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Lovely Hungry Gub Blog post on Viva Workshop

Thanks to Viva la Ferment Fever workshop participant Flo for her lovely blog post describing the day!

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VEG-Assisted Project Wins International Environment Award

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veryediblegardens

We help you create edible ecosystems, providing for human needs while caring for the planet and its marvellous creatures. Also here @veg_wicking_beds

Why do we use 7 mm bluestone screenings in our VEG

Why do we use 7 mm bluestone screenings in our VEG wicking beds? 💧🌱
We put six materials to the test to see how high water would rise through capillary action. Sand was quickest initially, but the 7 mm screenings caught up after 24–48 hours. They also outperformed the same-sized scoria, while aggregates 10 mm and larger showed less capillary rise.
Our preferred choice for over 10 years, 7 mm screenings hit the sweet spot: strong wicking, water storage, fast sideways water movement when filling, and a stable reservoir that supports the soil above. They’re also economical, readily available and easy to work with, making them our overall winner.
No drainage cells or networks of pipe needed, just a short length of slotted agi pipe to help distribute incoming water. Better capillary rise means moisture can keep reaching the soil as the reservoir level drops.
📷 Left to right: 7 mm screenings, 10 mm aggregate, 15–20 mm bluestone, 7 mm scoria, 20 mm scoria and sand.
VEG has been installing wicking beds and refining their design since 2009, helping people grow abundant edible gardens. Want to learn more? Visit wickingbeds.com.au for our Wicking Beds 101 guide, and join our mailing list for practical tips for an easy, productive edible garden.
#WickingBeds #VeryEdibleGardens #WaterWiseGardening #GrowYourOwnFood #EdibleGardens #MelbourneGardens #SustainableGardening #WickingBedsByVEG
www.wickingbeds.com.au

Feedback like this makes our week. 🌱 We’ve been g

Feedback like this makes our week. 🌱
We’ve been getting some great feedback from recent wicking bed installations, and with spring now here, it’s the perfect time to get your growing space sorted for the season ahead.
Less watering, healthier plants and a productive veggie garden ready for summer. If you’ve been thinking about wicking beds, now’s a good time to get in touch.
www.wickingbeds.com.au
#WickingBeds #VeryEdibleGardens #SpringGardening #MelbourneGardens #EdibleGarden #GrowYourOwn #KitchenGarden #RaisedGardenBeds #MelbourneGardening

The best chook systems don’t just house chickens.

The best chook systems don’t just house chickens. They become part of the garden.
Beautiful work from Casey and Luke on this Wonga Park install, featuring a large chook house, straw yard and day run carefully wrapped around a beautiful old mulberry tree.
The chook house gives the flock a dry, secure and comfortable place for roosting and laying. The straw yard creates a fox-resistant everyday space for scratching, dust bathing and turning garden scraps into future compost. The day run extends their access into the garden, giving them more room to forage while helping manage weeds, pests and fallen fruit.
Designed well, a chook system can turn separate parts of the backyard into one integrated system: shade, shelter, scratching, foraging, fertility and easy daily care all working together.
Built from untreated cypress, with quality mesh and hardware, our systems are made to last and can be custom designed to suit the space, the people and the chooks.
Thinking about a proper chook setup for your backyard, school, community garden or larger property? Get in touch through our website and we can help plan a system that fits your garden.
www.VeryEdibleGardens.com.au
#VeryEdibleGardens #ChookHouse #BackyardChickens #ChickenCoop #StrawYard #DayRun #EdibleGarden #MelbourneGardens #PermacultureDesign #BackyardChooks #FoxProofChickenCoop

Make the most of your wicking bed space with a str

Make the most of your wicking bed space with a strong, movable climbing frame.
Built from untreated cypress, heavy-duty 100 mm steel mesh and stainless steel hinges, these freestanding A-frames provide plenty of support for beans, cucumbers, peas and other climbing crops.
Move them between beds as the seasons change, then fold and store them when they’re not needed. Because they sit above the soil, there’s no need for deep stakes that could damage your wicking bed liner.
Available as an add-on to existing and new wicking bed installations by Very Edible Gardens.
Starting from $360 including GST.
Find out more or request a quote at WickingBeds.com.au or phone (03) 8374 7671
#WickingBeds #VerticalGardening #GrowYourOwnFood #EdibleGarden #CypressTimber #MelbourneGardens #VeryEdibleGardens

From lawn to food 🌱 This Hawthorn garden now has

From lawn to food 🌱
This Hawthorn garden now has wicking beds, a small chook house with straw yard, drip irrigation and a fresh mulch layer to tie it all together.
Less water, less maintenance, more food and a proper backyard system.
If you’re thinking about a similar setup, jump on our website and check it out.
www.veryediblegardens.com.au
www.wickingbeds.com.au
#EdibleGarden #MelbourneGardening #WickingBeds #ChookSystems #VeryEdibleGardens

Some recent wicking bed installs from around Melbo

🌿 A solid day on the tools for Adam and Luke, inst

🌿 A solid day on the tools for Adam and Luke, installing this 4-bay compost system at Kensington Neighbourhood Centre.
Built from ethically sourced Cypress Macrocarpa means no chemical treatment, just durable, long-lasting timber!
Each bay is 1 cubic metre, giving plenty of flexibility to build your hot compost piles especially in shared spaces. Removable fronts and dividers make turning easy, while ventilated, lockable lids and rat-resistant features keep things running smoothly.
Compost is where the loop closes. Turning food scraps and garden waste back into healthy soil, ready to grow the next round.
Great for community gardens, schools, and anyone managing a decent amount of organic matter.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your compost setup, head to our website and get in touch. Link in our bio.
www.veryediblegardens.com.au
#Compost #CommunityGardens #MelbourneGardens #Permaculture #SoilHealth #SustainableLiving #UrbanGardening #GardeningMadeEasy #Cypress #VeryEdibleGardens #Melbourne

If you’ve wandered the back streets of Northcote l

If you’ve wandered the back streets of Northcote lately you may have spotted Northcote Primary School’s new edible garden area taking shape, with the latest addition being a super slick, fox proof straw yard and chook house by Very Edible Gardens.
Hand built from ethically sourced South Gippsland cypress macrocarpa, our chook houses and straw yards are sturdy, long lived, functional and full of handy little details to make keeping chooks simple and enjoyable.
If you’ve been dreaming about an upgrade for your own chooks or you’re planning a school or community garden project, feel free to reach out and we can chat through the best setup for your space.
www.veryediblegardens.com.au
#backyardchickens #chooks #ediblegardens #VeryEdibleGardens #permaculturedesign #melbournegardens

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Edible Weeds Walk
24 Oct 2026
Edible Weeds Walk
24 Oct 2026
Edible Weeds Walk
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