Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

This month Maria Ciavarella from My Green Garden will show you how to preserve home grown tomatoes.

The session will cover the art and science of:

• bottling (jars of peeled tomatoes)
• pickling (green tomato pickle)
• making a sauce (ketchup style)
• dehydrating (dried tomatoes)
• preserving using a process that requires no electricity,  smoke or steam.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

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In celebration of International Permaculture Day, join Kat Lavers, a renowned permaculturist and owner of iconic garden 'The Plummery', to explore the incredible world of edible perennials beyond rhubarb, artichokes and asparagus. We will also discuss how to maximise yields through clever crop choice and parts of plants you may not realise are edible (and delicious).

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

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Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

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Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

In this comprehensive program, Sustainable Gardening Australia will cover everything you need to know about preparing your garden (in Spring) for a bumper summer harvest.

Part one will cover planning, preparing, and growing your garden organically.

Topics include:

• what does growing organically mean
• designing your summer organic garden
• soil management and amendment
• organic fertilizers
• integrated pest management
• composting and worm farms.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

In this comprehensive program, Sustainable Gardening Australia will cover everything you need to know about preparing your garden (in Spring) for a bumper summer harvest.

Part 2 will cover:

• garden maintenance and preparation
• selecting what to plant and when to plant it
• summer veggies in pots
• mulching
• smart watering and managing hot weather
• introducing sustainable ways to improve productivity
• starting with seeds and seedlings
• tips for sustainably avoiding and managing pests and diseases
• feeding the soil and summer crops.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

There is a huge array of nutritious and delicious Asian vegetables that thrive in Melbourne over autumn and winter. 

Come along and learn from Connie Cao, passionate home gardener and author of 'My Asian Veggie Patch' about how to grow, care for, harvest and cook with these unique herbs and vegetables.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

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Join fruit tree expert Christy Clarke from Fruit Tree Folk as he discusses how to effectively select, plant and care for a range of fruit trees for maximum health and abundance.

We will discuss the art of winter versus summer pruning, common pests and diseases, and organic solutions for these.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps!

Please see our events section for other upcoming sessions.

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Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

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Join renowned educational group Sustainable Gardening Australia as they discuss how the garden can be a place of climate action.

You'll also learn how to implement changes to reduce your contribution to climate change and help build personal and community climate resilience.

The session will also discuss how to climate proof your garden using organic waste, microclimates and water smart gardening.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Registrations are essential. 

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Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

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Join Caroline Parker, herbalist, gardener and author of 'The Medicinal Garden', to discuss how to grow and use medicinal herbs to support a healthy diet and combat colds this winter!

From edible treats to therapeutic remedies, we will unearth the healing potential of both wild and cultivated plants. We will discuss several easy ways to grow medicinal plants and learn how to establish and maintain a planted or potted garden – full of natural remedies for your skin, gut, muscles, heart and mind. You'll also learn how to make oils, tinctures, compresses, steams and washes for health and healing.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Want to be able to garden without spending a fortune? Maria Ciavarella from My Green Garden will show you how to utilise things you already have to garden and save money.

During this seminar you will discover innovative ways to create a sustainable garden without breaking the bank. Maria will share tips and tricks to help you save money while still achieving a beautiful and eco-friendly garden.

This session will cover how to:

• repurpose everyday items
• recycle organic waste
• make the most of your garden space.

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone looking to embrace sustainable practices and save money in the process.

As a special treat, all attendees will participate in a tomato seeding activity with a heritage or heirloom seed variety from the Bulleen Art and Garden range.

The community food, seed and garden swap takes place at 6.45pm, 15 minutes before each session.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Karen Sutherland from Edible Eden Design will talk about the best way to maintain and prune your fruit trees during winter for long lasting thriving fruit trees. 

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening series to inspire you to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Gardens are the natural habitat for all types of insects – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Integrated Pest Management aims to manage pests using a mixture of physical, cultural, and biological control methods, with low impact chemical being used as a last resort.

This session will cover:

• an introduction to Integrated Pest Management 
• being a detective – identifying the culprits
• beneficial insects versus pests
• using barriers and cultural strategies
• when to consider garden chemicals
• an introduction to companion plants to help control garden pests and diseases
• common garden pests and control options.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Come along and learn from market gardener and passionate seed saver, Julie Bennett from Montalto Kitchen Gardener and Seeds are free. 

In this session, we'll cover the incredible world of seeds, while also discussing tips, tricks and techniques for how to successfully save your own seed – year after year. This will save you money while preserving heritage seeds and maintaining the genetic diversity and local adaptations of our food crops.

This seminar begins at 6.15pm. Please bring along any saved or excess seeds for a seed swap party afterwards! Please ensure your seeds are correctly labelled (envelopes will be provided).

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps!

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Join urban food garden specialist Kat Lavers from The Plummery as she discusses garden tools and infrastructure.

The session will cover:

• alternatives to pots
• stakes
• shade cloth
• nets
• buckets
• ties
• and what to look out for in hard rubbish, skips and op shops.

Kat will also cover which tools are worth investing a few dollars in, and how to look after them.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Karen Sutherland has a lifelong passion for growing her own food. In this seminar Karen will share with you her expertise in incorporating a bush tucker garden at your place.

This session will cover:

• the best bush food plants for gardens in Manningham
• which plants to pot vs those to plant in the ground
• basic growing information
• the basics of harvesting bush 'tucker'
• simple uses for both fresh and dried plants.

Start your passion for native edibles such as lemon and cinnamon myrtle, native thyme and sage, peppers, mints, fruits and berries.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Gardens are the natural habitat for all types of insects – the good, the bad and the ugly. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) aims to manage pests using a mixture of physical, cultural, and biological control methods with low impact chemical being used as a last resort.

This session will cover:

• an introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• being a detective – identifying the culprits
• beneficial insects versus pests
• using barriers and cultural strategies
• when to consider garden chemicals
• an introduction to companion plants to help control garden pests and diseases
• common garden pests and control options

Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Manningham has more than four seasons. Duncan Cocking from Leaf, Root and Fruit will deep dive into succession planning for local conditions.

Duncan will discuss the patterns that he sees in nature and how easily you can begin observing them too. Use these observations to inspire your gardening activities by working with nature rather than against it. Learn how to refine your succession planting and ripen that elusive Christmas tomato. Create your own action plan for your vegetable patch.

Topics covered include:

• the seasons of Melbourne/Manningham
• being an observant gardener
• Phenology
• timing of planting and succession planting
• growing Christmas tomatoes, creating an action plan.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Always wanted to grow your own vegetables, fruit and flowers but don't know where to start? This session is for you! 

Join author and renowned horticulturist Justin Calverley as he presents on the basics of plant choice and care, planting seedlings and seeds, soil and growing media, and basic design techniques.

Hosted at the wonderful Doncaster Hill Community Garden, you will see hands-on demonstrations of skills and techniques. By the end, you will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to start growing your own organic herbs, vegetables and fruit, in your garden or on your balcony.

Tickets for this event are limited, so please book in early!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home.

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Come along and learn from therapeutic horticulturist Shani Shafrir, who will discuss the health benefits of gardening and how being in nature and engaging in gardening activities can support a healthy mind, body and soul.

Shani will also discuss how gardening and garden spaces can become age-friendly and support healthy ageing through design and management techniques.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps!

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Join Adam Grubb, renowned permaculturist and author of 'The Weed Forager's Handbook' and 'The Art of Frugal Hedonism' as he discusses what weeds are and how we can control them in the garden using a range of natural control, design and management methods.

We will also embrace the expression 'if you can't beat them, eat them!' and discuss how to safely identify, harvest and cook with these nutritional powerhouses.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Subscribe to our Environment Newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

Subscribe now

Are you covered for emergencies at home?

We are holding a home insurance workshop with Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC), a multidisciplinary legal service that works to prevent problems and support community resilience.

The session will cover important topics including:

• having an up-to-date insurance policy  
• the right insurance amount for your home and contents
• what to look out for in your existing insurance policy.

Participants are encouraged to bring insurance policy documents for personal reference during the session.

It's free to register but bookings are essential. 

Please note: this repeat session of the Home Insurance workshop will be held in Mandarin.