Wildflower Gardens - Attracting Native Insects
In celebration of Australian Pollinator Week, join Dr Lena Alice Schmidt for this Master Class as she shows you how to create a floral banquet to encourage native insects to your garden.
Planting native flowers in your garden is a powerful way to foster biodiversity and contribute to the health of your local ecosystem. Planting a variety of flowering plant species helps cater for the needs of a wide range of native insects and their different life stages year-round. Native insects, including bees, flies, wasps and even ants, provide vital pollination and pest control services.
By creating a thriving habitat for these crucial species, you enable the reproduction of countless plant species while increasing yields of your home-grown produce. Additionally, native flowers are well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, making them low-maintenance choices that reduce the need for pesticides and excessive watering. As your garden becomes a haven for native flora and fauna, you will witness a vibrant array of life flourishing around you, ultimately helping to preserve the delicate balance of nature in your area.
Presenter: Dr Lena Alice Schmidt
Lena is a pollination biologist and the director at Buzz Ecology. She has dedicated her life to working across Europe, Africa, and the last 6 years across the Australian eastern seaboard working with Australia’s leading growers and revegetation/land management companies. Lena specialises in native flora and fauna to promote pollinator conservation and sustainable agricultural practices. She actively engages in outreach and education efforts to raise awareness about the critical role of native pollinators and the threats they face, and volunteers for the Australian Native Bee Association.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here and GGPs receive a 30% discount.
Master Class: No Mow Lawn
For decades nothing has epitomised the great Aussie outdoor lifestyle more than the ubiquitous lawn. Green, lush, cool and iconic they feature in all manner of gardens across this diverse continent. But this love affair ends with us humans. Often described as deserts, lawns do little for our local biodiversity, soil health or storm water management. In fact they can cause the perfect environment for pests to flourish, both flora and fauna kind.
This session will discuss the key issues in owning and managing a traditional lawn. It will cover –
- The resources used to maintain the classic lawn and why this is hard work and not sustainable.
- The problems lawns create for our local environment.
- Recognising what you want to achieve with a no mow lawn (manage differently, change the plant, or remove and revegetate altogether).
- What each of these approaches involves and the benefits they bring.
- Why faking it (artificial Turf) is never good a good option.
- Different plants to use as a lawn alternative, including laying, establishing and maintenance.
Presenter: Teresa Day
Teresa is the Learning and Training Manager at Sustainable Gardening Australia. With a passion for all things sustainable design, community development and environmental education. Teresa is also an avid home gardener, chicken keeper and forager keen to show how sustainable choices and lifestyle changes can be implemented.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here and GGPs receive a 30% discount.
Master Class: Insects - Their Importance & Value in your Garden
Join us in September to celebrate Biodiversity Month with a discussion that centres around all thing insects.
Nobody likes insects chewing holes in their favourite plants, but spraying chemicals on insect pests can kill off beneficial insects and promote further pest damage. The notion of ‘getting rid of’ insect pests is outdated and quite unnecessary, especially considering the decline of insects in various parts of the world. Gardening can be part of the solution to this biodiversity loss. Join Denis Crawford for this Masterclass as he shows you how to avoid plant damage without killing all the insects.
Presenter: Denis Crawford
Denis Crawford has been working with insects for about 40 years as researcher, writer, photographer, and pest management consultant. Denis started his entomological journey with the Victorian Department of Agriculture in the 1980’s. He later worked with an Integrated Pest Management consultancy company, servicing commercial horticulture in Victoria for many years. Denis is author of Garden Pests, Diseases & Good Bugs and co-author of Backyard Insects. He is also a regular contributor to Hort Journal Australia, and Organic Gardener magazine. Denis runs a YouTube channel titled one minute bugs which features fascinating stories and information about insects.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here and GGPs receive a 30% discount.
Master Class: Trees - Choosing the types, placement & care tips
A tree is an investment. It will become a feature in your garden, develop a root system and eventually shade part of the garden. Tree selection and placement are important decisions one makes when landscaping or replacing a tree in your garden. Matching the tree to the site benefits both the tree and you! This session will provide insight around:
- Which types of trees to plant
- Indigenous or not?
- Placement and avoiding current set ups eg/solar.
- What the trees need to be the healthiest (soil microbial activity)
- How to care for trees - pruning / disease
- The importance of ground water - permeable surfaces!!
Presenter: Hamish Mitchell
Hamish Mitchell is the owner and Managing Director of Speciality Trees. With a passion for trees in urban environments & a career that spans 30 years in amenity horticulture, plant management & development, production and plant marketing, he is a knowledgable resource in all areas of tree selection and consultation.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here and GGPs receive a 30% discount.
Master Class: Seed Cycle - Germination through to Propagation
Possibly one of the most difficult gardening skills, but the most rewarding, propagating seeds was once very much a life skill passed on from generation to generation. Focusing on vegetables and some fruits, this session will help you access this lost gardening wisdom. It will teach you what to provide and the conditions needed for seeds to germinate and take root, as well as the importance of observing and tuning into your garden to help you nurture healthy bountiful seed. Allowing your vegetable and fruit plants go that extra step further to complete their life cycle, which can look very organic and unruly, but you will learn that you need to be organised and careful to ensure your seed stays true to form and has good integrity. Seed saving is a very complex skill and with the rise of seed libraries and the need to build community resilience, it's becoming an essential one. Start your journey here.
Presenter: Teresa Day
Teresa is the Learning and Training Manager at Sustainable Gardening Australia. With a passion for all things sustainable design, community development and environmental education. Teresa is also a avid home gardener, chicken keeper and forager keen to show how sustainable choices and lifestyle changes can be implemented.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount and GGPs a 30% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.
Master Class: Urban Permaculture for Beginners
During this Master class we will explore the fundamental concepts and 12 guiding principles of permaculture design. Attendees will discover how to make their home both productive and sustainable by working with nature and incorporating permaculture principles such as reducing, reusing, recycling, valuing renewables, and minimising energy use. The webinar will provide practical examples of how to implement these key principles in an urban environment, as well as equipping attendees with the necessary knowledge and confidence to kickstart their own permaculture journey. Overall the session will provide a great overview for those thinking about undertaking a permaculture course.
Presenter: Helen Charles
Helen is a certified permaculture designer, member of the Victorian Apiarist Association, and a passionate beekeeper. Her love for nature is reflected in her self-proclaimed status as a "nature nerd." Recently, Helen created a Citizen Science tool kit for Parks Victoria, showcasing her passion for empowering people to make a positive impact on the environment.
Helen has traveled the world, working in the field of sustainable tourism and events, and her expertise has led her to serve as a lead judge for the Victorian Tourism Awards.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.
Master Class: Growing Garlic from Clove to Harvest
In the same family as the onion, chives and the leek, garlic has been used for millennia for culinary and medicinal purposes, though a garlic mouthwash is not recommended for obvious reasons! Originally from Central Asia, it has a history of being used all over the world.
Across a ten month time frame you can take a crop of garlic right through from clove to harvest!
Presenter: Joey Rochford
Joey Rochford grew up on an organic garlic farm in northern NSW, before heading off into a teaching career - albeit racing home to the garden every day. In 2016, she joined the Pop Up Garlic Farmer program then began growing an annual crop of garlic on a borrowed patch of land. Whilst completing her studies in Horticulture, she joined the team at Northcote Nursery, looking for excuses to get customers growing garlic. Combining her teaching background with her horticultural knowledge, she was coordinator at the Royal Children's Hospital Garden Program, providing horticultural therapy to young and adolescent patients. Meanwhile, the garlic crop continued to slowly expand into Plants Bandit Garlic. Finally she faced her lifelong denial, and now has a garlic microfarm of her own, growing chemical free garlic and other burgeoning crops in Central Victoria.
Gain some further insights into the process of growing garlic through organic farming practices. During this webinar you will hear about first hand experiences of growing garlic at home, as well as on a small scale farm. We will delve into some detail on how to set yourself up for the best success or production levels, alongside common challenges to keep an eye out for!
Growing it yourself from local sources reduces the food miles that your bulb travels and also ensures you are more likely to enjoy the flavour and reduces chances of chemical sprays being used.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.
Food production and community gardens in urban green space - Green Gardening Professionals program
*New date and time* Wednesday 21st June at 6pm on Zoom
Community gardens, and urban agriculture more generally, are increasingly promoted as a critical element in urban green space planning and management. Practitioners and academics alike promote food production in public spaces, especially through the organising principle of the ‘community garden’, as providing a range of benefits to participants, from community development to physical activity.
In this presentation Chris will examine this idea critically, providing historical context for urban food production and giving case studies of urban agriculture in action. He'll look especially at aesthetic values, the food production function, and outline principles around maximising equity and access for public spaces dedicated to food production.
Presented by Dr Chris Williams, a lecturer in Urban Agriculture at the Burnley Campus of the University of Melbourne, where he coordinates subjects in the Master of Urban Horticulture program, including Food Production for Urban Landscapes.
FREE for GGP members (access details will be sent by email)
Visitors tickets $25 via button below or become a GGP member from $85
Citrus for professionals - Green Gardening Professionals program
Thursday 6th April at 6pm on Zoom
As one of the most popular types of fruit trees in Australian gardens, it's easy for us as professionals to assume we know all there is to growing citrus. However given the continuing popularity of residential food gardening, changing growing conditions and the damage of citrus gall wasp on urban citrus populations, now is a great time to polish up on your citrus knowledge.
In this webinar we'll discuss the different citrus varieties available, tailored planting options for citrus, and specific seasonal citrus maintenance requirements including pest management.
Presented by Kaye Roberts-Palmer, director of Blue Bee Garden Design and founder of Save our Citrus Melbourne.
FREE for GGP members (access details will be sent by email)
Visitors tickets $25 via button below or become a GGP member from $85
Soil Chemistry & Plant Nutrition to Grow - Master Class
Hear about Michael's journey with soil chemistry and growing, and how the introduction to agronomy and plant nutrition has influenced his growing practices. The talk will cover information about growing healthy plants with strong immune systems as well as how to measure this. It will also discuss how to make and use amendments, including compost and why this is an integral factor in growing healthy plants, as well as highlighting some common mistakes most gardeners make when working/feeding soil.
In summary, this talk is about tips and tricks for growing healthy disease resistant plants time and time again, increasing yields, minimising inputs with inexpensive amendments, measuring plant health & why balancing soil chemistry must be at the forefront of our aspirations as sustainable gardeners.
Michael will also provide an example of how they managed to grow full sized garlic cloves in the great inundation that was spring 2022 despite rust being present as early as August in some areas.
Presenter: Michael
Michael is a multidisciplinary horticulturalist come organic market gardener with experience in natural areas restoration & management, and placements in two separate botanic gardens.
Michael currently splits his time across two roles, the first, as Farm Manager on Remi's patch - a no-till, biointensive market garden. The second as a co-owner and operator of Plenty Valley Produce - a minimal till agroecological wholesale farm, set within a share farming structure on Walwa Park farms. Here they implement a multifaceted agriculture system building soil carbon, increasing biodiversity and producing affordable, local, organically grown produce for companies such as Ceres Fair Food.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.
Green Gardening Professionals (GGP) members receive a 30% discount on all MasterClasses. Read more about becoming a GGP here.
Integrating Biodiversity into Food Growing - Master Class
For centuries growing food and conservation have been like oil and water but this talk will dispel this notion and demonstrate that food growing practices don’t have to be hostile to biodiversity but rather can compliment one another. Many small changes can be made that vastly improve biodiversity outcomes while not harming and often improving business models at the same time. In this talk you will hear about the role of large old trees in the landscape and how to monitor and manage their health. You will also hear about several examples from the region including from the Regenerative Market Garden farm on which Cameron lives where growers and conservationists are implementing innovative practices to integrate conservation outcomes with a sustainable business model. All of which is applicable to almost any scale of farming, be it in your own backyard or broadacre. Cameron will also talk about Biolinks’ watershed repair project including the importance of citizen science in conservation.
Please Note:
- If you are unable to attend the live online class, a recording will be available to watch for five days following the session. Please purchase a ticket prior to the class date to access the recording
Presenter: Cameron O’Mara
Cameron is a conservationist currently working with Biolinks Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation whose goal is to achieve large scale conservation outcomes across central Victoria. Cameron has worked for the past decade in native bushland conservation across Victoria and participated in conservation projects overseas including in the Peruvian amazon. His current role as Heathcote local to landscape facilitator entails reaching out to landholders in the region and assisting in ecological repair of degraded landscapes. Cameron is also managing their flagship project the spring plains watershed repair which aims to restore the ecological function of a degraded gold mining site. Many of the approaches used to integrate biodiversity into agricultural areas overlaps with sustainable farming practices such as those found in the regenerative agriculture movement.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.
Manage and Harvest your Weeds
Manage and Harvest your Weeds
With all the rain, your garden will be growing really well, maybe even doubled in size. That jungle may be made up of your vegetables and your plants, but you'll have experienced a surge in weed growth as well.
This masterclass will talk about garden weeds, the different types and the approaches you can use to remove them efficiently and effectively whilst minimising the impact on your local environment. Not only do weeds have propagation and growing superpowers, but they are jam packed with nutrients. Learn how you can unlock these nutrients and use them to feed your garden or safely consume them yourself.
Book your ticket HERE
Please Note:
- If you are unable to attend the live online class, a recording will be available to watch for five days following the session. Please purchase a ticket prior to the class date to access the recording.
Presenter: Teresa Day
Teresa is the Learning and Training Manager at Sustainable Gardening Australia with extensive experience across sustainable design, community development and environmental education. Teresa is an avid home gardener, chicken keeper and forager that is keen to show how sustainable choices, and lifestyle changes can be implemented by everyone.
Companion Planting
Companion Planting
Heard about companion planting but don’t know what it is or where to start? This session will explain how to use companion plants to improve the health and productivity of your garden; with a focus on using companion plants as decoys, camouflage, pest repellents and disease suppressants.
Learn what you should pair and grow together in your garden as well as tips on what you shouldn't pair. The Master class will also discuss how companion plants can provide a new food source.
Book your ticket HERE
Please Note:
- If you are unable to attend the live online class, a recording will be available to watch for five days following the session. Please purchase a ticket prior to the class date to access the recording.
Presenter: Teresa Day
Teresa is the Learning and Training Manager at Sustainable Gardening Australia with extensive experience across sustainable design, community development and environmental education. Teresa is an avid home gardener, chicken keeper and forager, that is keen to show how sustainable choices, and lifestyle changes can be implemented by everyone.
Simple and Thrifty Produce Growing for Home Gardeners - Master Class
Overspent over the holiday period and looking for ways to be a little more frugal in February. Growing at home is one easy way to reduce the money spent on fresh produce. Not sure how to grow vegetables yourself or where to start? Join food growing fanatic Karen Sutherland to learn about some of the easy vegetables and fruits to grow to help save money and feed yourself and your family.
Please Note:
- If you are unable to attend the live online class, a recording will be available to watch for five days following the session. Please purchase a ticket prior to the class date to access the recording.
Presenter: Karen Sutherland
Karen Sutherland has been growing her own food since she could wield a shovel and has spent her working life training and working as a gardener. Through her business Edible Eden Design, she now inspires and educates food gardeners by consulting, writing and teaching.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.
Grow to Eat the Rainbow - Master Class
We've all heard the saying 'Eat the Rainbow' but is there any merit in these words? Turns out the scientific evidence to support the benefits of a colourful dietary intake are increasing. The word "Phyto" comes from the Greek language and means plant. Phytonutrients are natural compounds produced by plants that give them rich colours, distinctive tastes, and aromas.
Phytonutrients significantly impact the human body, providing health benefits that may help protect from chronic diseases. This session will equip you with some general principles to apply to your garden planning, planting, and harvesting as well as menu planning to optimise your health and wellbeing on an individual level in your home garden, local community garden or even just when shopping at a Farmer's market or Greengrocer.
Please Note:
- If you are unable to attend the live online class, a recording will be available to watch for five days following the session. Please purchase a ticket prior to the class date to access the recording.
Presenter: Catherine Fallon
Catherine is a Dietitian/Nutritionist and Market Gardener at Somerset Heritage Produce, a farm that uses regenerative agriculture principles to grow vegetables on the banks of the Goulburn River in Seymour.
Catherine is passionate about seasonal eating and has a keen interest in spreading nutritional knowledge to improve people's health and wellbeing whilst also focusing on planetary health and food security. Catherine conducts cooking workshops and educational sessions on a variety of topics that range from pickling and preserving, zero waste cooking, food & mood, immune boosting foods and much more.
Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on all Master Classes. You can become a Friend of SGA here.