“My garden is an evolving work where I am constantly experimenting and creating. I love sharing what I have learnt and I am always willing to help others create their own garden as a space which is as regenerative for the gardener as it is for the plants they grow. I’m looking forward to the Samford Edible Garden Trail and hope my experience and passion inspires others to give gardening a go.” Jenny Kato, PA member and Samford Edible Garden Trail Committee
In 2020, a group of four Samford Mums had an idea to approach some of the gardeners in Samford Valley who we knew had amazing private backyard edible gardens – and ask them if they would open up their garden to the public for one day. We hoped they would share their inside knowledge about growing food in our area, and in the process inspire more of us to give it a go. However, 2020 lockdowns put a hold on our plans. Rather than be deterred from our vision, we grabbed our phones, and in an appropriately socially distanced way, we visited each of the gardens ourselves – and filmed it.
We posted the videos up online on our Facebook and YouTube sites. We were blown away by the support we received, and we had viewers from all around Australia and even abroad following the Trail. With a resurgence of popularity in cultivating gardens to grow food by people of all ages, people were buying seeds and wanting to plant gardens and yet many were stuck on where to start! Fast forward to May 2021, we are still filming and posting our virtual tours online, AND are getting ready to open the doors to nine inspiring edible gardens for the inaugural Open Day on May 16 2021.
“Over the years I’ve become passionate about how we can reduce food miles by growing more food ourselves. I wanted to inspire other people to try growing food and the idea of visiting a local garden to see what grows well in the area, just seemed like the best way to do it. I put a message out to see if anybody else thought it was a good idea too, suddenly we had a committee, and now the inaugural Samford Edible Garden Trail Open Day!” Susanne Engelhard, Co-organiser
These are just some of the things you will see in the Gardens on the Open Day on May 16th:
- a suburban back and front yard fully converted into raised garden beds
- a stunning permaculture garden blending perennial vegetables, fruits, and flowering plants
- a ten year old subtropical food forest built on what was some of the poorest soil in the region
- a tradie’s garden complete with mini swale vegetable garden and orchard built on a slope
- a tree changer couple’s cottage garden, complete with vegies, orchard, a herbal tea garden and of course… chickens
- clever landscaping to capture water run off into swales of dwarf bananas
- a sustainable house and garden, with 220 trees, 80 bush tucker trees, and an aquaponics system you won’t believe
- plus two of our local farmers showcasing their small scale diversified organic farming methods.
How can I attend?
Ticket sales for the Event on Sunday May 16th, running from 9am-3pm can be found here. The event is an amazing opportunity to sample the delights that can be found in the beautiful Samford Valley, only 40 minutes drive from the Brisbane CBD in the stunning Moreton Bay Shire. There will be offers for ticket holders, cooking demonstrations, a craft and local produce market. Tickets are limited, so don’t miss out!
More information:
The Samford Edible Garden Trail is a not-for-profit, and (the Trail) was started in 2020 by Susanne Engelhard and her small volunteer team of local residents local to the beautiful Samford Valley and surrounds. Connect with the Samford Edible Garden Trail Facebook page, our Instagram Account, or our YouTube channel to join in the fun, learn more about growing your own food, and let’s all grow together!
Visit our website https://samfordediblegardentrail.com.au/home
For media opportunities please Nicole Armit on Ph 0452 221 762 or email nicolearmit@gmail.com
