As a horticulturalist, landscape and permaculture designer and educator, if it’s flora based, Narelle Happ can do it. She has a passion for designing havens for homeowners and teaching people how to grow and then use native bush foods. At the heart of her work lies the belief that being in nature, getting our hands in the soil or even simply having a plant on the windowsill leads to better health, both mentally and physically, and she’s sharing this knowledge through her very popular workshops.
Narelle has gardening in her blood. Both her grandparents were farmers and her parents owned a property that backed onto the bush where her father only permitted native plants to be grown. She noticed, however, that her grandfather, who started gardening in the 40s, "grew all these weird and wonderful things but never grew a native bush food. I found that really fascinating".
Nowadays there’s a real appetite, figuratively and literally, for bush food. Narelle said, "I asked permission of some of the local Elders if I could teach people how to grow the plants because obviously that’s my expertise and it just took off. People really wanted to know.”
Photo: Narelle Happ
She teaches everyone from preschoolers, some of whom are lucky enough to have thriving bush food gardens on school grounds, to the kids at Campbelltown's Juvenile Justice Centre, where they’ve recently added a sensory garden.
As to the importance of getting to know these plants, Narelle says, “Bush food sustained Indigenous people for more than 65,000 years. We are always looking for the next super food, often turning to food from overseas.
"We have superfoods here.
"A lot of our native bush food exceed the nutritional value of exotic food. Bush food plants grow well in our climate as they are endemic to here. The stories behind the food, the ceremonies, totems, medicinal uses and dyeing qualities make them an extraordinarily important part of the history of this country.”
Photo: Narelle Happ
Narelle also runs regular workshops with Women Illawarra encompassing everything from how to start a herb garden to weaving with recycled goods. And she believes that time spent gardening and out in nature can be beneficial for everyone.
“Nature is an important therapy,” she said. “There’s all these studies that show even five minutes in nature can lower your cortisol levels, can help with anxiety, with sleep… It’s a really important part of your life. Even if you’ve just got a plant on your windowsill.”
- Native Edible Bush Food Garden Workshop: The Servo Port Kembla, Saturday 17th June 2023, 2-4pm, book here
- Native Bush Food Garden Workshop: Sydney Wildflower Nursery, Saturday 22nd July 2023, 10am-12 noon, book here
- A Garden for Life Cultural Immersion: with Elders Uncle Dean Kelly, Dr Jodi Edwards, Corrine Tillett and Amy Lee Hill, Mt Keira Girl Guides Camp, Sunday 15th October 2023, 9am - 5pm, book here
For more details on upcoming workshops, head to A Garden for Life on Facebook.
Click here to learn more about Narelle’s garden design work.
