Bring A Taste of Gwinganna Home
A in the
DayBY KELLY HEITZ
SHELLEY PRYOR Organic Gardener , Gwinganna
Lifestyle Retreat , Queensland , Australia
For Shelley Pryor , organic gardener at the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Queensland , Australia , organic gardening has long been her way of life . “ I grew up in a regional area where my parents grew and farmed everything we needed , so through all of my life , gardening and food were both my passions .” Pryor was a chef for 23 years , working in many hotels and restaurants , and then health spas . Because of her life ’ s work and background , it was a natural transition for her to move into gardening at Gwinganna , which boasts the largest organic gardens in an Australasian health retreat .
“ We have four garden areas , with two main gardens supplying vegetables and greens . The other two areas predominantly supply fresh herbs and edible flowers for the chefs as well as medicinal herbs ,” says Pryor . “ We currently supply most of the leafy green vegetables used at the retreat in all meals , plus around 80 percent of the herbs .”
The site also includes orchards and four active bee hives . “ As someone who is allergic to bees , it was very challenging introducing the hives to the property ,”
56 PULSE ■ January / February 2017
Life !
The life of a spa professional is a continuous cycle of daily responsibilities that help make the spa world go round . Pulse asks ISPA members to give us a sneak peek into their daily lives to help us understand the roles they play and the difference they make on a daily basis . says Pryor . “ I had always wanted to have bees but was too fearful of being stung . Bees sense your energy and know that you are afraid before you know it . I have learned how to do a meditation to settle my energy and work with the bees on the same vibrational level . Now , I rarely get stung .”
For Pryor , the extensive benefits of having the hives on-site outweigh the personal risk factor . “ The reason I wanted them to be on-site is all about pollination . By improving the pollination of our plants , we have increased both our production and quality . As my role is also to help educate guests , I now talk to them about the importance of bees to our environment and encourage them to plant edible flowers to attract more bees to their own gardens .”
Pryor ’ s most extensive guest education retreat is the Organic Living Program , in which she teaches guests how to grow and use sprouts and edible flowers , create their own compost , the importance of soil quality , and even solutions for small home and apartment gardening .
“ It ’ s so rewarding when guests return again and tell us how their health has changed and what things they have done in their own gardens . I have been here for more than 10 years now and still love meeting new guests and seeing guests return to us looking healthier and happier .”
On an average work day , Pryor starts her day early :
★ 5 am Feeds the retreat ’ s silky bantam chickens that also help to control pests in the garden . Pryor then waters and talks to her seedlings , and plants any micro greens or seeds that need to be planted that day .
★ 7 am “ A few days each week , I take guests for a garden walk as one of the early morning activity options . This shows them our gardens and I talk to them about herbs and their particular uses . I aim to inspire them to start growing their own nutrient-dense organic food at home .”
★ 9 am It ’ s time to get her hands dirty ! Pryor picks any produce the chefs might need for upcoming meals , and then focuses on feeding the worm farm and making compost . “ We currently make 50 to 60 tons a year , which all goes back into the gardens .”
★ 2 pm After lunch , Pryor ’ s schedule could include anything from teaching a gardening class to guests and coordinating small group gardening session to beekeeping or working in the orchards . n
Bring A Taste of Gwinganna Home
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat , which recently received an Eco Spa of the Year honor by the 2016 AsiaSpa Awards , has released a new organic cook book , A Taste of Gwinganna . Like all meals served at Gwinganna , every recipe in the book is gluten- and dairy-free . It includes a special section on organic gardening and tips shared by Pryor . “ I worked with our editor on selecting some key components of my expertise to share with readers . We wanted to offer ideas and information on things like fermented foods , non-dairy milks and edible flowers so people can try something different at home and follow the process step by step . I love being able to share what I do , and now people can take the book home after they visit and be able to reproduce things we talk about at the retreat .”
To learn more about A Taste of Gwinganna , visit gwinganna . com .