Passionate gardeners from across Victoria will be lining up to take guided tours of some of Darebin’s abundant and productive food gardens and getting expert advice from local horticulturalists during the annual Backyard Harvest Festival this May.

 

Across 19 sustainability-focused garden tours and workshops, talented hosts will provide tips on a diverse range of subjects, including seedling propagation, keeping chickens, quails and bees, fruit tree maintenance and grafting and natural pest management.

 

Four new gardens have been added to this year’s program, along with two workshops especially designed for families and children – a first for the Festival.

 

The Productive Gardening with Kids Workshop at Poppy’s Patch in Reservoir will show how budding gardeners can have fun while meaningfully participating in gardening activities.

Children will also enjoy the Bee a Pollinator Native Bee Workshop in Preston, which will teach families the importance of native bees and increasing biodiversity. Attendees will make their own bee hotel to take home for their garden.

Darebin Mayor Susan Rennie said the vibrant gardens and sustainable gardening workshops meant there was something to interest all green thumbs during the Backyard Harvest Festival.

 

“Past participants have said they not only learnt new techniques, but also formed new friendships, which has helped build a strong sense of community around homegrown and homemade food,” Mayor Rennie said.

 

Tours and workshops run from between 60-90 minutes, and cost $10 ($5 concession). Take advantage of our $8 ticket ($4 concession) offer when you buy tickets to three or more events in the one transaction.

 

Where possible events which are a comfortable riding distance apart have been scheduled to follow one another. So why not leave the car at home and plan a fun day out riding between gardens.

 

The Darebin Backyard Harvest Festival will run across three weekends, from 4-19 May.

 

For more information on other sessions, and to buy tickets, visit www.darebin.vic.gov.au/backyardharvest.

Happy gardening

Erica