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. You can 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
May 2022
Cooking with the Odd Bits

with HANNAH MILLER of A LADY BUTCHER
Hannah Miller (A Lady Butcher)
Join A Lady Butcher, Hannah Miller in reimagining what can happen to the 'odd bits', and learn how to make the most of the whole animal for your next meal. Discover some of the wonders of offal, how it can be used, its beneficial nutrient profile, and work through recipes using lamb raised at Kelmarna Gardens.
​
Experience how to work with and favour the less usual parts, then taste the stunning results. While supplies last, add on a Kelmarna offal pack to your ticket so you can test these recipes for yourself at home.

This workshop is proudly presented in collaboration with Slow Food Auckland, celebrating locally grown and produced food that is good, clean, and fair.
Saturday 21 May 2022

9am - 12pm

General Admission​​
​$160 + Humanitix fee

GA + Offal Pack
$195 + Humanitix fee
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 22 May 2022

10am - 12.30pm
​​
​$95 + 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 29 May 2022

10am - 12.30pm
​​
​$95 + Humanitix fee
​( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
Raranga for Beginners​

​Weaving with Harakeke
Annie Jane Ah Mu (AKL Council / ACE Program)
Join celebrated weaving tutor Annie Jane Ah Mu to learn the basic techniques of traditional Mahi Raranga, the Māori art of weaving with harakeke flax.

​This beginner course is an introduction to weaving that will guide you through the history, customs, and best horticulture practices around working with harakeke, and the skills to come away with a host of craft creations to take home and share!
Saturday 28 May 2022

​10am - 1pm
​​
​$55 + Humanitix fee

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
June 2022
Edible Garden Design (2-Part Course)

​PART 1 - Understanding Permaculture & Your Site
Judy Keats (Kelmarna Gardens)
​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 11 June 2022

​9.30am - 1pm
​​
​$145 + 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)
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 18 June 2022

​9.30am - 1pm
​​
​$145 + Humanitix fee
​( includes Parts 1 & 2 )

Community Services Card concession rate available
July 2022
Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making

​with TOM HILTON of AO TIAKARETE
Tom Hilton (Ao Tiakarete)
Join Tom Hilton of Ao Tiakarete to explore the wonders of chocolate from a uniquely Aotearoa perspective. Learn from this 3 Michelin Star-experienced chocolatier how to use the whole bean, husk to nibs without any waste, using beans from the Pacific and infusing local rongoā-inspired ingredients straight from the garden to craft your own bar of delicious, decadent chocolate.

Enjoy a morning tea of coffee and cacao, with the option of hot chocolate prepared à la minute. Coated Pacific cacao beans and Ao Tiakarete chocolates will also be available to purchase after the session.

This workshop is proudly presented in collaboration with Slow Food Auckland, celebrating locally grown and produced food that is good, clean, and fair.
Sunday 3 July 2022

​10am - 1pm

​$120 + Humanitix fee
Advanced Mahi Raranga, 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, accessible to anyone keen to come away with an understanding of the culture, skills of the trade, and a host of craft creations to take home and share!

What makes this session 'advanced' is the time taken to learn and practise each step of the process, which means you don't need prior experience to take part, and you'll end up with firsthand knowledge and experience of how to do each step yourself!

An excellent follow-up to the Raranga for Beginners - Weaving with Harakeke session!
Saturday 9 July 2022

​10am - 4.30pm

​Full Day Session​​
​$105 + Humanitix fee

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Backyard Composting Basics
Madeleine Cull (Kelmarna Gardens / Soil Factory)
Are you looking to reduce your household waste to landfill, but not sure how? Or do you already compost at home and want to improve your results? This introductory home-composting course is designed to kick-start your systems for reclaiming wasteful scraps and turning them into rich, living compost!
​
Join Kelmarna Garden's own Madeleine Cull, lead coordinator of our Soil Factory community compost hub, to learn a host of tips and tricks for making microbially rich compost in your own backyard, to help you navigate common misconceptions and use a biological approach to work true microbial magic with your scraps!
Saturday 9 July 2022

​10am - 12pm

​​$35 + Humanitix fee

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 1: 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 perfect for new gardeners and also excellent for experienced gardeners keen to sharpen and improve alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 23 July 2022

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$225 + Humanitix fee
​( All 6 Sessions! )

Single Session
$45 + Humanitix fee
( available from 15 June )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
August 2022
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 2: 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 perfect for new gardeners and also excellent for experienced gardeners keen to sharpen and improve alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 6 August 2022

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$225 + Humanitix fee
​( All 6 Sessions! )

Single Session
$45 + Humanitix fee
( available from 15 June )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Making Pasta by Hand

with STEFANIA UGOLINI of PASTA E CUORE
Stefania Ugolini (Pasta e Cuore)
Join chef Stefania Ugolini of Pasta e Cuore to get your hands in the mix and learn how to make fresh pasta in the time-honoured tradition of the kitchens and restaurants from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and bring a container to take home the pasta you make.

Learn the importance of quality ingredients, how to mix, knead, and roll, cut basic shapes like tagliatelle, pappardelle, and taglioline, and how pasta should be stored and cooked for best results. Enjoy morning tea and discuss with Stefania the history, tradition, techniques, and pleasures of creating your own pasta by hand and from the heart.

This workshop is proudly presented in collaboration with Slow Food Auckland, celebrating locally grown and produced food that is good, clean, and fair.
Saturday 13 August 2022

​10am - 12pm

$120 + Humanitix fee
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 3: 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 perfect for new gardeners and also excellent for experienced gardeners keen to sharpen and improve alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 20 August 2022

​9.30am - 12.30pm

Complete Series
$225 + Humanitix fee
​( All 6 Sessions! )

Single Session
$55 + Humanitix fee
( available from 15 June )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
September 2022
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 4​: 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 perfect for new gardeners and also excellent for experienced gardeners keen to sharpen and improve alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 3 September 2022

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$225 + Humanitix fee
​( All 6 Sessions! )

Single Session
$45 + Humanitix fee
( available from 15 June )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 5: 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 perfect for new gardeners and also excellent for experienced gardeners keen to sharpen and improve alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 17 September 2022

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$225 + Humanitix fee
​( All 6 Sessions! )

Single Session
$45 + Humanitix fee
( available from 15 June )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
October 2022
Organic Gardening Basics (6-Part Series)
​
Session 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 perfect for new gardeners and also excellent for experienced gardeners keen to sharpen and improve alongside an expert tutor in organics!
Saturday 1 October 2022

​10am - 12pm

Complete Series
$225 + Humanitix fee
​( All 6 Sessions! )

Single Session
$45 + Humanitix fee
( available from 15 June )

Community Services Card
concession rate available​
Beginner Home Gardening
Yotam Kay (Pakaraka Permaculture)
Come and learn everything you need to know to grow nutritious food for you, your family and community. In this comprehensive workshop with Yotam Kay (Pakaraka Permaculture ), we will cover all the essential topics that will help you grow a productive vegetable garden.

​No prior knowledge or experience is needed!
Saturday 15 October 2022

​9am - 4pm

Full Day Session​​
​$195 + Humanitix fee
Advanced Home Gardening
Yotam Kay (Pakaraka Permaculture)
To have a super productive garden is to do a lot of small things very well. Come and sharpen your skills in this comprehensive workshop for experienced gardeners with accomplished organic gardener and permaculturist Yotam Kay (Pakaraka Permaculture).
​
Whether you've been growing for 2, 3, or 10 seasons, there will be loads to learn from Yotam's professional experience, so bring a notebook, a pen, and all of your vegetable gardening questions!
Sunday 16 October 2022

​9am - 4pm

Full Day Session​​
​$195 + Humanitix fee
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