One of the gardens that will feature in Palmy Homegrown from November 25-26.
One of the gardens that will feature in Palmy Homegrown from November 25-26.
Seeds are being sown (literally) for an edible tour of Palmerston North’s most productive backyards in November.
More than 20 gardeners are taking part in Palmerston North’s first go at a sustainable backyard trail.
Palmy Homegrown is being championed by mother-daughter duo Bronny Ferry and Kaydee Zabelin.
They are huge fans of the Recap Permaculture Tour in Ashhurst and the Taranaki Sustainable Backyards Tour.
“We thought the time was right to shine some light on some of the incredible food-growing efforts going on in Palmy,” says Zabelin, a Palmerston North city councillor.
“Palmy Homegrown is a chance for locals to get a look into their neighbours’ yards to see what’s growing on and get inspired about what can be possible.”
The event on November 25 and 26 will feature a wide range of garden sizes and styles, from lifestyle blocks and quarter-acre sections to urban food forests, rented properties and smaller patio gardens, where pots and veggie pods are used.
A mix of gardeners, some with more than 50 years’ experience and some more recent converts, will open their backyard food-growing operations to visitors, most for the very first time.
Ferry says when they set out to find 20 gardens, it was a daunting task.
“I knew I could probably get 10 or so, but beyond that would be a bit of work. The Palmy gardening network is strong though; suggestions and referrals soon came through, and it was a brilliant few weeks for me, discovering all these incredible gardens I never knew were there.”
Ferry is a permaculture practitioner and founder of the Palmy Permies group.
Bronny Ferry (left) and Kaydee Zabelin have organised an edible trail of Palmerston North's most productive backyards.
Some gardeners needed a bit of positive encouragement, which Ferry and Zabelin were happy to provide.
“Lots of gardeners are humble about their spaces and very rarely ever feel they’d be good enough to display,” Zabelin says.
“But that’s the whole point - we’re not looking for show gardens. We’re looking for working gardens. We want people to be able to see real gardens, as they are, always in progress, always changing, and always getting away on us, but still an absolute happy place.
“And that was a message our host gardeners could get on board with. They’re so passionate about what they do.”
The host gardeners and their families are getting into the spirit, with plans for sausage sizzles, high teas, seedling sales and more.
Zabelin says it promises to be a real home-grown event, full of inspiration and ideas for every space, budget and lifestyle.
