It's always good to have a reminder of what the main gardening tasks are month by month. But this diary does more than that. Even though I have been gardening for decades I can dive into this book and pick up gems of information never before encountered. Charles is a truly good gardener with an amazing willingness to share his knowledge; Philip Hirst, Ireland email, 23.07.18 I have bought your vegetable garden diary, and all I can say is wow, so inspiring, and full of detailed information, brilliant. I wish I had bought it years ago!!