— 23–30 May 2026 | Permaculture Gardening Course | Ermitaj Malin (Malin) & Blue Gardens (Cluj) | Fee starting from 1250 RON —
This permaculture gardening course combines strong theoretical foundations with hands on practice, focused on home scale food production and regenerative organic market gardening.
The theory weekend with Tudor (23–24 May) is the mandatory foundation of the programme. You need to attend these two days in order to join the practical part of the week.
The rest of the training (25–30 May) is mainly practical and runs in a format close to a worksite camp, with an experience of collective living. You can choose to stay for the full week, join only the Ermitaj segment, or join only the Blue Gardens segment.
The fee is intentionally kept accessible considering the total duration. This is because most of the week is based on a participatory, very practical dynamic: participants’ physical involvement in garden work is an integral part of the learning process.
Dates and structure
23–24 May 2026
Theory course – Ermitaj Malin
With Tudor Petrutiu
Theoretical foundations of regenerative gardening and permaculture design applied to the vegetable garden.
25–27 May 2026
Practical camp – Ermitaj Malin
With Bogdan Suliman
Concrete garden applications: soil work, planting, hand tools, and implementation of regenerative techniques.
28–30 May 2026
Practical camp – Blue Gardens (Cluj)
With Tudor Petrutiu and Ion Moraru
Field practice within a small scale organic market gardening project, grounded in an ecological and community oriented approach to food production.
Course content
- Low impact gardening techniques
- Minimal soil disturbance and hand tools
- Organic fertilisers and natural pest management
- Integrating the vegetable garden into a broader permaculture design
- Greenhouses, seedlings, crop rotations and green manures
- Compost, biofertilisers and long term soil care
- Harvest management and basic food preservation
- Starting a small scale market gardening project
- Creating and maintaining community gardens
Trainers
Tudor Petrutiu
Permaculture practitioner specialised in human scale regenerative organic gardening. He has been teaching at Ermitaj since 2017 and is the president of the Romanian Permaculture Association.
Bogdan Suliman
A multi skilled practitioner, from carpentry and metalwork to tree work and gardening. His passion for autonomy and knowledge sharing shapes his teaching approach.
Ion Moraru
Active in the Blue Gardens project in Cluj, Ion develops an ecological and community oriented approach to food production, rooted in regenerative gardening practices.
Who is this course for
This course is open to beginners as well as to people who already have some experience in organic gardening or permaculture.
The course will be confirmed once the minimum number of participants is reached.
Locations
Ermitaj Malin
Ermitaj Malin is an off grid learning place rooted in permaculture, eco building and regenerative ways of living. The land functions as a living classroom where orchard, vegetable garden, pasture and forest meet.
Blue Gardens
Blue Gardens is a small scale organic market gardening project in Cluj, grounded in care for nature and people, and committed to ecological food production.
Practical information and fees
The course uses an income based solidarity pricing system. A 10% discount applies for early registration.
The fee includes:
- Course organisation
- Meals
- Trainers’ fees and the kitchen team
Tea, coffee, juices and snacks are available during breaks.
Income brackets and fees
| Monthly household income | Standard fee | Early Bird fee |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2500 lei (500 €) | 1500 RON | 1250 RON |
| 2500–6000 lei (500–1500 €) | 1700 RON | 1530 RON |
| 6000–12000 lei (1500–2400 €) | 1900 RON | 1710 RON |
| Over 12000 lei (2500 €) | 2100 RON | 1890 RON |
Registration
Registration is done via the form available here.
Before you come, please read the registration process and the house rules. Learn more about Ermitaj Malin.