Two gardening courses will be organized at Ermitaj this year. They correspond to the critical periods for implementing a vegetable garden. Late April, when the soil is usually dry enough to allow for planting all non-frost-sensitive crops, and late May, when planting sun-loving vegetables is no longer at risk of nighttime frosts.
This year’s format emphasizes a balance between theoretical foundations (50%) and practical exercises (50%), which are not always easy to master.
Dates :
Permaculture Vegetable Garden 1: Wednesday, April 23 – Sunday, April 27, 2025
Permaculture Vegetable Garden 2: Wednesday, May 21 – Sunday, May 25, 2025
About the Course:
Permaculture is not limited to gardening, but the garden often serves as the first step toward resilience. As Bill Mollison said, if 20% of the population became gardeners, the issues linked to industrial agriculture would no longer exist!
Under the expert guidance of Bogdan Suliman and Tiberiu Marcu, you will learn low-tech, eco-friendly techniques to grow your own food sustainably.
What You Will Learn:
- Gardening techniques with low environmental impact: manual tools, minimal soil disturbance, organic fertilizers, and natural pest control.
- Integrating the vegetable garden into the broader design of your property alongside other elements, such as ducks.
- Practical concepts: greenhouses, seedlings, crop rotation, green manures, biofertilizers, and compost.
- Harvest management and food preservation.
- Starting a market gardening project: challenges and key considerations.
- Creating community gardens.
About the Trainers:
Bogdan Suliman
Bogdan is a talented all-rounder: he masters welding, builds rocket stoves, and is skilled in woodworking. He is also comfortable 15 meters up a tree with a chainsaw, pruning branches. But above all, he is an excellent gardener, a permaculturist, and an outstanding teacher! His passion for autonomy and knowledge-sharing makes him an inspiring trainer.
Marcu Tiberiu
Founder of Sphera pentru Terra, Tiberiu is an experienced permaculturist and a trained architect. With years of experience designing and implementing permaculture projects, he is also the co-creator of the Buruiana community garden, a space embodying principles of sustainability and cooperation. Tiberiu organizes permaculture training, both online and onsite, sharing his technical expertise and passion for eco-friendly agriculture. His collaborative approach and humility make him a valuable contributor to the development of permaculture in Romania.
About Ermitaj:
A pioneer in permaculture in Romania since 2010, Ermitaj is located on an 8-hectare site at the foot of the Carpathians. This off-grid environment, disconnected from urban utilities (water, gas, electricity), provides the ideal setting for total immersion.
Learn more about the placePractical Information:
Pricing:
The course fee covers the costs of organization, accommodation, meals, and the trainers’ and cooks’ salaries. It is also based on your payment capacity, depending on your household income. We count on your understanding and fair play. If you are fortunate enough to no longer need to work thanks to significant savings or investments, we kindly ask you to pay the highest rate.
The course price includes healthy, balanced meals, from the first morning of the training to lunch on the last day. Tea, coffee, juice, and snacks are available during breaks.
Register at least two months before the start of the course to benefit from the Early Bird rate (10% discount).
Pricing Chart for the Gardening Course (5-day session):
| Income Categories | Standard Rate | Early Bird Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly family income below 2500 lei (500 €) | 1000 RON (200 €) | 900 RON (180 €) |
| Monthly family income between 2500 and 6000 lei (500–1500 €) | 1200 RON (240 €) | 1080 RON (215 €) |
| Monthly family income between 6000 and 12000 lei (1500–2400 €) | 1400 RON (280 €) | 1260 RON (250 €) |
| Monthly family income above 12000 lei (2400 €) | 1600 RON (320 €) | 1440 RON (290 €) |
As much of the information shared will overlap between sessions, participants attending both sessions will receive an additional discount of 250 lei (50 €).
The course requires a minimum of 11 participants to proceed. If this number is not reached one month before the start of the course, it will be canceled, and participants who have already paid will be fully reimbursed, with no additional compensation.
Registration
Read the General Conditions and Internal Rules carefully before registering!
Spots are limited! Reserve yours now.
For more details and registration, contact us directly or fill out the registration form (in romanian language):