Charles Dowding

I run a beautiful garden of year round vegetables, all growing in soil that is never dug, except to remove parsnips that grow incredibly long in the undisturbed clay. Not digging, with compost on top, results in fewer weeds and visitors are impressed with the garden's clean soil: I give regular day courses here and many lectures, both locally and nationally. My first book on organic gardening without digging has been reprinted three times before coming out in a second edition in October 2010. I receive many lovely letters (emails) of appreciation and these connections with readers are a wonderful bonus.
Since reading Geography at Cambridge University (Emmanuel College 1977-80), I have spent nearly all my life growing organic vegetables for sale. Currently I specialise in bags of mixed salad leaves which are extremely popular, an amazing number of them selling in the local town of Bruton. The experience of doing this, all year round, led to the writing of my second book on salad leaves, which is used by commercial growers as well as gardeners.
Soil and vegetables are my passion and I seek to convey their amazing qualities in my writing and teaching about them; I hope you also learn to enjoy growing and savouring good food.