This workshop is for anyone keen to learn all about bananas! Ellen Schindler and Sue Rajaguru will guide you through the fundamentals – from how to best grow them, how to care for them, and how to savour every last bit of the plant.

Bananas are an organically wrapped snack and nutritional staple fruit, imported to New Zealand from overseas at more than 70 million kilograms each year. Yet did you know that in many parts of the country the climate is perfect to grow your own and that they can go from planting to plate in less than 2 years? What’s more, home grown bananas are the gift that keeps on giving, with a fraction of the carbon footprint, skipping the sprays and import fumigations, to provide your family and community with that delicious yellow fruit!

Join us at Kelmarna Gardens for a crash course on how to establish a banana circle and make the most of banana plants in the kitchen. The first half of this 4-hour workshop will go over general learning about bananas and their growing needs. Ellen will use a banana circle demonstration model to help give you a clear picture how to best choose, prepare, and maintain a growing space for bananas.

Once you’ve covered the basics in the garden, you will step into the culinary realm where seasoned home cook Sue Rajaguru will teach how to prepare a number of dishes using different parts of the banana plant. You will come away knowing which parts can be used, how to best prepare them, and of course to conclude the workshop you will share in a group meal to taste and enjoy the scrumptious dishes together.

To help you get started with your banana project, there is the opportunity to preorder an organic banana pup with your ticket. These will be sourced from our own certified organic Kelmarna Gardens and ready to take home after the workshop, so be sure to register with a ‘+ Banana Pup’ ticket option to secure one of your own!

Tickets include: instruction, participation, food tastings, and one banana pup (if applicable / preordered)

What to bring:

- paper and pen (for taking notes)

- a refillable water bottle (to stay hydrated)

- weather appropriate gear (to keep safe & comfortable)

- an extra snack or lunch (if you like)

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Ellen Schindler is a passionate gardener and community organiser. Since 2006 she has nurtured her home garden in Sandringham into a productive food system with about 55 fruit trees of all types and sizes, beehives, chooks, and vegetable patches.

Ellen is also a committed volunteer who has been instrumental in establishing the Homestead and the Dignan Street Community gardens in Pt Chevalier and has been involved in planting and maintaining fruit trees in parks and grass berms across Sandringham. Ellen believes that healthy food should be accessible to everyone, and teaching hands-on DIY workshops is one of her favourite ways to achieve this goal.

For Ellen, growing bananas started 16 years ago when she was given a bunch of pups by a friend, and since then there’s been no going back! In fact, wherever Ellen lends a hand in the garden, a banana circle is sure to sprout!

Sue Rajaguru is a home cook who has grown up cooking for her family while also experimenting with a variety of foods beyond the family table. Sue is enthusiastic about sharing her experience and loves connecting with people who are keen to learn, understand, and enjoy it with her.

Each of Sue's recipes are simple enough to master at home and friendly to any dietary requirement. She can't wait to introduce you to traditional dishes using many different parts of the banana plant - from the sweetness of the great flower to the leaf in lieu of a plate.

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At Kelmarna, we strive to make education accessible for everyone. So, where possible, we offer a 40% discount on our workshops to valid Community Services Card holders. If you book one of these tickets, please email us a copy of your valid Community Services Card, and remember to bring it along to the workshop. Please note that this option does NOT include Super Gold Card holders. Ngā mihi.