Saturday PermaBee

Workshop Topic for November - Seed Saving

Explore the ancient art of seed saving! Together we’ll explore:

• the meaning of heritage, heirloom, and open pollinated seeds
• how to select the best seeds for saving
• how to harvest and process seeds, and
• best ways to store and preserve seeds for future planting.

We’ll also discover the best seed raising mix for the types of seeds we want to grow. 

Each participant will receive a packet of locally grown seeds to take home to plant.

Topics

• April - Seed Saving
• May - Cuttings Swap
• June - Planning, recovery and maintenance in the garden
• July - Go plastic-free in the garden
• August - Heavenly herbals
• September - Plants for pollinators
• October - DIY lacewing hotel
• November - Seed Saving

Come gardening with us every second Saturday of the month from 10:00am to 12:00pm and help us plant, weed, and compost under expert guidance. Each month we'll have a specific topic that you can learn about.

Bring your own gloves if you have them.

There are different areas in the award-winning Randwick Sustainability Hub to work in depending on your interests and expertise - from fruit and veg growing to native habitat and bush tucker.

May : Cuttings Swap

Need a new injection of plants at home, but have no budget? Never fear -- the Saturday Permabee has got you covered with a cuttings swap!.

What’s a cuttings swap? Same as a plant swap, but plants have no roots! Bring fresh cuttings from your garden and swap them with other keen gardeners. Discover wonderful varieties grown by others in our area. This is a great time to do cuttings from plants like rosemary, sage and lavender from the garden.

Learn how to make your own soil mix for cuttings depending on the plants you’re growing.

Share the bounty. Save money, plastics and resources. Get free plants. Wins all round.

June : Planning, recovery and maintenance in the garden

June is the time for planning, recovery and maintenance in the garden. The Saturday Permabee we’ll be deadheading old flowers and pruning back trees to maintain health and vigour. Though it’s tempting to get slothful at this time of year, it’s a great time to work out in the garden with a spot of mulching. Mulching keeps our soils moist, and saves in weeding later.

July – Go plastic-free in the garden

Plastic-free July is just around the corner and our Saturday Permabee is getting on trend. During the July Permabee we’re going to explore different ways to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste in the garden.

• DIY self-watering pots using old juice bottles
• Explore plastic-free plant marker options, including metal and wood
• Give styrofoam boxes a second life by using them as planter boxes.

There are heaps of ways to reduce plastic in the garden. These are just a few. What will you to reduce plastics this July?

(BYO 2-litre juice bottles.)

August : Heavenly herbals

This August Permabee, discover the cornucopia of heavenly herbals in our gardens at Randwick! These can be used in cooking, and teas, to dry to keep pests at bay, and keep our homes and animal enclosures smelling divine. So many herbs grow well in Sydney, and it's so easy to take cuttings, dry and use them in our day-to-day lives. Come and sample locally grown verbena, and native mints, discover the differences between French and English lavenders, and take home dried sachets of lemon myrtle to wow your family, creating dishes with a native difference!

September : Planting for Pollinators --- Spring special! 

Spring is in the air and it’s time to get planting for pollinators. In this Spring Permabee we’re prioritising the small, often overlooked, but incredibly important pollinators: bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies! Pollinating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, our local insects are critical for ensuring we get great harvests in our gardens! Bring your gardening gloves and closed in shoes, it's time to get planting.

 

October : DIY lacewing hotel

 Lacewings – what a name! – are known for their voracious appetites (a single larva can consume up to several hundred aphids) – so we want to make our gardens nice and comfy so they stay! This October Permabee we'll be making lacewing hotels-- habitats using upcycled plastic bottles and cardboard. This creates a lovely warm spot for lacewings to overwinter. 

This activity is suitable for adults and children, but all children must be accompanied by an adult. 

If you have aphids, caterpillars, thrips, mites, and other small insects plaguing your plants, lacewings will be among your best friends in the garden! 

BYO 500 mL plastic bottles and corrugated cardboard.

Grow It Local

Randwick Council is a proud supporter of the Grow it Local program that helps connect you with other people in your area that are growing, sharing and eating locally. Check it out!

The Saturday Circle

This event is part of the Saturday Circle a monthly repair, share, regen, reuse and resilience building get-together at the Randwick Sustainability Hub, 27 Munda St Randwick. Held second Saturday of the month, most events are 10:00am - 12:00pm. Full details: https://events.humanitix.com/tours/the-saturday-circle