Alex Sherley will open up his bountiful backyard as part of the 2025 Illawarra Edible Garden Trail. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Dreaming of a bountiful harvest from your backyard – but not quite sure where to start?
The Illawarra Edible Garden Trail is a fantastic opportunity to get inspired by gardeners across the region.
The trail features mature, established gardens, new gardens and gardens squeezed into creative spaces.
The trail is a grassroots community event founded by the team at Gilly’s Kitchen Garden in Otford, and is in its third year.
Run in partnership with Healthy Cities Australia and Food Fairness Illawarra, the trail also provides opportunities to connect with other local gardeners and maybe even nab some surplus seeds or produce.
Alex Sherley, at Lake Heights, is one of the gardeners who will open up his yard for the trail in November.
Alex loved spending time in the garden with his grandma as a kid, and when he moved into his Lake Heights home, his neighbour’s generous offers of fruits and veggies over the fence encouraged him to get his hands dirty.
Now his yard is overrun with fruit trees, herbs, veggies and a generous sprinkling of native plants.
Alex said the trail was a valuable opportunity to see how other gardeners approached the unique microclimates that could be found across the region.
“Here in the southern suburbs we don’t have much canopy cover, which can cause problems with overheating,” he said.
“It also means we have a very sunny backyard, and there’s good volcanic soil all over the big, beautiful Berkeley and Cringila hills.
“We’ve incorporated heaps of natives, like local geranium, weeping grass and kangaroo grass.
“Their deep roots build up soil carbon and allow water to sink in, so when dry times come, our soil is better prepared.
“They also provide seed grain for us and native birds like the crimson rosella.”
Alex has also had success with fruit trees, from citrus and olives to macadamia and papaya, and is keen to share his knowledge about propagating fruit trees through cuttings.
He might even have some cuttings available for lucky trail enthusiasts.
Emily Fowler, from Food Fairness Illawarra, said the value of native plants was a key theme of this year’s trail.
She said there were benefits beyond just food production.
“We can welcome native wildlife in and encourage them to thrive,” she said.
“By welcoming native pollinators in, you can improve the productivity of your plants and fruiting.
“It won’t be for everyone, but we have some wonderful native rainforest-style habitat gardens that show how you can intertwine growing food and creating native habitat corridors.”
If that feels a bit ambitious for you, never fear.
The gardens along the trail reflect a range of experiences, styles and approaches.
Alex said in previous years when he went on the trail, he found the simplest gardens were the most inspirational.
“Gardening is something anybody can do, and the simpler gardens can feel more achievable and accessible,” he said.
“There is an amazing diversity of what local gardens look like, and gardening is a way to build social connection.
“Not everyone has access to a garden at their home, but we’re seeing more community gardens pop up on public land.
“Start with something simple like putting in some pumpkin seeds this summer, and watch them grow themselves.”
The Illawarra Edible Garden Trail will take place on Saturday and Sunday, 22 and 23 November, from 10 am to 3 pm.
The trail runs from Helensburgh and Shell Cove, and registered attendees will be provided with a downloadable map one week before to allow them to plan their weekend.
For tickets or more information, head to the Illawarra Food Fairness website here.
