Sharing the goodness

Just over a year ago were we setting up our first hot compost. With Dan and Aaron there to guide us we had great success. Looking at these photos it is amazing how the garden has matured in the last year. The garden has grown and so has the number of people involved with the garden.

This Saturday we are welcoming a group from Albion Park who are in the process of setting up their own community garden. This Saturday will be a wonderful time to reflect on our journey and to offer support to a new group of community gardeners.

Job for Saturday – 17^th March

-          Welcome the Albion Park Gardeners and show off our wonderful garden.

-          Empty half of raised garden of capsicums & chillies and fill with raked up mulch from pathways & fresh mulch. Top up with new compost.

-          Move the rest of the mulch.

-          Turn, bag or move compost.

-          Enjoy morning tea together.

Another Gap in the Clouds!

Last Saturday, we were extremely fortunate to get quite a few things ticked off the to-do list, despite a few showers. And this Saturday From 8.30 am we'll make inroads on the rest. 

Our relentless eradication of the leaf eating 28 spotted lady birds and their larvae will continue as well as:

•  Trimming wattles on the back fence
•  Bringing the raspberries to heel
•  Planting Les’ seedlings
•  Feeding the Worms and sorting out the worm tea
•  Restraining Bamboo with hessian straps
•  Spreading newly delivered mulch on garden paths
•  Weeding and harvesting
•  Enjoying morning tea together

Here's for a Fine Saturday, 3 March

With 42 mm of rain at the garden on Tuesday, 78 mm on Wednesday and today's lower figure pictured...

We're not quite sure what the scene will be on Saturday.  Les's Bana grass barriers slowed the torrent down our long sloped pathway yesterday, yet another creek swept in from the playing fields across our concreted area.
But we've got to be optimistic, and there are cabbages and broccoli to plant so.. It will be fine on Saturday.


This is what we hope to achieve:

•   Feed Worms
• · Prepare new beds
• · Plant Brassica's
• · Harvest
• · Squash bad lady birds
• · Sow green manure in melon bed
• · Control aphids on Brussels Sprouts.
• · Enjoy morning tea.

Tastes of Autumn

There is food for all after Saturday working bees! Our seating circle has provided brilliant habitat for water skinks who have bred prolifically and now eat bravely...

Fun in the sun this Saturday

This a photo from about this time last year.
We have come a long way. There are familiar faces in this picture and we have welcomed many more friends since then. Come and join us in our sunny garden this Saturday.

Jobs for Saturday 25^th February from 8.30 am

· Turn hot compost

· Construct the seating at the Great Wall of Les

· Continue to oil the Pergola

· Feed the worms

· Weeding

· Squashing evil lady birds

· Enjoy morning tea together

Strive for the Finish

It's going to be pretty busy about the playing fields all of this weekend as Region 5 Little Athletics comes to town.
Throughout the regional athletics carnival, Kiama will be teeming with young athletes and their families and it will probably be rather difficult to park anywhere near the garden.
So any working bee this weekend is going to be kept low key, although ongoing work will still take place towards finishing our new seating area and oiling the pergola timbers.
There's also general maintenance to be done, so any members who feel like visiting should still do so. 

Jobs For Saturday 18 February 


… a long way from where you’ve parked! – will be very low key

Continue work on Mid level garden seating

Continue oiling the pergola

Water……Harvest…….Squash 28 spotted ladybirds….Turn Compost

Enjoy each other’s company at morning tea.

Hot potato tip

Running out of space at home?

Come to the gardens to discover lots of tricks of the trade, like making use of 'hard surfaces' for growing seasonal food. Last weekend we created this small 1.5m x 1m no-dig potato patch in a spare corner.

It might not look much but if you do this at home you can expect do get at 10-30 potatoes from each potato planted. Which is a good return in anyone's book.

The yield varies depending on your climate, patch ingredients, type of potatoes, level of after planting maintenance etc BUT what have you got to loose, except a piece of driveway perhaps?!

For more information see http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2336819.htm

Jobs for Saturday 11th Jan from 8.30 am – this week we are focusing on infrastructure.

Some of these tasks can be done no matter what the weather is doing some come along.

· Turn hot compost

· Construct the seating at the Great Wall of Les

· Sand and oil the Pergola

· Harvest

· Enjoy morning tea together