From a creative suburban sanctuary to a thriving winery kitchen garden, the 2026 Edible Gardens Festival is set to showcase the incredible diversity of food growing across the Margaret River region.
This year’s program features six open gardens, including two standout spaces that highlight very different — yet equally inspiring — approaches to growing food at home and beyond.
In Margaret River, Rose and Adam have transformed their quarter-acre block into a lush, productive and visually stunning suburban haven. Blending edible and ornamental plantings, their garden proves that food-growing can be both highly productive and beautifully designed.
With more than 30 fruit trees, alongside strawberries, herbs and pollinator-friendly flowers, the garden supports both people and wildlife. Sculptural raised beds add structure and visual appeal, while compost bins and a rainwater tank underpin a chemical-free growing approach. Creative use of art and up-cycled materials adds personality, showing how everyday items can be repurposed into functional garden features.
Visitors will be able to take part in hands-on demonstrations, with Rose and Adam sharing how to build simple DIY raised strawberry and herb planters, as well as how to construct durable raised vegetable beds using limestone blocks.
Rose in her wonderful suburban garden
Snake and Herring Winery garden a stunner
Meanwhile in Wilyabrup, a very different — but equally inspiring — garden awaits at Snake and Herring Winery. Here, gardener Eve Franssen produces organic food for Yarri Restaurant and Bar’s head chef Aaron Carr and his team, showcasing what can be achieved through smart, small-scale permaculture design.
Built and managed by Eve as a solo operation, the garden is a model of efficient, low-cost, closed-loop growing. Visitors will see worm farms, compost teas, pollinator plantings, bees, chickens and highly productive market garden beds all working together to create a resilient and abundant system.
Festival-goers can hear directly from both Eve and Aaron about how the garden supplies fresh produce to the restaurant, before enjoying wine tastings and local fare at the cellar door — making it a unique paddock-to-plate experience.
This garden also features a strong line-up of practical demonstrations and stalls. Permaculture West will share the best ways to build soil health and choose the right compost system for your home, while Yates Hort and Ag will cover when, how and why to use seaweed extracts and trace elements. Donnybrook Busselton Bee Supplies will also be on site offering beekeeping equipment and advice. Visitors can enjoy cellar door wine tastings, hot food and coffee from Beans+ throughout the day.
Snake and Herring Winery head market gardener Eve Franssenn
A weekend of sustainability, open gardens and good times
Both gardens are part of the broader Edible Gardens Festival, which returns from May 22–24 across the Margaret River region. The annual not-for-profit sustainability festival features six open productive gardens, along with a full program of live demonstrations, gardener talks and hands-on workshops designed to inspire and educate home growers of all levels. Saturday’s open gardens are now sold out, but a handful are still available for Sunday’s open garden program.
For the first time, the festival also features a seasonal long table lunch — now sold out — celebrating the best local produce and growers. The expanded workshop program has proven equally popular, with most sessions already sold out and only limited spots remaining across the weekend. Festival buses are also running as a green transport option, but these have also now sold out.
“From a suburban backyard to a working winery garden, these two spaces show just how adaptable and creative food growing can be,” says festival organiser Trevor Paddenburg. “They’re packed with practical ideas, but also really capture the joy of growing — whether it’s for your family, your community or even a local restaurant.”
Great growing spaces and veggie gardens will be a feature of the festival
Tickets selling fast so get in quick
Tickets remain at 2025 prices, with single-day open garden tickets $20 (free for children 16 and under) and workshops $25. With both days of open gardens selling fast and the festival having sold out for the past four years, early booking is strongly recommended via www.ediblegardensfestival.au, where the full program is available.
Margaret River Mitre 10 is again offering ticket-holders a 20 per cent discount on fruit trees, potted plants and vegetable seedlings.
Avocados ripening in a Margaret River food garden
The festival is proudly supported by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, Margaret River Regional Environment Centre, Margaret River Mitre 10, Lazarus Horticulture, Yates Hort and Ag, Mumballup Organics, South West Tree Services and Cape to Cape Explorer Tours.
Also participating in the festival is Burnside Organic Farm, Soil Dynamics, Seasol, The Farm House Margaret River, Wayfinder Wines, Yates, Shogun Tools, South West Orchard Builders, Shelter Brewing Co, Capes Horticulture, Plumo Market Garden, Witchcliffe Permaculture & Design, Vegepod, Wild Lot Distillery, Capes Foundation, El Kapo Hot Sauce, Yeye Natural Farm, Nature Conservation Margaret River Region, Margaret River Community Pantry, Water Corporation, South Regional TAFE and the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association.