The Kelmarna Gardens Workshop Programme hosts sessions for people of all backgrounds and experience levels, to engage with a range of topics delivered by acclaimed presenters, connecting people with skills-based, hands-on learning in nature.

Scroll below to check out the current listings for dates and details on upcoming workshops. Also sign up to our monthly e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Humanitix to keep up to date with what's on offer. We can't wait to see you on the farm!
Our Workshop Schedule @ Kelmarna
March 2023
Mahi Raranga, Full-Day for Beginners​

​Harvesting, Preparing & Weaving with Harakeke
Annie Jane Ah Mu (AKL Council / ACE Program)
Join celebrated weaving tutor Annie Jane Ah Mu for this full day crash-course opportunity, open to anyone keen to come away with a deepened understanding of the skills of the trade, the culture and customs, and a host of craft creations to take home and share!

Designed for beginners, this session takes the time to learn and practise each step of the process. This means you'll come away with firsthand knowledge and experience of how to do each step yourself, from harvest and preparation to weaving!

No experience needed, although an excellent extension to the Raranga for Beginners, Weaving with Harakeke session, with January & February dates available above!
Saturday 25 March 2023

​9.30am - 4pm

​$115 + Humanitix fee

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
End-of-Summer Pruning
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
Sharpen your skills for caring for your fruit trees as the summer winds down, and help your trees get a jump on the colder months that loom ahead.

You will cover pruning techniques for stone fruit, pip fruit, citrus, and sub tropical tree varieties, training new wood, reducing canopy overcrowding, and minimising risks from pest and disease. Using the Kelmarna food forest as your outdoor laboratory, you will be guided through both demonstrations and hands-on practical pruning.

Join us for this rare single-session opportunity to learn and gain in-depth experience with fruit tree care.
Sunday 26 March 2023

​9.30am - 12.30pm

​$75 + Humanitix fee

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
April 2023
Edible Garden Design (2-Part Course)

​PART 1 - Understanding Permaculture & Your Site
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This two-part permaculture design workshop is arranged to help you reimagine your space, examine your project from a whole-systems perspective, and come away with the knowledge to make your vision a reality. 

​The first part is a crash course on permaculture design principles to familiarise you with the concepts and tools to approach your space and help draft an effective landscape design uniquely suited to your site. You will use this framework to answer specific questions and return for Part 2 with a fresh perspective and the info you need to create your concept design!

This is the first of a 2-part permaculture design series.
Saturday 15 April 2023

​9.30am - 1pm
​​
​$165 + Humanitix fee
( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
Edible Garden Design (2-Part Course)

​PART 2 - Species Selection & Your Conceptual Design
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This two-part permaculture design workshop is arranged to help you reimagine your space, examine your project from a whole-systems perspective, and come away with the knowledge to make your vision a reality.

The second part is focused on crafting a conceptual design for your site using systems-based processes. Work with Judy to choose plants by putting together a list of those that work best in your space and creating a site map to lay out where they can be planted. You will come away with a draft conceptual design to help you move forward with transforming your site into the inspiring, regenerative, and edible space of your dreams!

This is the second of a 2-part permaculture design series.
Saturday 22 April 2023

​9.30am - 1pm
​​
​$165 + Humanitix fee
​( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
Forest Garden Design (2-Part Course)

​PART 1 - Understanding Food Forests
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This two-part food forest design workshop is arranged to help you reimagine your space, examine your project from a whole-systems perspective, and come away with the knowledge to make your vision a reality.

​​The first part is a crash course on food forests, to familiarise you with the integrated systems that go beyond aesthetics, and help you approach your space with a fresh perspective. You will use the essential topics covered here to follow up at home and return for Part 2 with the info you need to create your concept design!

This is the first of an inclusive 2-part design series.
Saturday 29 April 2023

​9.30am - 1pm
​​
​$195 + Humanitix fee
( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
May 2023
Forest Garden Design (2-Part Course)

​PART 2 - Your Conceptual Design
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This two-part food forest design workshop is arranged to help you reimagine your space, examine your project from a whole-systems perspective, and come away with the knowledge to make your vision a reality.

​​The first part is a crash course on food forests, to familiarise you with the integrated systems that go beyond aesthetics, and help you approach your space with a fresh perspective. You will use the essential topics covered here to follow up at home and return for Part 2 with the info you need to create your concept design!

This is the second of an inclusive 2-part design series.
Saturday 6 May 2023

​9.30am - 1pm
​​
​$195 + Humanitix fee
( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
Fruit Trees: Planting, Pruning & Guilds (Parts 1 & 2)

​PART 1 - Care & Maintenance
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This workshop with Judy Keats is your seasonal, two-part crash course for how to care for and get the best out of your fruit trees at this pivotal time of year.

The first part focuses on how to maintain your trees and approach pruning cuts to shape a tree for increased production, ease of harvest, and overall beauty. Our food forest will be your outdoor laboratory to learn and practise the fundamentals you need to keep your trees happy and productive!

This is the first of a 2-part tree care limited series.
Sunday 21 May 2023

9.30am - 12pm
​​
$​115 + Humanitix fee
​( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
Fruit Trees: Planting, Pruning & Guilds (Parts 1 & 2)

​PART 2 - Planting & Guilds
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This workshop with Judy Keats is your seasonal, two-part crash course for how to care for and get the best out of your fruit trees at this pivotal time of year.

The second part turns to tree planting, including how to choose where to plant and what understory species to consider for guilds -- or a group of companion plants that grow best with your trees. Take this chance to work as a group to put a guild plan together, choose suitable companion species, and get the plants in the ground around a tree in our food forest here at Kelmarna!

This is the second of a 2-part tree care limited series.
Sunday 28 May 2023

9.30am - 12pm
​​
​$115 + Humanitix fee
​( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
July 2023
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 1 of 6: Healthy Soil
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
Soil is the foundation of organic gardening. This session examines soil testing practices, methods of compost making, and strategies for managing natural additives to boost soil fertility. Find out what healthy soil looks like, better understanding your conditions at home, and take practical steps to improve and maintain the condition of your soil.

This 6-part organic gardening course progresses through a spectrum of essential knowledge and skills for growing food organically. It's both perfect for new gardeners just starting out and excellent for experienced gardeners who are keen to sharpen their skills alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 22 July 2023

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$245 + Humanitix fee
​( available now! )

Single Session
$50 + Humanitix fee
( available from 7 June 2023 )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
August 2023
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 2 of 6: Propagation & Planting
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This session is all about raising new plants and getting them in the ground. Learn how to grow plants from seed, from division, and using cuttings. You'll cover how to make your own seed-raising mix, and you'll go through best practices for successfully transplanting your seedlings into the garden.

This 6-part organic gardening course progresses through a spectrum of essential knowledge and skills for growing food organically. It's both perfect for new gardeners just starting out and excellent for experienced gardeners who are keen to sharpen their skills alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 5 August 2023

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$245 + Humanitix fee
​( available now! )

Single Session
$50 + Humanitix fee
( available from 7 June 2023 )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 3 of 6: Fruit Trees & Pruning
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This session with help you give your food forest the best chance at success by looking at how to choose the most suitable specimens for your space. You'll cover pruning skills and tree training strategies to care for new and existing fruit trees, and you'll have the opportunity to get hands on and put theory into practice in the Kelmarna food forest.

This 6-part organic gardening course progresses through a spectrum of essential knowledge and skills for growing food organically. It's both perfect for new gardeners just starting out and excellent for experienced gardeners who are keen to sharpen their skills alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 19 August 2023

​9.30am - 12.30pm

Complete Series
$245 + Humanitix fee
( available now! )

Single Session
$70 + Humanitix fee
( available from 7 June 2023 )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
September 2023
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 4 of 6​: Weed Management
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This session covers annual weeds, noxious weeds, and strategies for processing them, to explore how to manage or even eliminate weeds from your system while avoiding waste and recovering resources. Get up close and familiar with beneficial and invasive weeds in order to learn how to organically work with plants in both categories in a way that enhances the condition of your garden and nutrition of your crops.

This 6-part organic gardening course progresses through a spectrum of essential knowledge and skills for growing food organically. It's both perfect for new gardeners just starting out and excellent for experienced gardeners who are keen to sharpen their skills alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 2 September 2023

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$245 + Humanitix fee
​( available now! )

Single Session
$50 + Humanitix fee
( available from 7 June 2023 )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 5 of 6: Gardening with the Seasons
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This session will cover fundamental strategies for effectively planning your garden to manage the benefits and disadvantages of each season, to improve your understanding of when to grow certain plants, when to start certain processes, how to select seeds, and how to manage your time and energy to get the most from your garden at any given time of year.

This 6-part organic gardening course progresses through a spectrum of essential knowledge and skills for growing food organically. It's both perfect for new gardeners just starting out and excellent for experienced gardeners who are keen to sharpen their skills alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 16 September 2023

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$245 + Humanitix fee
​( available now! )

Single Session
$50 + Humanitix fee
( available from 7 June 2023 )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Home Gardening
Yotam Kay (Pākaraka Permaculture)
To have a super productive garden is to do a lot of small things very well. Come take stock, learn effective strategies, and sharpen your skills in this comprehensive workshop for beginner and experienced gardeners alike.

Hosted by celebrated regenerative gardener Yotam Kay (Pākaraka Permaculture), this session will cover a range of essential topics that will help you cultivate a more productive garden, and one capable of feeding you throughout the year.
​
Whether you're just getting started or have been growing for seasons, there will be loads to learn from Yotam's experience, so bring a notebook and all of your vegetable gardening questions!
Saturday 23 September 2023

​9.30am - 3.30pm
​
​$195 + Humanitix fee
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 6 of 6: Pest Control & Insectories
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
This session focuses on how we can support the health of our plants by supporting the biodiversity of not only our plants but also of other beneficial macro- and micro-organisms, in order to promote biological solutions for common pests and diseases. Judy will also cover a range of common strategies that use engineering and ingenuity rather than harmful toxins.

This 6-part organic gardening course progresses through a spectrum of essential knowledge and skills for growing food organically. It's both perfect for new gardeners just starting out and excellent for experienced gardeners who are keen to sharpen their skills alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 30 September 2023

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$245 + Humanitix fee
​( available now! )

Single Session
$50 + Humanitix fee
( available from 7 June 2023 )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Book a Private Group Workshop
If you have a group of friends or workmates that is keen to take part in one of our workshop experiences, then use this form to get in touch, and let's arrange a private session for your group!
For enquiries, get in touch with our Education Manager, Sean, at education@kelmarnagardens.nz