00:00Hi guys, I'm Zahan from Zahan in Avalon, and I'm here with Charles Dowling, the amazing No-Dig Gardener, and
00:08he's written a book for kids.
00:11Yeah, kids. People like you. So, yeah. Wow, why did I write this, do you think?
00:20I want to get this knowledge out there. No-Dig is just brilliant for kids. You've made a bed, haven't
00:27you?
00:27Yeah, and do you think it's good for kids' health, wealth and health being?
00:33Yeah, very much so. Gardening is like that. You know, it's not only that you make a space that you
00:38can grow some healthy food, but you get more healthy in the process.
00:43Yeah. Do you think vegetables are friends in any way?
00:48Do I think vegetables are what?
00:49Like friends.
00:51Friends. Oh, that's brilliant. I like that question.
00:54Yeah, very much. I mean, that's a problem though, isn't it, when we come to eat them? I mean, how
00:57do we do that? We're eating our friends.
00:59Yeah.
01:02Yeah, I mean, basically all plants are. Plants are amazing. I mean, that's one of the lovely things about gardening.
01:06You come to realise that plants are more than just, well, they're animate, they're alive.
01:14And no dig is brilliant because it's building extra life into the soil and that makes your plants more lively.
01:20And then when you eat them, you get more lively.
01:23I mean, you're pretty lively already, aren't you?
01:25Yeah.
01:26And who illustrated the book?
01:29Ah, well, this book, we should show it to the viewers, don't you think?
01:31Do you want to hold it up?
01:32Because, yeah, these lovely drawings. In fact, it's so funny because you see that this nice girl on the cover,
01:41she hasn't got gloves on.
01:43And originally, she was wearing gloves in the original design they sent me.
01:48And I said, no, the whole point of this is getting close to the soil and even eating a bit
01:54of soil because soil is healthy.
01:56Did you know that?
01:56You can eat a bit of soil. You really can. You could go into one of these beds behind you
02:01and eat a bit of soil.
02:02It's full of bacteria and microbes that are actually good. Most bacteria are really good.
02:08And the woman who did this, look, if we just open it up a bit, she did amazing pictures.
02:13It's just gorgeous how it's illustrated.
02:17I was wondering if I could find one of the compost heap. I don't think that's really neat.
02:20Do you see that? How she's captured the car driving on the road and the roots underneath.
02:25You know, all of this life is happening all the time underneath us and we don't see it.
02:30We don't know about it and it's there.
02:33And with no dig, you just protect it and keep it working out of sight.
02:40So, you know, it makes sense.
02:42And what I've noticed working with children is they get it.
02:46They get it much more quickly than adults.
02:48Kids, you know, no preconceptions.
02:53Do you think your pots are recyclable?
02:59Oh, that's a tricky question.
03:01They are actually, but there's something about because they're black.
03:07They're not, they are recyclable, but I think it's not the sort of thing you'd want to be doing too
03:12often.
03:12I think that even the recycling causes some pollution, I'm afraid.
03:15But the main thing about them is how solid they are.
03:17You know, you can, you can walk on them.
03:20The idea is that basically you don't ever need to recycle them because they, well, they last forever.
03:27Maybe not quite ever.
03:28Yeah, they last a long time.
03:30Yeah.
03:31And this is the other useful tool.
03:34So, long-handled dibber.
03:36You don't actually need many tools for no dig gardening, but this one you can make holes in.
03:41It's got spacing lines on to help you get your plants the right distance apart.
03:47And do you think kids can use the tools that adults can?
03:52Oh, interesting question.
03:55Well, yeah, I mean, that basically, you're not full size, but I reckon you can certainly use this.
04:06I mean, the beauty of no dig is you don't need many tools.
04:10A rake and you can get a smaller version of a wheelbarrow, for example.
04:17Yeah.
04:18Do you have to do that much weeding?
04:22No, that's the beauty of no dig.
04:23That's the best bit.
04:24That is absolutely the most lovely part that not many weeds grow.
04:28Like this garden behind me, I call it the small garden.
04:31It's 25 square metres.
04:33And I spend about three minutes a week, maybe, pulling out the weeds.
04:38It's little and often.
04:39But the emphasis on both of those words, little.
04:42Every week, do a little bit.
04:44And it's really easy to make a bed because there's only two steps.
04:48Yeah, exactly.
04:49Smother the ground, bit of cardboard and compost on top and you're ready.
04:56So, thank you for being here and it's nice to be here with you.
05:01It's a great pleasure, Sahan, and I'm honoured to be the first video on your channel.
05:07So, he's going to do some good stuff.
05:09Keep an eye on him.
05:10And when do you think the book's going to be released?
05:14Well, very soon.
05:15We're actually filming this 20th December and it's due for publication in less than a month, actually.
05:2219th January, so middle of January.
05:24Nice.
05:27Bye.
05:29Cheers.
05:30Cheers.
05:30Cheers.
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