Sustainable Gardening Australia, in partnership with the Werribee Zoo, is proud to announce a series of four sustainable gardening workshops, a feature event of the 2011 Sustainable Living Festival.
Starting on Sunday 6th February, and running each Sunday until the end of the month, these workshops have a Werribee Plains focus and are designed to encourage participants to become more sustainable within their own backyards and local community.
Each workshop will focus on a different topic, including Creating Habitat Gardens, Sustainable Garden Design, Locally Native Plants and Gardening in Low Rainfall Areas.
Further details on each workshop below
Cost: $10.00 per workshop (includes zoo entry but not safari tour)
OR $35.00 for all 4 workshops
Bookings: On-line at Sustainable Gardening Australia http:sgaonline.cart.net.au/store/learn/
Location: Werribee Open Range Zoo, K Road ,Werribee
Participants at each workshop will receive an indigenous plant to take home.
Workshop 1: Sustainable Garden Design
Date: Sunday February 6th 2011
Time: 10am to 12 noon
Learn how you can create an attractive and functional garden using sustainable design principles. This workshop covers all elements in a sustainable garden including:
•organic soil management
•creating garden zones
•using recycled materials
•minimizing chemical and fertiliser use
•successful plants for your area
Workshop 2: Garden Plants for Werribee Plains
Date: Sunday February 13th 2011
Time: 10am to 12 noon
The Werribee Plains are host to a unique yet vulnerable range of plant and animal communities. Growing some of these locally indigenous plants in your garden will help to protect them for the future. This workshop covers:
•the history and ecology of the Basalt Plains
•appreciating local soils and ways to improve them naturally
•mixing exotic and indigenous plants in your garden
•using local grassland species
•growing plants from seed or using tube stock
•tips for maintaining indigenous plants in residential gardens.
Take a guided walking tour of Werribee Open Range Zoo’s seed orchard to see indigenous grasses and herbaceous plants in bloom (included in workshop cost).
Workshop 3: Creating Habitat Gardens
Date: Sunday February 20th 2011
Time: 10am to 12 noon
Urbanisation fragments local plant and animal communities. Learn how you can help protect locally vulnerable species by creating habitat areas in your garden. Workshop topics include:
•the importance of local ecosystems
•creating wildlife corridors
•designing habitat zones
•attracting birds, insects, frogs and other small animals
•using recumbent rocks, logs and tree hollows
Take a guided tour of the Werribee Zoo Volcanic Plains to observe successful habitat zones (included in workshop cost).
Workshop 4: Gardening in Low Rainfall areas
Date: Sunday February 27th 2011
Time: 10am to 12 noon
The Werribee Plains area receives significantly less water than the rest of Melbourne. Learn how you can have a beautiful and sustainable garden through careful plant selection and choosing alternative water sources. Workshop covers:
•gardening through climate change and drought
•understanding soil and its ability to hold water
•choosing the correct water retentive mulches
•installing alternative water sources for the garden
•characteristics of drought tolerant plants
•using indigenous plants suited to the local ecology
Take a guided tour of the Werribee Open Range Zoo Watersmart Garden to see thriving dry garden zones using both indigenous and exotic plants (included in workshop cost).