Workshops

Toni, the Veggie Lady, offers these workshops and presentations

Backyard Veggies – NOW BEING OFFERED AS AN ONLINE COURSE – Click here for details

Ever wondered what The Veggie Lady’s garden looks like? Take the principles from Toni’s garden and learn how to transform your own backyard into a food forest, whether it’s a tiny balcony or a 5 acre property!  See how to divide your garden into zones for entertaining, flowers and vegetable growing, fruit and perennial orchard, and even backyard poultry.

Topics include – garden design, placement and layout, plant grouping, crop rotation, what to plant, chickens in the home orchard, 5 biggest mistakes to avoid.  

2 hour workshops/presentations

Balcony Gardening / Veggie Gardening in Pots

Have you ever wanted to grow your own vegetables but don’t think you have enough space?  Learn how to grow vegetables in pots with this workshop.  Whether you are living in an apartment or your only have a small courtyard or you simply want to know how to grow plants successfully in pots, then this is for you.  Includes tips on getting the most out of your small garden through vertical planting.

Topics covered – size & type of pots to use, plant selection, potting mixes, watering, fertilising and seasonal planting.

Bulbs

Get planting now for a wonderful spring display.  From formal plantings to rambling cottage gardens, bulbs can highlight any garden with colour.  Learn how to select, plant, grow and divide a range of bulbs for your climate.  Additional cost for take-home packs for planting a pot of bulbs.

Topics include – designing with bulbs, climate, soil requirements, planting and growing, planting in pots, problems & propagating

Chicken Keeping

Ever wondered about keeping chickens in the backyard but don’t know where to start? In this workshop, we cover the basics of chicken keeping to get you set up for a regular supply of fresh eggs every day. You’ll discover council regulations for your area, whether to buy or make a coop to house your chickens, selecting the right breed for your family, what to feed and what potential problems to watch out for. 

Citrus Trees

Every household should have at least one citrus plant – whether it’s an orange, lemon, lime or tangerine – and you’ll learn how to grow it in this workshop. Discover what variety of citrus is right for your area, how to plant and fertilise your trees as well as keeping them in containers. See how careful pruning will keep your plant in good condition and how what problems can be avoided. 

Composting Know-how

This is where life starts – the ground!  Your plants will only ever be as good as the soil they are grown in, so get a good start for your own health’s sake.  Learn what makes up good soil and look at some problems you may encounter when composting at home.  Covers different methods of composting, constructing a compost heap, sourcing materials for layering your compost and troubleshooting.

Creative Succulent Gardens 

Succulents keep getting more and more popular and there are many ways you can use them in the garden or as potted displays. Learn how to make your own creative garden designs using succulents, discover different varieties and how to propagate plants. Optional potted planter bowl to make and take home.

Gardening with Native Plants

Learn the secret of growing a native garden successfully.  Turn your garden into an environmental legacy that protects our endangered plants and animals.  Look at why native gardens appear scrappy and why plants you buy in the nursery seem to die the moment they’re planted.  This workshop covers basic design with native plants and shows pictures of great native gardens.

Topic include – why choose a native garden local plant species, planting , care and maintenance

Gardening for Seniors

YOu’re never too old to garden, you just need to adapt. This presentation explains the benefits, challenges and how to participate in the garden as we get older. Discover ways to adapt yourself and your garden to meet your changing needs and expectations as a senior gardener. 

Green Cleaning

Learn how to give your house a spring clean without all the nasty chemicals.  See why chemical cleaners are harming people and the environment and find alternatives to use instead.  Look at the steps you can take to make your indoors safe for everyone and discover how to clean your house from top to bottom using everyday items.

Grow Great Tomatoes

Can you remember the way tomatoes used to taste?  Why do our shop bought tomatoes have no flavour? See why the most grown vegetable in our back yards is the most disappointing.   Learn how to grow tomatoes that taste great and come in all sorts of shapes and colours.

Topics include – hybrid vs heirloom, protecting our seed heritage, favourite varieties, why tomatoes don’t grow, tips for growing in pots, organic controls.

Grow Your Own Veggies

Have you ever dreamt of growing your own veggies but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve been growing your own veggies for a while but you’ve run into some problems that you can’t solve. This workshop will take you through the principles of growing vegetables successfully without costing the earth. We’ll cover some budget saving ideas while showing you the basic foundations for growing in containers as well as raised garden beds. Suitable for beginners.

Habitat Gardening
Our native fauna is under threat and you can help reverse this trend by creating a habitat friendly garden. You’ll learn how to design for diversity with a “wedge planting” using mostly native plants. Discover how to select your plants for Food, Water, Shelter that attract wildlife into your garden and protect biodiversity. See how organic practices can help protect our plants, animals and environment.

Herbs at Home / Building a Herb Spiral
Nothing is better than cooking with fresh herbs but too often we waste what we buy from the supermarket.  So why not learn how to grow your own herbs at home and avoid the waste, save money and always have fresh herbs at the back door.  Learn how to cultivate a variety of herbs in one small space by building a herb spiral or growing them in pots.  This workshop allows you to explore some of the many uses of herbs from the garden, gives you a chance to sample them during morning tea and shows you how make and taste some herbal teas.

Topics include – types of herbs and growing requirements, uses for herbs, growing in containers, construction of a herb spiral

Home Orchard

You don’t need a farm to grow your own fruit.  See how careful plant selection and grafting techniques allow the home gardener to grow a variety of fruit in their own yard. The workshop includes how to grow apples, pears, citrus, figs, stonefruit, bananas and melons.     Pruning and fertilising also covered.

Kokedamas – Japanese Hanging Moss Balls 

Learn the art of making Japanese hanging moss balls known as Kokedamas. Workshop provides instruction, materials and plants for 2 balls per person – one indoor and one outdoor.

Mindful Gardening 

See how you can use your garden to enhance your mental health. Learn how to practice mindfulness as part of your gardening experience. Discover new plants that can stimulate your 5 senses to enhance mindfulness and grow better health. Identify 10 gardening activities that can help build your emotional resilience.

Natural Rose Care & Maintenance

This workshop looks at the different types of roses available to the home gardener today.  Learn how to prune and fertilize your roses to get the best flowers in the neighbourhood.  We also cover how you can maintain your rose bushes organically, controlling pests and diseases without harming yourself or the environment.  (Class is best held with access to rose garden for demonstrating pruning techniques.

Topics include – types of roses, soil, fertilisers, pruning & pest control

New Plants from Old – Plant propagation techniques

Don’t buy expensive plants and seedlings ever again!  Save money and learn how to sow your own seeds and take your own cuttings.  This workshop shows you what seeds to choose, how to make your own propagating mix and how to do soft-wood, semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings as well as layering.  You’ll also learn how to collect and store seed from your current harvest.

No-Dig Gardens

Take the stress and back-ache out of gardening and construct a no-dig garden instead.  See how you can care for the environment by using this technique of layering organic materials to make a lush fertile garden.  Look at what sort of materials you can use and where to source them.  Practical component allows for on garden bed to be constructed by participants.

Topics include – why use no dig method, materials used, step by step demo.

Organic Garden Problem Solver

Get the best out of your garden and discover tricks to avoid problems developing. Find solutions for black spot on roses, whitefly on tomatoes, weeds in the driveway, soggy spots in the lawn, and more! All organic solutions including home make pesticides and companion planting. Bring along some of your diseased leaves or pest problems to solve during the workshop.

Topics include – environmental controls, insect, weed and fungal solutions, companion planting, home made pesticides.

Seasonal Greens

Never buy bagged greens from the supermarket again when you learn how to grow your own. Identify what seasonal varieties you can grow for a year round harvest. Tips on growing in containers as well as in garden beds and how to protect them from pests. 

Seed Sowing & Collecting

Save money and protect biodiversity when you learn how to collect your own seed. Learn the difference between GMO and hybrid seeds, how to store your seed and how to collect seed from a variety of vegetable plants. Discover how to sow seed successfully and identify what can go wrong. Practice making your own seed raising mix to save even more money. 

Spring Gardening

What does a spring garden look like to you? Maybe it’s your garden or an open garden to visit. Discover what to do in the edible garden to get a summer harvest, which ornamental plants can be propagated now and what colourful flowers can dazzle your spring garden. Lean how to maintain houseplants now to keep them healthy after looking shabby through winter.

Terrariums

Make your own glass terrarium bowl to take home. Learn what plants to choose for open or closed terrariums and why it matters. Discover design principles when making your own miniature garden. 

Waterwise Gardening

This workshop will look at how to effectively garden in drought conditions with particular concern for current water restrictions.  Learn effective irrigation methods, what is an ecological garden and ways of preserving water.

Topics include – effective irrigation, grey water, mulching, increasing moisture holding capacity of soils, water tanks and plant selection.

Wormshop

Start your own worm farm.  Learn the difference between compost worms and earthworms, what to feed your worms and how to use worm products in your garden.  Additional cost for worms, containers and bedding materials.

Topics include – how to use worm products in the garden, different types of worms, feeding and general care.

Vertical Gardens  

With gardens becoming smaller and more people choosing apartments in the city, there has been a increase in vertical gardens. to save space. This workshop will present different types of vertical gardens from large commercial walls to DIY vertical gardens for the home. Look at creative ways to reuse materials to make your own wall garden. Optional macrame pot holder to be made with participants to take home.