Productive Gardening with Kids

Poppy's Patch started as a father/daughter project when Poppy was aged three. The family decided to use the space on the front lawn to start an edible garden – to not only grow food but teach her where food comes from.

To save back-breaking work, they used the no-dig approach so that Poppy could directly layer it herself and learn about how soil is managed. This has helped transform rock-hard northern suburb clay soil into a rich organic loamy soil full of life and nutrients.

More recent additions to the garden include multiple compost bins, worm farms and backyard chickens.

To ensure Poppy can meaningfully participate in the garden, her father Chad has developed many strategies for her to work independently.

In this workshop, Chad will share these strategies with a focus on making productive gardening meaningful for kids, and the rest of the family. 

The Backyard Harvest Festival is opening home food gardens for tours and workshops get you inspired to grow your own fresh healthy food. This includes include sessions on keeping backyard chooks and quails, organic pest and disease management, composting, aquaponics, and fruit tree pruning techniques – as well as guided tours of some of Darebin’s most abundant private food gardens and community gardens.