In this two hour appetiser we give you a taste of how to create an instant garden on your balcony or courtyard.

Length of party:

2 hrs

Full Menu Items:

• None

Taster Menu Items:

• Garden Soils
• Garden Maintenance
• No Dig Gardening
• Irrigation
• Plant Selection
• Fertilising
• Planting Seedlings

Outcome:

Build a salad garden in a polystyrene (or similar) box.

Host Gift:

• Salad box garden
• DVD

• Notes Pack
• Dibble stick
• Mini Pack - Soil conditioner, organic Xtra, NatraMin

Cost: $35 per person

• Minimum 9 people required
• Early bird specials apply

Full menu items:

All good edible gardens start with the soil - learn how to create and care for healthy soil.

Theory

• Understanding soil and its relationship with plants; importance of humus
• Soil testing
• Getting your soil ready to grow food
• Ways to improve soil
• How to care for your soil to keep it healthy in the first year
• Strategies for healthy soil; compost, worm castings, green manure cropping, mulching

Practical

• pH testing
• Looking at compost and worm castings
• Soil ribbon test

Maintaining a healthy and productive garden.

Theory

• What is this and why we do it
• How to maintain your garden
• Successional Planting
• Pest and Disease Management
• Jobs in the subtropical edible garden
• Tips for saving time, energy and money
• Selection and care of garden tools
• Garden tidy ups
• Understanding weeds
• Weed management - the organic way

An instant garden - build a no-dig garden in no time at all.

Theory

• What is a no dig garden and why to build one
• The origins
• How to build one
• No Dig recipe
• The benefits and outcomes
• Where to build a no-dig garden
• Different ways of creating no-dig gardens
• How to plant in the garden
• Ongoing maintenance
• Installing a worm farm in a no-dig garden

Practical

• Building no-dig garden

Be waterwise.

Theory:

• Different methods of irrigating and how to apply them
• Your plants' water needs
• Designing your garden to save water
• When to water and how
• Storing and using water for irrigation
• Irrigation systems and watering options
• Water saving techniques
• Sources of water

Practical:

• Create an irrigation system in easy steps

Knowing what, when and where to plant.

Theory:

• Nomenclature - the naming systems of plants
• Growth habits
• Identify the conditions for plant growth
• Pollination
• Types of crops for your needs
• Water, sun, soil and fertiliser requirements
• Annuals & perennials - growing food throughout the year
• Sub Tropical foods

Practical:

• Looking at examples of different plant species

Making and using organic fertilisers.

Theory:

• Types of fertilisers - organic vs synthetic
• Methods and timing of applications
• Benefits of using the correct fertilisers
• Nutrient deficient and plant language
• Green manure crops
• Selecting eco-friendly fertilisers
• Make your own fertilisers
• The use of slow release fertilisers

Practical:

• Make a bucket of comfrey tea
• Apply worm juice and other liquid fertilisers

Knowing how to handle, plant and maintain seedlings.

Theory

• Where to get seedlings (buying them or grow your own)
• What type of seedlings to buy
• What to look for when buying seedlings
• Prepare the soil
• How to handle seedlings
• Planting them
• Caring for them
• Avoiding transplant shock

Practical

• Handling, separating and planting out seedlings