Level up your gardening skills this summer with 2 of our exciting events, each offering practical ways to garden more sustainably in everyday life. Whether you're tending a balcony veggie patch or interested in taking a step towards climate action, our upcoming sustainable gardening events are designed to inspire, educate and empower gardeners of all experience levels.

These 2 events are being presented by experts at Sustainable Gardening Australia, and will include an in-person workshop and an online webinar.

Over the course, you'll learn:

• creative solutions for common rental gardening dilemmas
• ways to treat food waste at home without a traditional garden
• reducing emissions and managing organic waste
• everyday gardening choices to build your own climate action plan

And looking ahead, we'll be running a Composting and worm farms webinar on Wednesday 11 March. 

Pot it up: How to make a container garden

If you’re a renter or have limited outdoor space you can still enjoy a thriving garden. In both these situations pots and other containers are your friend. You can plant virtually anything in a container, you don’t need to discuss it with a landlord, and you can take your garden with you when you move.

Try these tips based on advice from Sustainable Gardening Australia.

What can I grow?

Just about anything. Go decorative with flowers, ferns or lush foliage. If you’re after an edible garden grow what you like to eat. That could be trying cherry tomatoes or strawberries in a hanging basket, pick-as-you-go lettuce or rocket, a potful of summer basil on the front step, or bay, rosemary and thyme for year-round flavour. 

What can I put my plants in?

You can buy pots, baskets or bigger planters to fit your space and situation. Or think about upcycling preloved plant pots, metal cans, saucepans or other household containers. Just make sure they’re big enough to contain growing plant roots and have plenty of holes in the base for drainage.

Where do I put them?

Place your containers to suit your chosen plants. They could thrive in full or partial sun, shade, or a bit of both. Grouping pots looks good and makes watering easier. If you don’t have suitable space on the ground – go up. Put pots on a wide windowsill, hang wall planters from a balcony or courtyard wall or a side fence, or hanging baskets from a porch roof or a bracket.

What about the soil?

This is an important one. Use high-quality organic potting mix in your container. Avoid garden soil as it tends to break down quickly in pots and lead to drainage problems. Top up the potting mix once a year or so, by repotting or top-dressing.

Any ongoing care?

Top your containers with straw-based mulch for edibles and woodchips for other plants. Container plants will dry out quicker than garden beds so keep an eye on moisture levels. Do this by putting your finger in the soil up to the second knuckle. If the soil on your fingertip feels dry, water your plants. Fertilise according to their needs.

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