The Regenerative Garden is a 7 part course consisting of one session a month designed to help you connect with nature, learn sustainable growing techniques, and feel supported in your gardening journey throughout the growing season. Join in for a single session or book the full course at a discounted rate.
Each session focuses on a key aspect of regenerative gardening, from growing food with minimal resources to composting, seed saving, and supporting wildlife. You'll get hands-on experience, expert guidance, and plenty of inspiration to take home. Expect a mix of practical skills, ecological insights, and interactive discussions, all set within the lush OmVed Gardens.
What’s Included
Expert tuition from our garden team, hands-on activities, access to OmVed’s gardens, a friendly and welcoming space to learn alongside fellow growers.
Who Can Take Part?
Open to all levels, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gardener looking to deepen your knowledge, this series is designed for anyone passionate about growing food and working with nature.
Available Sessions
Saturday 25 APRIL, Spring in the Edible Garden with Vicky Chown
This interactive workshop explores arguably the most important part of the growing year in the edible garden - the arrival of spring. Participants will learn how to prepare soil, sow seeds, take spring cuttings, and learn simple propagation techniques to start a thriving garden. The session will touch on seasonal garden planning, including what to plant, when to plant it, and how to make the most of available space. Throughout the workshop, participants will be encouraged to observe seasonal cues and work in tune with the natural rhythms of spring, building confidence and connection in the garden.
Saturday 16 MAY, Water for Wildlife with Kiran Lee and Tej Rawal
In this session, you’ll encounter and contribute to the immense joy that can be found in introducing and encouraging the presence of water in a garden, for other-than-human, and human, life. We’ll begin the session by learning more about OmVed’s ponds and our other water-centred gardening strategies, followed by a DIY pond survey to develop an understanding of what makes a healthy pond-habitat. We’ll end the session by using containers that you’ve brought along to demonstrate how easy it is to create a pond for wildlife, no matter whether you garden in a windowbox, a balcony or a larger garden space.
Saturday 27 JUNE, Low Cost Food Growing with Vicky Chown
This hands-on workshop will show you how to turn everyday scraps and store-bought produce into thriving plants, making food growing accessible, affordable, and sustainable. Learn how to grow herbs, vegetables, and microgreens from kitchen staples like shop-bought peas, garlic, and fresh herbs. Discover the best techniques for cutting and propagating herbs to prolong their growth and multiply your harvest. We’ll also explore the benefits of growing perennial vegetables over annuals, ensuring a continuous food supply with minimal effort. Whether you're new to food growing or looking to expand your skills, this session will equip you with practical, low-cost techniques to start growing your own food at home, no garden required!
Saturday 25 JULY, Making & Working with Compost with Tej Rawal
Composting is a way for gardeners to treat the soil they work with well. The principles of composting are more straightforward than anticipated when approached with care. In this session, you’ll learn how to recycle garden and home waste into a material that can improve soil quality, so that it can develop a rewarding foundation for the plants that we grow in it, and the people who enjoy and eat them! We’ll explore different composting methods, including making ‘leaf mould’; working with worms; and how to make good quality, homemade compost using simple methods suited to most spaces.
Saturday 26 SEPTEMBER, Plant Propagation and Division with John Gaffney
Learn simple and effective ways to increase your plant stock by propagating from cuttings and dividing plants. Whether you’re working with houseplants, herbs, or perennials, you’ll gain the skills to successfully grow new plants from the ones you already have. We’ll explore different propagation techniques, including stem cuttings, root division, and water propagation, as well as a short overview of plant families to help you identify which plants can be easily propagated. Learn when and how to take cuttings for the best success rates and discover how to divide plants to keep them healthy and thriving.
Saturday 24 OCTOBER, Seed Saving
Seeds are more than just the start of a plant, they hold the power of resilience, biodiversity, and food sovereignty. In this workshop, you'll learn the fundamentals of seed saving as both a practical gardening skill and a movement for sustainability. Discover how to select, grow, and harvest seeds to ensure strong, healthy plants for future seasons while reducing reliance on commercial seed suppliers.
Saturday 28 NOVEMBER, Nature-crafts and Biochar with John Gaffney
Support local wildlife through the colder months by crafting natural bird feeders and creating winter habitats for insects, birds, and small mammals. This hands-on workshop blends creativity with conservation, teaching you how to make simple, sustainable structures that encourage biodiversity in your garden. We’ll explore the importance of invertebrates and hibernation, understanding how different species find shelter and food in the winter. You’ll also learn about biochar, a natural soil enhancer that improves soil health while reducing carbon footprint.
Programme Facilitors:
Vicky Chown is the Head of Urban Growing at OmVed Gardens, a published author, medical herbalist, forager, and experienced food grower. She teaches permaculture and urban food growing, and founded The Seed Saving Network, a biodiverse community of seed savers in London and across the UK. Vicky integrates medicinal plants into urban spaces, combining her expertise in herbal medicine and foraging with a passion for sustainable gardening. Alongside Kim Walker, she co-runs The Handmade Apothecary, a project dedicated to foraging and herbal education. Vicky’s work empowers individuals to grow their own food, reconnect with nature, and cultivate healthy, self-sustaining lifestyles.
Kiran Lee is OmVed Gardens ecologist. A naturalist with a passion for understanding nature, he has previously volunteered at the Natural History Museum, London Zoo and London Wildlife Trust. Kiran is currently finishing a PhD with the Seychelles Warbler Project using genomics (entire DNA sequences of individuals) to understand the ecology and evolution of island-endemic Seychelles warblers, which had nearly gone extinct in the 1960s. Key influences are his mother, a keen gardener and grandmother, both botanist and biology teacher. He also aims to improve diversity and accessibility in science and in natural spaces. His research can be found on GitHub.
Tej Rawal has tended to OmVed’s kitchen garden for three years, and also looks after a nearby allotment.
John Gaffney is an experienced horticulturist with nearly 20 years in the field, specializing in garden design and plant care. Having studied in both New Zealand and the UK, he has worked across botanical gardens, private estates, and domestic landscapes. Currently the Head Landscape Gardener at OmVed, John is passionate about sustainable gardening and biodiversity. In his own garden, he grows a variety of produce and nurtures an ever-expanding collection of cacti and succulents.
About OmVed Gardens:
OmVed Gardens is a garden, exhibition, events, and learning space in North London dedicated to exploring the connections between food, ecology and creativity for health and climate resilience. We are on a mission to inspire ecological awareness and action, and deepen our understanding of interconnectedness with the natural world.
As a registered Community Interest Company, all our activities prioritise social and ecological objectives. Whether collaborating with chefs, creatives, gardeners, or schools, OmVed Gardens is a hub for education, connection, and action. We aim to inspire individuals and communities to reimagine their role in building a healthier, more resilient world.
We work to increase biodiversity - of species, seeds, food systems, and participation, through regenerative gardening, seed saving, habitat creation, and ecological education. Our space serves as a living example of how urban areas can be transformed into thriving ecosystems that support both human and non-human communities.
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