Last tickets left for 4th annual Edible Gardens Festival in Margaret River region

The final tickets have gone on sale for this month’s crowd-pleasing Edible Gardens Festival.

The two-day event on May 24 and 25 has just a handful of tickets left for individual adult entries, while the in-depth workshop program run almost exclusively by experts living in the region has mixed availability.

As an added bonus, Margaret River Mitre 10 is again offering ticket-holders a 20 per cent discount on all fruit trees, potted plants and vegetable seedlings to help support the festival.

Organiser Trevor Paddenburg told the Times keen garden enthusiasts and those interested in growing their own produce needed to head to the festival website as fast as possible to avoid disappointment.

While tickets remained free for residents under 16, some of the $25 workshops had sold out, while there were limited numbers of $20 tickets for the two-day touring schedule.

“Whether you’re already growing your own food or want to make a start, the festival is the perfect chance to get up close and personal with experienced green thumbs and tap into an immense bank of local, place-based knowledge to help you on your food-growing journey,” Mr Paddenburg said.

He thanked a range of community and corporate sponsors for making the festival possible.

It started as a passion project four years ago and like many of the region’s other now-iconic festivals, had grown into a must-do on the local as well as Perth events calendar.

“The Edible Gardens Festival has gone from strength to strength, growing each year with new gardens for people to explore, and exciting new additions to the program,” Mr Paddenburg said.

“It’s become a real fixture on our region’s events calendar, with so much to explore for anyone into gardening, growing their own food, living more sustainably and connecting with like-minded people in our community.

“It’s a real privilege to put this event together with the support of a whole team of supporters, volunteers and local groups and businesses.

“With so much volatility in the world, the best remedy is getting your hands dirty, making compost, growing food and walking lighter on the earth.”

Among the many luminaries participating this month are Phil Iannerelli and his partner Mel from the Natural Faming Alliance, who will open the doors to their Lost The Plot Farm.

The small-scale market garden sees the pair growing heirloom tomatoes and potatoes as well as summer crops for local markets and restaurants.

The former bare paddock shares space with Tini and Anthony Quinlan’s Soil Dynamics, who will also be open on the Sunday of the festival.

The practitioners will demonstrate how they mix biodynamics, electro-culture and other natural farming techniques to boost soil and plant health.

Visit ediblegardensfestival.au for more information, including the full program.