This weekend's not-for-profit Edible Gardens Festival is another sell-out, as hundreds of locals and visitors explore some of the region's real-life, practical and inspiring food gardens over two days.
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The annual food growing and sustainability festival is set for another success, with fine weather forecast and eight new gardens that are throwing open their doors to the community.
Festival organisers and keen local permaculture gardeners Trev Paddenburg and Val Vallee say day tickets to the open gardens on both Saturday and Sunday have now sold out, as have tickets to the free community sundowner featuring music by the Nomadics and local food by Gathered Organics.
Hopefully everyone takes home loads of ideas and inspiration for their own property or rental.
- Trev Paddenburg
Tickets have also sold out for all but one of the afternoon in-depth workshops, with a handful of spots remaining for the Garden Tools Maintenance workshop this Sunday, where people can bring along their rusty or unloved tools and learn how to give them a new lease on life.
See www.ediblegardensfestival.au for details and bookings.
"We're so excited to bring the community another Edible Gardens Festival and so grateful to the gardeners who will share their properties and their knowledge of growing fruit and vegetables, building soil health, composting, reducing waste and living a more sustainable life," Trev said.
"Hopefully everyone takes home loads of ideas and inspiration for their own property or rental."
All ticket-holders are eligible for 20 per cent off all plants including fruit trees and vegetable seedlings from Margaret River Mitre 10 in the week after the festival.
Val said Fair Harvest Permaculture is the official accommodation for the festival and campsites are still available for visitors coming from further afield.
"The Fair Harvest café will also be serving delicious food and drinks to keep festival-goers energised over the weekend," she said.
The open gardens are spread between Cowaramup, Margaret River, Witchcliffe and Karridale this year, and many are based on permaculture principles showcasing practical elements like composting, worm farms, growing vegetables, netting an orchard, improving fertility, using animals, upcycling, incorporating natives and wildlife habitat, and saving water in a drying climate.
"We're so pumped with this year's line-up! There's something for everyone at this year's festival," Val said.
"You'll get to pick up knowledge, ideas and inspiration from the gardeners. And you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at their plots, which range from suburban blocks to acreage properties, some well-established and some that are a work in progress.
"If you're heading to the festival, listen out for a big "cooee" when you're at each of the gardens.
"That's the signal the host gardener is doing a short talk about their garden, and a great chance for you to gather around, listen in and learn more. We're also encouraging people to car pool to the open gardens if they can."
