Does my garden have to be perfect?

No. We’re not after showcase gardens, our visitors are interested in real-life experiences of growing food, whether it be a verge, private, community, market or school garden. The key criteria is that you grow food in your garden. The trail is about connecting, building community and sharing knowledge, not about showcasing picture-perfect gardens.

I’m not a garden guru, I don’t think I can share my knowledge.

We don’t expect you to be! We just want you to share your experiences. If you don’t know the answer just be honest about it and say you don’t know. If you’re able to attend our host-gathering, we will be providing lots of information about hosting and you’ll be able to meet other hosts and share ideas and information. If you’re not able to attend the get-together we are happy to speak to you individually, or form a group of hosts who are unable to attend where will can share any info you might miss.

What do visitors expect from garden hosts?

● Talking to the garden owners

● Finding out about your garden projects – even the unfinished ones

● Sharing ideas about what you might have done differently, and what you have had success with

● Finding out the names of plants/vegetables they have not seen before and where they can source them

● Finding out how long it took you to develop your garden to its current stage

What do I get out of it?

The trail is great at connecting like-minded people, at various levels of gardening, giving the opportunity to embrace the community of fellow growers around you. On top of showing off your garden, meeting new neighbours and sharing your love of growing food over the trail weekend, you’ll have ample opportunity to swap gardening tips & tricks, share resources and connect with other growers and fellow hosts leading up to the trail. We will put on a Host Get-Together on Friday 30th October (location and time TBC) for everyone to officially meet, share a meal and grab some helpful resources for your garden opening.

What has been the experience of the previous Hosts?

Previous hosts have loved connecting with other growers and like-minded people, coming away feeling inspired by the knowledge and resources shared. We have also had feedback that it can be a bit tiring doing it on your own. This is why we recommend having a friend or family member or two alongside you, who is like-minded in your love for growing food and gardening. We’ve had feedback that this is essential for making the day more fun and light – keeping you company, sharing the conversation load, manning the garden during loo breaks and retrieving tea and snacks throughout the day!

When do I open my garden?

You can open your garden for Saturday or Sunday, or both days, on the weekend that applies to your suburb. The opening hours of the trail is 10am-3pm.

The trail will be run over two weekends this year:

– 31-1 November 10am-3pm: Helensburgh to West Wollongong

– 7-8 November 10am-3pm: Cringilla to Gerroa.

What do I need to do if I wish to be a host?

You can register through our host form. Email us with any questions or to a arrange a phone call: gardentrail@foodfairnessillawarra.org.au

We will then review your submission. We may ask you for further information and once reviewed will upload your registration to the website. All you need to do is wait for the IEGT weekend and enjoy welcoming interested, like-minded people to your garden!

There will be a get-together on the Friday before the event (30th October) where you can meet the other garden hosts and be part of the wonderful edible growing community. Location: TBC.

Will I have to do much garden preparation?

That is entirely up to you! We want gardens to be in their natural state – we don’t want you putting in too much extra effort than you usually would, as the trail is meant to be a realistic representation of what you can grow with the skills and resources you have. However we do recommend you start preparing for what to plant 3 months prior to the opening weekend, and get things in the ground a little earlier so they’re blooming in time for the event. Make sure to plant something that you’d usually harvest at that time of year so visitors can see the magic that is edible gardening.

Who will visit my garden?

The Illawarra Edible Garden Trail is a ticketed event, so you can expect people who are genuinely interested and excited about gardening and growing food.

How many people can I expect to turn up to my garden?

We can’t tell you how many visitors you’ll receive as it depends on a number of variables e.g. the total number of gardens participating, weather, location of other gardens near you.

We will let all hosts know how many tickets have been sold, which can give you a ballpark figure.

If you’d like to attract more visitors we recommend getting together with any local gardens near you and opening at the same time, having seedling sales, holding garden tours and workshops, and doing a letterbox drop around your neighborhood. We can provide you with flyers to distribute in your local area.

Do I have to let people use my toilet?

No. We direct all ticket holders to use the nearest public toilet. All you need to do is provide direction on where the nearest one is from your garden.

Do I need helpers on the day?

Yes, we recommend at least 1 helper on the day for private gardens, and for community gardens and school gardens and bigger growing spaces we recommend 2-5 helpers. A friend, family member or neighbour works best from past host feedback. It’s a fun day and they’ll get to be part of inspiring others to grow their own food.

Having a helper can be useful for:

– Greeting visitors as they arrive while you talk to others or do your garden tour/workshop etc (if applicable)

– Having someone to chat with while waiting for the next visitor. Rope in your friend, family, neighbour, or members of local groups you belong to.

Unfortunately, with the number of open gardens and our limited resources, the IEGT team cannot organise volunteers to help you on the day.

What if I have an emergency and can no longer open my garden?

We understand emergencies and events outside of our control can occur. So just let us know as soon as possible and we’ll amend your registration & remove your address from the map.

Can I list the unique features of my garden?

Absolutely! The Garden registration form includes tick boxes of garden features and you have the opportunity to write a paragraph about your garden (to appear on the website). The more information you can provide about your garden, the better it will be for the visitors so they know what to expect.

Do I have to do tours and demonstrations?

No, this is optional. Some of our gardeners love doing demonstrations to share specific skills. If you do, it’s a way of attracting more visitors. We’ve also found that holding garden tours at specific times (these can be specified when you register your garden) will save you having to repeat a lot of the same thing over and over.

Can I sell food, drinks and other goods?

Sale of any items requires permission, to assure we are adhering to insurance & event policies.

Selling of surplus personal crops and seedlings in community and private gardens is allowed. As a general rule: there are no restrictions on selling plants, seedlings, cuttings, seeds or excess produce (as long as it hasn’t been washed). If you are unsure, please contact IEGT before proceeding.

Selling or serving of prepared food and drinks is not covered by our insurance. To serve or sell food products, drinks or other goods, please read the below rules:

● If you choose to offer (not sell) food and drinks during your open garden, then you are responsible for complying with the NSW Food Act 2003, Food Standards Code and all food safety, handling and labelling laws, regulations, and guidelines, and for holding your own insurance coverage for the selling of food;

● Sales of commercial food goods requires Public Liability Insurance and Product Liability Insurance, registering your details with the NSW Food Authority and reading the Food Handling Guide to ensure your product complies with the NSW Food Authority Food Handling Guidelines for Temporary Events and Temporary Events and Food Standards and Labelling

● Prior permission from Illawarra Edible Garden Trail (IEGT), to assure your product meets the above.

Are we required to label the plants we sell or give away?

Not necessarily. Having said that, if the plant is not commonly known you are likely to get questions about it from the visitors, so it may be a good idea to label them. But this is entirely up to you.

Are we covered by insurance?

Yes, the IEGT team has public liability insurance in place to cover visitors and volunteers at the host locations, during the hours of the event weekends (Sat 31-Sun 1 Nov, 10am-3pm and Sat 7-Sun 8 Nov, 10am-3pm). Please note the insurance does not cover visitors outside of these hours or locations. We can provide you with a copy of the insurance certificate and cover details if you would like more information on this.

Will my address be displayed online?

The trail will be open to the public and we will have to provide your address to our ticket holders via the PDF map emailed out to ticket holders two weeks before the trail. We may also be posting pictures and descriptions of your garden on our website and social media as part of promoting the event. However, your address will not be displayed on our website.

Am I able to restrict access to certain parts of the garden?

Absolutely, especially if you think the area is not safe for visitors. We will provide you with signage to print to direct visitors to/around your garden.

How can I help promote the event?

If you’re on social media, we’d love you to like our Facebook and Instagram accounts and to share and comment on our posts. You can also tag us when you post yourself using #edibleillawarra #illawarraediblegardentrail @food_fairness_Illawarra so we can reshare and cross-promote.