Join Jyoti for a relaxed tour of her food-producing suburban block and verge garden. She’ll share how different garden structures and simple design choices can make a home more comfortable, while also supporting a more self-sufficient way of living.
Jyoti’s garden is carefully designed around microclimates, making use of raised beds, built structures, and the shifting patterns of sun and shade to maximise productivity. Compost systems, a worm farm, and resource sharing with neighbours support a closed-loop approach to organic food growing and preservation.
Out on the verge, you’ll see how growing food can completely transform an everyday space. Jyoti’s garden invites people to stop, chat, and connect, turning a usually vacant stretch of land into a welcoming, shared community space.
Facilitator
Jyoti is a passionate home gardener, sustainability advocate, and former ceramics teacher whose creative eye is reflected throughout her home and landscape. Over more than 25 years, she has transformed a once clay-heavy suburban block into a thriving, productive oasis with over 50 fruit-bearing trees and vines, alongside an abundant verge food forest.
Her home is a thoughtful example of passive design in action, featuring double glazing, pergolas, awnings, and insulation that work together to maintain a comfortable indoor climate year-round with minimal heating or cooling. Outside, grapevines provide both seasonal harvest and natural shading, while mosaiced walls and a handcrafted Street Library showcase her artistic background and commitment to creating beauty in everyday spaces.
Deeply community-minded, Jyoti has cultivated not only a garden but a place of connection. Her verge garden invites passers-by to stop, share, and engage, fostering relationships, exchanging produce, and building a strong sense of neighbourhood resilience and care.
Event details
Time: 11am - 1pm Saturday 9th of May
Location: TBA Evatt, Belconnen
What to bring: This is an outdoor event so bring appropriate weather protection and water
Light snacks will be provided