Let's all give a fig.

Calling all gardeners, calling all gardeners, URGENT, URGENT.

A load of mulch has finally arrived courtesy of Active Trees. We now need to be active in moving the mulch. Tomorrow if you can spare an hour or so, early if you are bothered by the heat, come and give a hand. There is weeding to be done and many lighter tasks too.

Many hands make light work. Meaning if you all come it will be easier.

A stitch in time saves nine. Meaning if we move it whilst it is fresh it will be lighter and therefore easier to move.

Don't say I don't give a fig as we have figs and they are rapidly fattening up.

Fun for all as we rollick in the mulch.

Raindrops on strawberries (and other fruit in the Rosacea family)

With all this warm weather it is timely to post our record of rainfall during the last three years.

Vince has been monitoring and recording every drop of rain we have received in the garden since March 2011. I have just punched it all into a spreadsheet and added some averages. Over time we will build this into a long term record for the garden and it might be useful for other Kiama residents.

Last Saturday's working bee was a lovely morning and we had a good meeting at the morning tea. Hope to see members at the meeting this Wednesday and for fun in the garden and a delicious morning tea on Saturday.

...for these are a few of my favourite things!

Red Hot Summer

2014 has begun with news today that 2013 was Australia's hottest year in recorded history! 
Yet the garden is still producing good harvests and even more thanks must go to the small band of volunteers who have kept the garden watered since the summer heat began.
Garden gatherings throughout January should be as follows:

Wednesday Working Bees: from 9.30 am on January 8^th  and 22^nd

Wednesday meeting:   4.30 pm January 15^th and 29^th
Saturday working bees: from 9 am January 4^th, 11^th and 18^th

^{Some gardeners might be wondering what these different plants growing on the top level are.}

^{They are tomatillos, a vital ingredient of salsa verde in Mexican cuisine. The outer lantern type casing dries off when the tomatillos are ready to be harvested. This layer is then discarded and the fruits can be char-grilled, baked or made into various salsa recipes. They have a pleasant tangy taste when raw and they can be added to various salads. Many of the recipes that green tomatoes are used in originated from tomatillo recipes. Once tomatillos are harvested they should store for several weeks if kept dry.}

Sun and Rain and the Garden is Thriving!

December, and it's a cheer to be here! December dates are as follows AGM & party to follow - Friday Dec. 6 @ 5pm

Wednesday Working Bees: @9.30 am     December 4th and 18th

Wednesday meeting: @4.30pm   December  11th

Saturday working bees @ 9am December 7th and 14th and 21st

Guided Bush Tucker walk and Worm tea update

Hello Community Gardeners,

Below is a link to a guided walk on Bush Tucker and Bush Medicine plants. It is at Blackbutt Forest and is guided by Terry Rankmore who helped out with the plant selection on our own Hillside Native Food Forest. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

http://www.landcareillawarra.org.au/2013/10/free-bush-tucker/

We are also happily using our new backpack sprayer to spread our delicious worm tea around the garden. Eddie's work maintaining the worm farms has been wonderful and the resulting worm tea is now a tonic for our fruit and vegies.

 

Tea anyone? - Great work Eddie

Gardening in November

Tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, beans and potatoes are just some of the vegetables we have planted recently. Many of our fruit trees are flowering and fruiting - chocolate pudding fruit, mango, fig and many more.

Many of our regulars have been helping with weeding and watering but we would always welcome some new faces. Come and visit us on a Saturday morning and have a look around. We are located between the sporting fields and Blue Haven.

Dates for November

Saturday Working Bees - 2nd, 9th, 16th and 30th,  9am

Wednesday Working Bees - 6th, 20th at 9.30

Wednesday General Meetings - 13th, 27th at 4.30

Governance Meeting - 21st November


The AGM will be held on Friday 6th December at 5pm. This will double as our Christmas gathering with a party to follow at 6pm.