Urban Environment: The Sydney Edible Garden Trail

Get on the edible garden trail

There’s an open invitation for all green thumbs who like to share their passion for growing food … to be part of the inaugural Sydney Edible Garden Trail on the third weekend in March 2020.

The ticketed, non-profit event will not only share gardening knowledge and ideas but will send all proceeds back into community and school edible gardens via grants to raise awareness about the benefits of growing your own food.

All sorts of gardeners with edible gardens can join the trail: from private gardens to small balcony gardens to wall gardens, gardens in streets and other public spaces, informal group gardens on verges, nature strips, around apartment buildings or on rooftops. Whatever the location, the Sydney Edible Garden Trail will showcase healthy food-producing techniques and sustainable gardening through mulching, recycling and composting, planting to encourage bees and discourage pests, and other organic growing techniques that reduce chemical use. It’s the brainchild of Lane Cove local (and Citizen of the Year), Bridget Kennedy, who was inspired earlier this year when she went on the Blue Mountains Edible Garden Trail with likeminded gardeners from Permaculture Sydney North (PSN). Bridget had been sorely missing the ABC Open Gardens scheme since it folded in 2014, and, within a day of the Mountains visit, had contacted the event’s founder Susanne Rix. Within the next few weeks, Nita Lo and Janna Mizen of PSN, Margaret Mossakowska of Moss House in Denistone … and another Lane Cove local, Laurie Green, founder of Crop Swap Australia, were also involved. “The Trail event will show growing food is not as hard as many people think,” said Bridget. “It doesn’t have to be a lot of work … I have kids and run a business, and so does my husband, so we plant a lot of perennials. We have a banana circle, a feijoa hedge, an edible verge, chook pen and various citrus, fruit trees, herbs and other edibles, mixed with ornamentals.” “Nor is it always messy-looking or boring with repetitive square beds or crop rows. Trees in my garden make it more of an edible forest, and

July Edible Gdn Lane Cove locals 2 Bridget Kennedy ( Left) with Lauren Green, who are kicking off the Sydney Edible Garden Trail

The ticketed, non-profit event will not only share gardening knowledge and ideas but will send all proceeds back into community and school edible gardens

there’s a central pond and traditional elements of garden design such as hedges.” The inaugural trail is expected to start with about 50 gardens in Ku-Ring-Gai, Lane Cove, Willoughby, Ryde, Hornsby and North Sydney, and organisers hope it becomes a Sydney-wide event. There’s no telling how big Sydney’s edible event might grow – Crop Swap Australia was founded by Laurie Green as a way to swap excess produce and seeds in Sydney and is now national. Bridget’s own garden was part of the last ABC Open Gardens Australia event in 2014 and last year won the Edible Garden category of the Lane Cove Council Garden competition. When not gardening, Bridget is creating jewellery from recycled materials and running The Project Space, a jewellery, object and art gallery in North Sydney. She’s also a member of the monthly Repair Cafe Sydney, Lane Cove, and the World Crafts Council of Australia.

The Sydney Edible Garden Trail will …

… celebrate the myriad ways Sydney gardeners create food security, save money, improve the environment, and enjoy the health benefits of home-grown fruit and veg. It will feature: • Private and balcony garden, school, street, rooftop and other community gardens • Permaculture gardens, aquaponic systems, wicking beds, and companion planting • Composting, worm farms, mulching • Care for chooks, ducks and other garden animals • Beauty in edible gardens • arden talks/ tours/workshop

To be part of the Sydney Edible Garden Trail next March, get in touch at

infosydneyediblegardentrail.com

After a gardener has registered interest, Sydney Edible Garden Trail will follow up to ensure the garden is grown sustainably. Organisers would like to confirm the list of gardens by October so everyone has time to get gardens ready by March.

FIND OUT MORE

• Sydney Edible Garden Trail

www.sydneyediblegardentrail.com/about/

• Margaret Mossakowska’s garden, Denistone, Sydney

www.mosshouse.com.au/natural

• Permaculture Sydney North

www.permaculturenorth.org.au/

• Crop Swap Australia www.cropswap.sydney

The ticketed, non-profit event will not only share gardening knowledge and ideas but will send all proceeds back into community and school edible gardens

OBSERVER