Growing from Seed: Nurturing a Glowing Gut at the Edible Gardens Festival WA
Each autumn, the Edible Gardens Festival WA brings together the region’s most passionate growers, gardeners, and green thumbs for a weekend of open gardens, workshops, and shared wisdom across the South West. It’s a celebration of community resilience and a reminder of how deeply we’re connected to the soil beneath our feet. The festival invites visitors to see where our food comes from, meet the people behind it, and learn how to grow in harmony with the land.
For us at Wayfinder, joining the festival felt like a natural extension of what we do every day. This year, we opened our gates to the public for the first time, hosting two intimate seed-raising workshops in Margaret River, at our produce shed. It was a chance to share knowledge, soil, and seeds with our local community, and a glimpse of what’s to come as we expand our educational offerings in the seasons ahead.
Successful Seedlings for a Glowing Gut
Led by Amy Dyson, our Head Market Gardener and the grower behind Plumo Market Garden, the workshop Successful Seedlings for a Glowing Gut explored how the vitality of soil directly influences the vitality of our bodies.
A nutritionist-turned-grower, Amy knows all about cultivating nutrient density long before the plants reach our plates.
“Growing from seed is the best way to explore interesting varieties and find plants that will thrive in your specific growing conditions.” - Amy Dyson, Head Market Gardener
Participants got their hands in the soil, learning the fundamentals of raising strong, resilient seedlings. Each guest left with several punnets of freshly sown greens, the beginnings of their own bespoke salad mix for the garden, and a renewed appreciation for how, as Amy reminds us, “Healthy seedlings are the key to a great harvest.”
The Wayfinder × Plumo Seed-Raising Mix
Amy shared her tried-and-true seed-raising mix recipe, developed for both home gardeners and production growers.
Seed-Raising Mix Recipe:
- 2 parts Green Life Soil Co. seed-raising mix
- 2 parts coco coir
- 1 part aged compost, manure, or worm castings
The mix should be moist but not wet, just damp enough to stick together without dripping. From there, it’s all about patience and care: pack the mix into punnets, tap to settle, sow two seeds per cell, cover lightly, and water gently.
As Amy shared, “Two of our favourite places to source high-quality seeds from are Transition Farm and Active Vista.” Choosing seeds and varieties that germinate and grow well will significantly improve success in organic and regenerative systems.
Lessons from the Garden
Under soft autumn light, participants gathered around as Amy shared both practical techniques and mindful insights. She discussed the five essentials for healthy seedlings: air, water, light, nutrients, and protection from extremes, and how these same principles underpin all life in the garden.
Her approach to watering emphasised consistency: ideally in the morning, with the occasional bottom-water to encourage deeper roots. Whether using a misting system or a watering can, the goal is consistent, even moisture throughout the tray.
Amy also helped participants recognise the signs of thriving seedlings: upright leaves, consistent germination, and bright roots with fine hairs. Of course, not everything goes to plan: leggy seedlings mean too little light; rotting stems point to overwatering; slow germination suggests incorrect temperature. Her advice was simple and empowering: experiment and observe.
Growing for Gut Health
Throughout the workshop, the conversation circled back to nutrition and diversity, two things Amy believes go hand-in-hand. Growing a wide range of greens, from mizuna and mustard to dill and coriander, feeds both the gardener and the gut.
The compounds responsible for flavour, colour, and resilience in plants often mirror those that support human health. In other words, the more diversity in your garden, the more diversity in your diet, and that’s the foundation of a thriving microbiome.
The Rhythm of Care
Raising seedlings is much more than a one-off task; instead, it’s a rhythm of observation and care. The seed-raising workshop ended with Amy’s reflections on nurturing consistency rather than control. One watering a day is usually enough through autumn and winter, while the warmer months might call for two or even three waterings on hot, windy days.
She also introduced the idea of multi-sown seedlings, where several seeds are planted in each cell to grow crops like coriander or spring onions. This space-saving technique works well for crops like dill, coriander, spring onion and beetroot, and can help home gardeners get the most out of their garden beds.
Community Roots
At its heart, the Edible Gardens Festival WA is about knowledge-sharing and community resilience. For Wayfinder, hosting this organic gardening workshop was a reflection of our broader mission: to regenerate and inspire through our actions, products, and place.
Just as we nurture soil life in our certified organic vineyard, Amy and the team are cultivating a living classroom in the Wayfinder market garden, a space where composting, crop rotation, and gentle hands-on care are everyday practice. The same regenerative principles that guide our vines also shape the food we grow for our Wine Bar and Restaurant in Dunsborough, creating a genuine farm-to-table ecosystem.
By opening our gates to the festival, we hope to inspire more people to reconnect with the land, to see how regeneration begins, quite literally, at the roots.
Looking Ahead
2025 marked Wayfinder’s first year participating in the Edible Gardens Festival WA, and it certainly won’t be our last. With our new market garden space already under construction, we’re preparing for an even bigger and more immersive involvement in the 2026 festival.
Meanwhile, Amy continues her work in the Plumo and Wayfinder gardens, preparing seed beds, experimenting with cover crops, and refining her methods for growing nutrient-dense food all year round.
Whether in the vineyard or the market garden, the message is simple: regeneration begins with care. From seed to soil to plate, every decision matters.
Quick Guide: Amy’s Top Tips for Raising Healthy Seedlings
- Start with a living mix — use quality compost and organic inputs.
- Sow with intention — two seeds per cell, twice as deep as the seed’s height.
- Water gently and consistently — morning is best; avoid letting trays dry out.
- Feed lightly — after two true leaves, add diluted fish and kelp fertiliser every 10–14 days.
- Observe and adapt — the best gardeners are attentive learners
FAQ
What are the best greens to grow for gut health?
Leafy greens like kale, mizuna, rocket, mustard, and herbs such as dill and coriander contain phytonutrients and fibre that support gut health.
How do I start seedlings organically?
Use an organic seed-raising mix, avoid synthetic fertilisers, and rely on compost or worm castings for gentle nutrition.
Why grow from seed instead of buying seedlings?
Growing from seed allows you to raise strong, healthy seedlings, reduce costs, and choose the varieties that are best suited to your local growing conditions.
Visit Wayfinder Wines
Workshops like Successful Seedlings for a Glowing Gut are just one of the ways we connect our regenerative philosophy with our community. To explore our other events and experiences in Margaret River first-hand, visit us at:
Wayfinder Wines
168 Clews Road, Cowaramup
wayfinderwines.com.au
