This is a course for the mycologist in you that is fascinated by the world of fungus and would like to be able to grow mushrooms at home with ease.

By the end of the day we will have taken you through the steps needed to understand the processes involved in cultivating mushrooms at home. This will provide a platform from which to start cultivating as soon as you have all the necessary components and a little space – under the stairs or in a basement or loft.

The above course has been organised by LILI (Low Impact Living Initiative) and takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Martineau Gardens. The cost of the course is £60 and runs from 10am until 5pm.

Full Course Details

Courses need to be booked in advance with LILI
Either via the www.lowimpact.org or by telephoning 01296 714184.

Rag Rug Making Course, Martineau Gardens, Sat 2 June, 10am – 5pm

Learn the traditional techniques of progging and hooking! Start a project to finish at home. Maybe you will make a rug or a wall hanging – surprise yourself with what can be used: dresses, curtains, coats, blankets, or synthetics like fleece.

Tutor  Jenni Stuart-Anderson is an expert in her field, is a published author and enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for making things and for treading lightly on the planet. Course takes place at Martineau Gardens, 27 Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7U.

This course is organised by LILI (Low Impact Living Initiative) and takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Martineau Gardens. The cost of the course is £60 and will run from 10am until 5pm.

For course details and arrangements on the day, please visit www.lowimpact.org.
Courses need to be booked in advance with LILI, either via www.lowimpact.org or by telephoning 01296 714184.

This Beekeeping course is a taster so that you can decide if beekeeping is for you.

The course includes theory and practice, and covers:

• the differences between honey bees, bumble bees and wasps, and their life styles?
• the hive: human input and what happens inside
• the siting of hives: in your garden or elsewhere?
• the bee colony: what is it, how many bees does it contain, and seasonal variations
• what do bees make and what do they make it from?
• honey tasting
• swarms
• honey and equipment for extraction
• other products
• honey shows
• hands on with real bees

The course takes place in the beautiful surroundings of the organically maintained Martineau Gardens and is led by John Gale, Martineau Garden’s Beekeeper.

This course has been organised by LILI (Low Impact Living Initiative).  The cost of the one-day course is £60, which runs from 10am until 5pm.

Full Course Details 

Advance booking essential with LILI either on-line at www.lowimpact.org or by telephoning LILI on 01296 714184.

The Beehives, Martineau Gardens

In the past year or two there have been many media stories concerned with declining bee populations and the possible threat of disease wiping out colonies. Lots of people, including quite a few celebrities, have jumped on the beekeeping bandwagon – but for how long? This course is intended to introduce the basic principles involved in keeping bees, and to help you decide whether it is for you, or whether you’d just prefer to become a bee landlord?

Full course details

The above courses has been organised by LILI (Low Impact Living Initiative) and takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Martineau Gardens. The cost of this course is £60 and runs from 10am until 5pm.

For course details, please visit www.lowimpact.org.
Courses need to be booked in advance with LILI
Either via the www.lowimpact.org or by telephoning 01296 714184.

Food Smoking Course, Martineau Gardens, Sat 7 July, 10am – 5pm

Smoking food is an age-old method of preserving food – no electricity required. It also gives food a wonderful flavour.

Your tutor, Turan has been smoking his own food for many years and is known locally for his wonderful smoked salmon. This course is for everyone who is interested in food smoking, including farmers and smallholders, who wish to add value to their produce, hunters and fishermen who want to learn new methods of making use of seasonal catches, as well as chefs and hobbyists who are interested in creating different tastes with traditional and new methods of food smoking.

Full course details

Course takes place at Martineau Gardens, 27 Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7U.

Cost is £60; advance booking essential with course organisers LILI (Low Impact Living  Initiative) www.lowimpact.org or 01296 714184.

Permaculture is a system developed to support and encourage a sustainable way of living. This gardening course takes place in the beautiful setting of an organic garden, Martineau Gardens.

Your garden is your chance to create a little piece of paradise – somewhere to relax, entertain, connect with the seasons and wildlife, and to be inspired. The art of gardening provides unlimited opportunity to deepen ecological awareness and develop an understanding of our place within the web of life.

Permaculture is a contemporary model for realising the potential of the ecological human being, an archaic revival of indigenous memory so to speak. This course will focus on introducing the permaculture concept and how it can help us to embody sustainable design through working with natural systems.

Full course Details

Course takes place at Martineau Gardens, 27 Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7U.

Cost is £60; advance booking essential with course organisers LILI (Low Impact Living  Initiative) www.lowimpact.org or 01296 714184.