Christmas is approaching, and SGA has a great gift idea for that special gardener in your life. Or maybe it’s a perfect gift to give yourself.

For the first time SGA is running a Summer Series of 7 gardening talks over 7 weeks. This series will kick start the gardening year and is for all gardeners, from novice to experienced. Attendees will come away with inspiration, new ideas and projects for the garden that will also help the environment.

Every Thursday evening at 7pm from 17th January 2019 to the 28th February 2019 we will be hosting a 45 minute talk followed by Q&A time and a cuppa, in the beautiful surrounds of Edendale Community Environmental Farm, Eltham.

The Summer Series can be booked as a package or as individual talks of your choice. If choosing an individual topic is too hard, why not buy a Gift Voucher and let the receiver of your gift make the choice?

We have worked out some very special Christmas Present prices for you.

• The complete Summer Series of 7 talks for only $122. A 30% Christmas discount
• A single talk for only $20. A 20% Christmas discount

The gift of a single talk makes a perfect small present or Kris Kringle gift.

Buying Tickets

Tickets can be bought at the Summer Series Booking Page. From the main booking page, you can buy tickets for the whole series, or if you only want to buy tickets for specific talks, you can link to the individual event booking pages pages via the headings for each talk.

Gift Vouchers

Gift vouchers can be purchased in any of the booking pages. The gift voucher link can be found near the top of the booking page, near the social media icons. You can choose the value of the gift vouchers and it will be valid for any SGA workshop or talk.

Sample Booking Page

What is on Offer

Full Summer Series Package – All 7 Talks over 7 Weeks – Thurs 17 Jan – Thur 28 Feb

This summer series is a great way to start the new year in the garden. Learn about growing healthy food without use of harsh chemicals – how to increase the biodiversity of your garden, inviting in birds and bugs and using indigenous plants.   About the food, fibre and medicine properties of some of our indigenous plants.  How to use water resources wisely, reduce waste and reuse materials in your garden.

 

Talk 1. Water Smart Gardening – Thursday 17 Jan 19

Water is critical to a garden’s success. As we experience hotter and dryer summers, we need to be mindful about how we use water still while helping our gardens to thrive.

In this talk Richard will discuss design, maintenance and watering options for you to consider at home that will help reduce water usage while  supporting a healthy and productive garden.

Talk 2. Garden Pests – A Dance with Nature –  Thursday 24 Jan 19

Your garden is the home for many types of insects – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

In this talk Richard will look at how to use nature to strengthen the balance within your garden allowing you to minimise unnecessary chemical use. We will discuss mechanical, cultural, biological and low impact chemical controls to help you manage your garden pest problems.

Talk 3. Attracting Birds to your Garden – Thursday 31 Jan 19

The variety of birds attracted to our urban gardens seems to be decreasing but there are some simple changes you can make to your garden to make it a more inviting habitat to visit.

In this talk Richard will discuss how to change your garden and invite birds to take up residence once again. He will cover the fundamentals of a habitat garden incorporating the important habitat elements of food, water, shelter and nesting places.

Talk 4. Indigenous Plants for Food, Fibre and Medicine – Thursday 07 Feb 19

The Australian bush provided the first nations people all the Food, Fibre and Medicine needed to thrive in this unique country.

In this talk Richard will introduce you to some of the local plants used by indigenous Australians and inspire you to grow them in their garden.

 

Talk 5. Preparing your Garden for Autumn Harvest – Thursday 14 Feb 19 – Valentine’s Day

While summer is at its peak and its too hot to go outside in the garden, spend some time  planning your veggie garden for the autumn harvest.

In this talk Nicole will cover autumn maintenance activities, what veggies to plant and how to help them produce a bumper harvest.

 

Talk 6. Garden Weeds – A Dance with Nature – 21 Feb 19

Weeds are the bane of the home gardener but also a serious threat to local native flora and fauna. Weeds compete with preferred plants for space, light, nutrients and water and often are designed to win the battle.

In this talk Nicole will cover identifying and control weeds using an integrated approach that minimises negative environmental impacts. She will also talk about edible weeds.

Talk 7. Thrifty Gardening – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the Garden – 28 Feb 19

Waste is a growing environmental challenge that we can all do something about. Remember, there is no waste in nature and we can apply this thinking to our own lives and gardens.

In this talk Nicole will inspire you to use more recycled materials in your garden, helping the environment while making your garden more beautiful, unique, functional and productive.

The talks will be presented by two of SGA’s passionate trainers.

Richard Rowe

Richard is a passionate home gardener, worm farmer, experienced trainer and community facilitator. After a long and successful corporate career in finance and sustainability, Richard now focuses on environmental education for both adults and school children and on the local food movement.

Nicole Griffith

Nicole is a qualified teacher with over ten years of experience as an educator and presenter. She has a particular interest in edible gardening and has worked with both school and community kitchen garden programs