Eat Your Balcony!

BOOKED OUT! WE'LL BE RUNNING ANOTHER WORKSHOP IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER 2024.

Join Eco-Flat Brisbane creator Gav Hardy for a fun and informative morning to learn how to fashion an abundant balcony garden brimming with herbs and veggies.  In this two-part workshop series we'll drill down into design, soils, and the best herbs and veggies to grow. And Gav will trouble-shoot your challenges with growing plants in containers.

This workshop is for anyone who lives in a flat, apartment or townhouse in the greater Brisbane area. The session is split into two parts - Design, followed by Soils and Plants - and you can choose to do one part only or both parts on the day. For people with no design experience, it is highly recommended to start with Part 1.

Part 1 - Design (9am to 10.30am) You will learn how to apply permaculture design to your own balcony.  We'll explore orientation and aspect, balustrade types, container design, and working with sun, wind and water.

Part 2 - Soils and Plants (11am to 12:30pm). We will get our hands in soil, look at commercial potting mixes and learn how to make compost in an apartment (yes, it can be done!). Plus, we will dive into Gav's top balcony edibles for Brisbane. And we'll explore remedies to common plant pests and diseases.

About the Facilitator

Gavin Hardy has been growing food at home since he was a child. He currently lives in a one-bedroom unit in inner city Brisbane and grows edibles on the balcony and in the food forest he created in the apartment block's common spaces. He helped set up Northey Street City Farm in the 1990's and he is currently the Farm's adult education coordinator. Gav learnt permaculture with Bill Mollison in 1997, has also studied with David Holmgren and Robin Clayfield and has travelled the world researching community food projects and agroforestry.