Nillumbik calendar of events

Feel free to drop by to have a look at the garden, to find out more and to meet the garden volunteer coordinator, Trevor.

Click here to read about the garden.

Looking to feel productive, stay healthy, and contribute to local food resilience? Go along to the community garden on any Thursday morning to meet others for an informal catch up and low-energy gardening session. No experience is required, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and help your fellow community members to sow, plant, harvest, weed, compost, and chat (heavy on the chatting, really). Take yourself, a pair of gloves, and learn how you can help grow food and community.

Click here to read about the garden.

Meet their volunteer gardeners to share tips and ideas, contributing to the maintenance of the community garden.

Click here to read about the garden.

Dogs not permitted.

Regular working bee. Everyone welcome.

Click here to read about the garden.

What you will learn: how to compost at home; simple to follow composting steps; and common problems and solutions.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. Learn how make: Thai jungle curry (barramundi or vegetarian); char-grilled isaan chicken with three sisters spice paste; green papaya salad; sticky rice and Thai dipping sauce; and laarb chicken or mushroom.

First Tuesday of every month except for January.

2022 Speakers and topics
Feb: Ben Waite & Barbara Marshall on summer pruning & espalier.
Mar: Robert Dobson on streptocarpus and hosta.
Apr: Jane Tonkin on bulbs.
May: John Harris on Eltham copper butterfly.
Jun: Ravi Sommerhalder on sharpening garden tools.
Jul: Chris Scrase on fuchsias.
Aug: Dusty on rock walls in landscaing & AGM.
Sep: Paul Kirkpatrick on tools for sale.
Oct: Penny Woodward on pest repellent plants, herbs & other organic solutions.
Nov: Flowering plant and veggie seedling swap night.
Dec: Jennifer Sheridan on Christmas wreaths.

2021 Speakers and topics
May: opening your garden/fruit trees and espalier.
Jun: pest repellent herbs and other organic solutions- Penny Woodward.
Jul: garden craft e.g. stone painting – labels, animals.
Aug: AGM and fuchsias – Chris Scrase.
Sep: tomatoes – Penny Woodward.
Oct: inspiring gardens visited.
Nov: seeds, in house/hands on.
Dec: a plant delicious Christmas.

2020 Speakers and topics
4 Feb: Fiona Williams on irises and scented pelagonia.
3 Mar: Robert Boyle on landscape design.
7 Apr: Al & Hazelk Veevers on patterns in nature.
5 May: Travel gardens.
2 Jun: Angelo Eliades on pruning fruit trees – espalier.
7 Jul: Sandi Kogtevs on making scarecrows.
4 Aug: Chris Scrase on fuchsias; AGM.
1 Sep: Penny Woodward on tomatoes.
6 Oct: Sarah Watson on clematis and flowering climbers.
3 Nov: Hands on – sowing, maintenance, potting on.
1 Dec: Helen Lovel on neutrog and biological fertilisers.

2019 Speakers and topics
5 Feb: John Ferris on edible landscapes.
5 Mar: Kathleen Tants on wees and weed control.
2 Apr: Brendan Curtis on zoo horticulture.
7 May: Paul Gale-Baker on wicking beds.
4 Jun: Caleb Armstrong on pharmaceutical herbs.
2 Jul: Lyndall Shaw on proteas and flower arranging.
6 Aug: Barbara Marshal on colour theory and colour combinations in planting; AGM.
3 Sep: Kevin Ritchie on unusual hanging baskets.
1 Oct: Norm Gerraty on growing begonias.
5 Nov: Sandra Verdam on bee-related hands-on activity.
3 Dec: Garden Club on a succulent Christmas.

2018 Speakers and topics
6 Feb: Lydia Heap on re-creating Indigenous Panton Hill; Julie Temple on growing yam daisies.
6 Mar: Michael Tanner on soils – pH and restoration.
3 Apr: Paul Kirkpatrick on potagers – plus specialised tools.
1 May: Robyn Harris on African violets – care and propagation.
5 Jun: John and Joy Quinn on bulbs.
3 Jul: Titch – Flemings on bare-rooted trees.
7 Aug: Steven Wells on therapeutic gardens; AGM.
4 Sep: Hazel and Al Veevers on birds in the native garden.
2 Oct: Cade on beer – from hop seeds to drink.
6 Nov: Pat Anderson facilitating a tomato veggie herb swap.
4 Dec: Mitre 10 Diamond Creek on new garden products.

2017 Speakers and topics
7 Feb: Rachel Bishop on worm farming; Chloe Thomson on the organic products that OCP have on the market.
7 Mar: Bob Yeoman on growing dahlias from seed.
4 Apr: Ryan Young on habitat gardening.
2 May: Attila Kapitany on succulents.
6 Jun: Vaughn Greenhill on landscape design – working with nature.
4 Jul: Pete the Permie on berry fruits.
1 Aug: Jan Morris on protective garden accessories.
5 Sep: Maria Ciavarella on thrifty gardening.
3 Oct: David Redfern on natives grown at Cranbourne – suited to our local area.
7 Nov: Arja Toivanen on taking cuttings (hands-on propagation workshop).
5 Dec: Mark Ludlow on bonsai; Christmas party.

2016 Speakers and topics
2 Feb: Lydia Heap on frolicking frogs.
1 Mar: Ryan Young on healthy soils.
5 Apr: Sue Evans on healing herbs of the 1st Fleet.
3 May: Ian Culbard on permaculture design and practice.
7 Jun: Cheryl on miniature landscaping with succulents.
5 Jul: speaker from the Clivea Society on clivea clues.
2 Aug: short talks from local speakers; AGM and 11th anniversary.
6 Sep: Bill Aitchison on acacias for the home garden.
4 Oct: Maria Ciavarella on gardening on a shoestring.
1 Nov: pelargonium and geranium show’n’share.
6 Dec: Melissa Thomas on garden art; Christmas party.

2015 Speakers and topics
3 Feb: Peter Miller on mounting plants on boards.
3 Mar: Ken Walker on native & exotic bees.
7 Apr: Sue Aldred on native plants: why & how.
5 May: Maurice Kellet on bromeliads.
2 Jun: Loretta Childs on an iconic local garden.
7 Jul: Local speakers on learning From gardening mistakes.
4 Aug: Greg Bolderson on underground treasures / rare bulbs.
1 Sep: Geoff Crowhurst on a search for old roses around Victoria’s cemeteries.
6 Oct: Doris Pozzi on Nature’s supermarket.
3 Nov: Richard Lee on growing & using Asian greens.
1 Dec: Fun night with trivia games, DVDs & Christmas party.

Feel free to drop by to have a look at the garden, to find out more and to meet the garden volunteer coordinator, Trevor.

Click here to read about the garden.

This is a two-session workshop, with the two sessions being on Wednesday, 8th June and Wednesday, 22nd June, both 6.30-8.30pm.

Tutor: Taariq Hassan. Learn how to cook a healthy North West Indian vegetarian meal from scratch using authentic ingredients.

Looking to feel productive, stay healthy, and contribute to local food resilience? Go along to the community garden on any Thursday morning to meet others for an informal catch up and low-energy gardening session. No experience is required, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and help your fellow community members to sow, plant, harvest, weed, compost, and chat (heavy on the chatting, really). Take yourself, a pair of gloves, and learn how you can help grow food and community.

Click here to read about the garden.

Meet their volunteer gardeners to share tips and ideas, contributing to the maintenance of the community garden.

Click here to read about the garden.

Dogs not permitted.

Regular working bee. Everyone welcome.

Click here to read about the garden.

Dig in the garden, pick fresh veggies and prepare dishes to share and enjoy. Part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.

Click here to read about the garden.

Feel free to drop by to have a look at the garden, to find out more and to meet the garden volunteer coordinator, Trevor.

Click here to read about the garden.

Looking to feel productive, stay healthy, and contribute to local food resilience? Go along to the community garden on any Thursday morning to meet others for an informal catch up and low-energy gardening session. No experience is required, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and help your fellow community members to sow, plant, harvest, weed, compost, and chat (heavy on the chatting, really). Take yourself, a pair of gloves, and learn how you can help grow food and community.

Click here to read about the garden.

Meet their volunteer gardeners to share tips and ideas, contributing to the maintenance of the community garden.

Click here to read about the garden.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. This class will focus on creating a curry laksa from scratch, with a three stage process of making a stock, flavouring that stock then adding the coconut and layers of ingredients to create this aromatic and sensory soup.

Dogs not permitted.

Regular working bee. Everyone welcome.

Click here to read about the garden.

A worm farm can be one of the best ways to dispose of food scraps and, at the same time, produce vermi-juice (worm tea) and vermicast (worm castings) for use on the garden. Learn how to set up a worm farm and the easiest methods to manage and care for these most hard-working of creatures.

This workshop will cover both the theory and practice of worm farming in a household setting. It will be useful for those wishing to recycle household food waste in order to produce worm products for use in the improvement of soil in gardens and pot plants.

Discounted worm farms will be available for sale on the day.

Specialising in stallholders that produce quality homemade, homegrown and handcrafted products, or selling fresh and tantalising produce.

The Eltham Community Craft and Produce Market is, and has been, a place where the local people can come and enjoy a community atmosphere, eat some tasty food, take home a gift, buy some fresh fruit and veg, listen to good music or find special artistic ornaments or craft work.

The market is situated in one of Melbourne’s most beautiful suburbs and is a perfect starting point for a day seeing the sights of the local Nillumbik Shire. With a bushland setting combined with the back drop of the historic trestle bridge, the market has a country atmosphere and only 25 minutes from the city.

There are stalls ranging from food and wine, to sculpture and local artists. You can wander amongst the stalls enjoying the atmosphere and then take a stroll to the park and have a picnic.

Feel free to drop by to have a look at the garden, to find out more and to meet the garden volunteer coordinator, Trevor.

Click here to read about the garden.

Looking to feel productive, stay healthy, and contribute to local food resilience? Go along to the community garden on any Thursday morning to meet others for an informal catch up and low-energy gardening session. No experience is required, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and help your fellow community members to sow, plant, harvest, weed, compost, and chat (heavy on the chatting, really). Take yourself, a pair of gloves, and learn how you can help grow food and community.

Click here to read about the garden.

Meet their volunteer gardeners to share tips and ideas, contributing to the maintenance of the community garden.

Click here to read about the garden.

Dogs not permitted.

Regular working bee. Everyone welcome.

Click here to read about the garden.

Look for the large white ‘Local Food Connect’ marquee at the Farmers’ Market. Go along with your homegrown fruit and veggies, favourite seasonal recipes, spare jam jars, homemade labelled preserves, etc, and share and network with other local backyard growers.

Feel free to drop by to have a look at the garden, to find out more and to meet the garden volunteer coordinator, Trevor.

Click here to read about the garden.

Looking to feel productive, stay healthy, and contribute to local food resilience? Go along to the community garden on any Thursday morning to meet others for an informal catch up and low-energy gardening session. No experience is required, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and help your fellow community members to sow, plant, harvest, weed, compost, and chat (heavy on the chatting, really). Take yourself, a pair of gloves, and learn how you can help grow food and community.

Click here to read about the garden.