Calendar of free once-off events
View calendars for specific types of event:
All events All once-off events (Cooking, Everything else, Free) Community gardens Food swaps Free meals Markets Farmers’ markets Garden tours Garden clubs
Seasonal garden maintenance helps your plants get the right care when they need it. Discover how to best prepare your beds and plants for the winter and spring months with composting, pruning and organic pest control for this time of year. Presented by Kaye Roberts-Palmer from Blue Bee Garden Design.
Hear about two new initiatives being hosted at the Hurstbridge Community Hub, namely a ‘home harvest’ seed library and a ‘food is free’ table for sharing homegrown produce.
They will be talking about how these two sharing programs will work, and how all members of the community can contribute and play their part. Both initiatives are new resources to encourage people to grow and share homegrown food. You don’t need any special gardening skills to be involved, just enthusiasm and a willingness to share your bounty with others.
A talk by Angelo Eliades.
No need to book – just turn up.
This class is for food bloggers, bakers or restaurant/cafe owners. It will focus on taking great images of food using your own, or easily obtainable, equipment. It will cover such aspects as: the right equipment; the best camera settings to make your food look good; choosing the right backgrounds; lighting; basic food styling; being creative; the perils of incorrect white balance; and using software to enhance colour and presentation.
View bees, their behaviour, wax comb, larvae, pollen and honey stores up close. The bees will be afely sealed in an observation frame. You can turn up any time to view the display and ask questions.
No need to book – just turn up.
MANAS is about creating a healthy and positive environment amongst members of the Indian community.
What you eat and how much you exercise directly affects the structure and functioning of your brain and, ultimately, your mood and emotional well being.
What’s can you plant now in Melbourne? Tips to set you up for success. Seeds or seedlings?
They will demonstrate how to use each system as well as ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting tips.
Participants will also be given a tour of the adjacent community garden
This fair is all about showcasing local businesses and community groups that support the residents to live more sustainable lives. There will be market stalls, plants for sale, live music, kids activities, food vans, guest speakers and a free Wayapa Wuurrk community mindfulness movement session.
The social and recreational benefits that community gardening provides participants are of more importance than the food produced. Join Oscar Danvers from Community Gardens Australia, who will share his research, and learn how you can become involved in a community garden near you.
Learn neat tips for conditioning your soil, explore closed loop agricultural practices and why worm farming is one of the best ways to turn food waste into fuel for your plants.
This workshop will include a bit of theory, to help you make sure your worm farm is working at peak efficiency and your worms are happy in their worm farm home. It will also include a practical demonstration of an easy way to make your very own worm farm using a bucket and some simple materials. Please bring a hat, mask and drink bottle.
Led by Diana Cotter.
Small spaces can be challenging, but they can also be productive too. Learn how to perfect the art of the small vegetable garden and maximise your yields. The workshop will focus on growing food in two distinct types of spaces: small garden beds and balconies. Vertical growing systems, and container gardening can really assist you to grow more effectively and efficiently. Learn how you can utilise different types of containers, move them to maximise light for your plants, what works best in hanging baskets and how to make the most of your resources.
As part of the workshop, you will plant out a small garden bed with vegetables, learning how you can plant closely and effectively to maximise yields. Please bring a hat, mask and drink bottle.
Led by Carol Cummings.
Join Alice Zaslavsky in conversation about her new book In Praise of Veg, which comprises plant-based recipes. Alice will talk about the joy of cooking and eating veggies, share some plant-based cooking tips and tricks, reveal some of her favourite plant-based restaurants and cafes, and importantly, talk about why eating more plants is one way we can take action on the climate emergency.
Organised by Australian Plants Society – Yarra Yarra, there will be sales of native and indigenous plants plus books.
The plant sellers will include: APS Yarra Yarra growers; La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary nursery; Natural Plantscape Nursery; Sunvalley Plants Nursery; and Vaughan’s Australian Plants.
Kaye Roberts-Palmer will talk about making the most of your balcony space. Learn about clever planting, choosing the right pots and micro-climates.
Registrations essential.
Discover what composting, worm farming and bokashi are all about.
This class is for food bloggers, bakers or restaurant/cafe owners. It will focus on taking great images of food using your own, or easily obtainable, equipment. It will cover such aspects as: the right equipment; the best camera settings to make your food look good; choosing the right backgrounds; lighting; basic food styling; being creative; the perils of incorrect white balance; and using software to enhance colour and presentation.
Led by Ellen Regos from Cultivating Communities, this workshop is for those who are passionate composters and who want to take their composting to the next level.
Participants will also be given a tour of the adjacent community garden.
Hear from registered dietician, Alain, on the best ways to eat to promote healthy ageing, and to improve your wellbeing. He will cover a range of topics to include weight loss, healthy cooking, stress reduction and reading food labels. Suitable for all ages, including parents and seniors.
Jessica Brown, from Norma Rose Cakes, will teach you how to colour buttercream, pipe a buttercream swirl, and fondant cutting shaping and placement to make the cutest jungle animal cupcakes in town!
Prepare yourself to get through another Melbourne winter with this talk from nutritionist Lindy Cook. Say goodbye to the winter blues with tips on how to stay healthy, active and positive while the temperature drops.