Edible Backyard Safari 2026
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
Five Gardens, Endless Inspiration
In March 2026, Grow On Katikati proudly hosted our second Edible Backyard Safari — and what a journey it was!
The idea was born simply: a group of members chatting about how inspiring it would be to step inside each other’s gardens, swap ideas, and spark fresh motivation. We listened. We acted. Our very first Safari in March 2024 was such a hit that we knew we had to do it again.
The magic of the Safari? It’s not a formal tour — it’s a lively, generous sharing session. Each host opens their garden for a quick, passionate “whirlwind talk” focused on what they do best. One powerful idea, one clever technique, one burst of inspiration at a time.
This year’s lineup was exceptional. Thirty-four keen gardeners joined us to explore five very different, yet equally inspiring, edible backyards:
Fin & Donna’s Fermenting Garden
Jenny’s Herb & Healing Garden
Sam & Shane’s Chicken Tractor System
Seba’s Young Permaculture Garden
Tash’s Maximum-Yield Small Space Garden
Fin & Donna’s Fermenting Garden: From Barren Site to Bucha Empire
In just seven years, this dynamic duo transformed a bare section into a productive food forest. They dragged an old villa onto the site and got planting — fruit trees, a dedicated berry enclosure, and thriving vegetable gardens.
Fin shared his delightfully “lazy” techniques: thick layers of mature hay to suppress weeds, and letting vegetables go to seed so they self-sow, creating ready-to-prick-out seedlings right where they’re needed.
Their award-worthy Dr Bucha kombucha, brewed with fruit from their own garden and now a staple at Bay of Plenty farmers’ markets.
Jenny’s Herb Garden: Nature’s Pharmacy in Your Backyard
As a naturopath and President of the lively Katikati Herb Society, Jenny lives and breathes herbs and edible weeds — those persistent, vigorous plants that many call “weeds” but she calls superfoods. Her tour was packed with wisdom on how common herbs and wild edibles can boost health, flavour meals, and support wellbeing. If you left without a new appreciation for what grows “on its own,” you weren’t listening!
Jenny’s Herbal Weed Pesto
1 handful of "weed" / herb greens (which could be a combination of puha, dandelion, chickweed, plantain, wild onion, violet etc)
2 handfuls of sunflower seeds
75g either parmesan cheese OR nutritional yeast
4 decent garlic cloves
olive oil
Put all ingredients, other than the olive oil, in a blender. Once it’s all well blended, add oil while blender is still turning, to emulsify.
Sam & Shane’s Chicken Tractor: Happy Hens, Happy Soil
Even their older “ladies” (the non-prolific layers) play a vital role. Sam and Shane move a portable chicken tractor around the garden, letting the girls scratch, till, fertilise, and turn spent beds into rich, organic humus. Bugs get eaten, leftovers get cleaned up, and the bonus? Fresh eggs for breakfast whenever the girls feel generous. Win-win for gardeners and chooks alike!
Seba’s Permaculture Garden: Learning Through Doing (and Mistakes)
It was thrilling to see a relatively new garden designed with permaculture principles already showing such promise. Seba openly shared what he’d learned in his permaculture courses — and, more importantly, the valuable lessons from his mistakes.
His message resonated deeply: mistakes aren’t failures — they’re essential teachers. To top it off, he served everyone a chilled, garden-fresh gazpacho that was as nutritious as it was delicious (recipe below).
Tash’s Small Garden, Massive Harvest
Tash has built a huge online following by proving you don’t need acres to grow serious amounts of food. Follow her daily videos on GardenTastic by Tash (Facebook & Instagram) for practical, beginner-friendly inspiration. One of her standout tips: flipping an old wooden outdoor umbrella frame upside down to create a unique vertical growing structure. She also masters mixed plantings that “confuddle” pests — our fun new word which is a mashup of confuse and muddle!
What Our Attendees Said
The feedback said it all:
“A fantastic day with great ‘Tour Guides’!”
“Thank you all @ Grow On — a fabulous day I will remember!”
“Love your work, dedication and passion. What a neat community.”
“A fantastic day… excellent introduction to encourage gardening. I’m new to this.”
“I am continuing to thrive on the experience… I started by implementing just one bit of inspiration from each garden. Thank you to everyone who was so generous.”
Was it worth all the organising?
Absolutely. If every single attendee walked away with just one new idea they could try at home, then every hour of planning was worth it. Because that’s what Grow On is all about — sparking joy, confidence, and action in home food growing, one backyard at a time.
Ready to grow more? Keep an eye out for our next Safari, or better yet — get in touch if you’d love to open your garden one day (next Safari 2028). Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
Happy gardening everyone!
