Step by Step Introduction to Biodynamic Gardening April to July 2025 – Devon
13th January 2023
Biodynamic Gardening Club Events 2023 – Growing your biodynamic gardening know-how
22nd January 2020
Venue: Gaydon Cottage, Low Fellside, Sizergh, Cumbria LA8 8DY
Session dates 2026: NB these sessions take place on Sundays – 22nd Feb, 29th March, 19th April, 31st May, 21st June, 26th July
Garden Teacher: Heidi Bairner
Programme outline
Session 1 – Seed connects with Soil
Session 2 – Planning our garden
Session 3 – The Plant between the Sun and Earth
Session 4 – The Biodynamic Preparations
Session 5 – Tending the garden
Session 6 – The garden as an organism
About Heidi Bairner: I first heard about Rudolf Steiner and biodynamic gardening back in the mid-eighties whilst living at the time in Spain, in the Andalucian mountains. During my time there, although I didn’t participate, I became curious about a small home school – Steiner-influenced kindergarten, along with a nearby community garden, that was planted using the biodynamic sowing calendar. Later on, when I had my family, we joined Lancaster Steiner School. During our time there, I became group parent & child leader, holding 1- 3 weekly sessions, led the craft stall during school festivities and often participated in volunteer work to support the school. When we left the school, we set up and ran an outdoor Steiner influenced parent and child group ‘The Wee Folks’, in the field that backs onto the garden at Gaydon Cottage (the field is rented to Sizergh Barn- Richard Parks) and is organically cared for). We held seasonal festivities with our small community and weekly outdoor sessions. During this time, we also set up a small evening Steiner anthroposophy-inspired study group held at Gaydon Cottage. In 2018, I was fortunate enough to hear about the Bio Dynamic Step by Step gardening course led by Vivian Griffiths and eagerly joined. I found this course inspirational, so much so, that I attended the course three times, gaining a little more knowledge each time, meeting some wonderful people and slowly over time, where possible, introducing BD methods to tend the garden here at Gaydon Cottage. Whilst attending the course, I was particularly taken with and deeply moved by our visit to Clervaux Garden School and our day immersed in making preparations alongside the Clervaux Community. I also became part of the volunteer group that continued with the BD meadow experiment at Brantwood, along with Vivian, Lesley and other step-by-step participants.
Directions to the venue and parking (as it is limited at the venue):