Beginners No Dig - How I Designed Homeacres No Dig Garden: Layout Tips for Beds, Paths, Slopes & Space

In this video I take you through the key layout decisions I made when setting up Homeacres, my no dig market garden in Somerset, UK. These are the principles and tips I still use today—because they work. Whether you're starting from scratch or improving an existing space, this is about making your garden productive, easy to manage, and enjoyable to work in. You'll hear how I approached: Starting from a blank space—just grass and weeds Choosing the first bed’s position and why access matters most How to deal with slopes (you don’t need terraces!) Bed width and path layout—and how it affects your yield and ease of use Why you don’t need wooden sides or to follow old rules on orientation Mistakes I made early on—and what I’d do differently Why starting small is often best This is the story of how I created Homeacres from the ground up using no dig methods—plus the practical advice I’ve gained from helping thousands of gardeners do the same. 📍 Filmed at Homeacres, Somerset UK (Zone 8, temperate oceanic) 📅 Filmed on 20th November 🎥 Filmed by my son Edward 🎵 Music by Rory Dinwoodie – @rorydinwoodiemusic6884 💬 This video was inspired by a question from Heather Leslie—thank you! 🔗 My Guide to Planning Your Plot: https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/product/pln_planning-your-plot-and-your-growing-zwgv0d2o 🕒 Video Chapters 00:00 Key factors to consider on a new plot 00:24 How I began setting up Homeacres 01:48 The role of access and alignment 02:59 Slopes – ignore the usual advice! 04:57 Bed widths, path sizes, and how they affect yields 07:41 Planning with cover sizes in mind 08:44 Mistakes in my early layout 09:11 Practical tips for first-time bed setup 10:01 Open-sided beds and narrow paths 10:47 My 'Small Garden' layout 11:26 Starting with compost and plastic 11:58 Final advice – plan thoughtfully, start small 🧑‍🌾 You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join #Homeacres #NoDigGarden #CharlesDowding #GardenDesign #GrowYourOwn #StartAGarden #nodig #growyourownfood #nodiggardening