Kat Lavers' Free Seed Saving Workshop for Home Gardeners

Seed Saving for Home Gardeners is a workshop led by Kat Lavers, covering all the basics of seed saving tailored for home gardeners, including plant selection, pollination management, harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing seeds. Hosted through My Smart Garden initiatives, this free event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 11:00 AM AEST, at 50 Wheatsheaf Rd, Glenroy VIC 3046, Australia. It provides reliable, practical advice from local experts, allowing participants to get questions answered, enjoy tours of inspirational gardens, and engage in swaps of surplus seeds, plants, and produce. The session aims to revive traditional gardening knowledge, enabling attendees to save seeds successfully from their own gardens, promoting self-reliance and sustainability. Key topics include choosing genetically diverse, healthy plants for seed production, understanding pollination types (self-pollinating vs. insect-pollinated) to maintain varietal purity, timing harvests for maximum seed maturity, and post-harvest processing like fermentation for wet seeds or dry cleaning for pods. Drying techniques ensure low moisture content to prevent fungal issues, while storage in cool, dark, airtight conditions with silica packets preserves viability for years. The workshop addresses common pitfalls, such as saving from hybrid plants that won't breed true, and offers tips for labeling with variety names, harvest dates, and germination tests. As part of Zero Carbon Merri-bek's environmental efforts, it ties seed saving to reducing carbon footprints by minimizing seed purchases and supporting local adaptation. Participants benefit from a community atmosphere, meeting fellow gardeners and accessing free resources. Glenroy's location facilitates attendance for Melbourne northern suburbs residents, with the event's free nature broadening accessibility. Kat Lavers' expertise ensures comprehensive coverage, from annual vegetables like tomatoes and beans to flowers and perennials. Practical demonstrations likely include hands-on cleaning of sample seeds, empowering beginners to start immediately. This aligns with My Smart Garden's mission of neighborhood events, composting workshops, and sharing economies. By mastering these skills, home gardeners contribute to biodiversity conservation, heritage variety preservation, and resilient local food systems amid climate challenges. The workshop's structure supports ongoing learning through community networks.