Prep talk in April - and a spot of weeding

Today at the gardens we had some korero about prepping the gardens for winter plantings and other activities we can do in the coming months. We also did some weeding, compost turning and adding compost to the gardens. 

Some winter veges such as cabbages are coming along nicely, while silver beet, spinach, kale and parsley are good for harvesting now. We hope to put up some signage indicating more clearly items that should be left for maturing before harvesting. 

For the coming months, Kumar will prepare a calendar of activities for tidying up the beds and further preparing the gardens for winter and then spring. We will also look at contributing a dish or two from the garden produce for a community Matariki event near the end of June.

We'll also get some seedlings from the Urban Kai Farm up the Valley and plant some on Sat 29 April - an extra little working bee this month in addition to our usual 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month. Come along from 10.30 on those days to see what's growing, meet other members of the community, and learn more about gardening and food preparation. Bon appetit!

Community networking round the gardens

Building networks in the community with others through gardening today. We had visitors from Croft Grove flats, Te Kakano o te Aroha, and Christine - the Moera Community Engagement Coordinator. Croft Grove has a garden of their own going with silverbeet, tomatoes, spring onions, etc and some compost bins. We're all learning as gardeners, so was good to do some weeding, exchange notes and plants such as taewe ('Maori potatoes'), Jerusalem artichokes; then korero over a cuppa tea or coffee - and biscuits brought by someone!

Left the dirty, smelly work til after, when (some of) us shovelled a trailer load of horse manure into our compost bins before Tom drove the rest down to feed the compost at Croft Grove. Then a Samoan lady new to the area turned up with her food scraps - she's been doing some quiet weeding for us on the side during the week as well.

Well done all who were there - some great conversations and networking going on. A few more working bees before Christmas (and plenty of live bees around the borage as well today).

Look where we've come from! The fledgling gardens in 2008. And some of that early crew are still around! 'From small beginnings, good things grow.'

A new year, a new start

Due to the (expected) warm summer months, we are trialing working bees on Wednesday fortnightly at 6pm. Today had our first light session after a good dose of rain overnight and in the morning.
Tom and Liz planted broccoli and bok choi, and applied some liquid fertilizer - organic, but smelly stuff!!. We also did a bit of weeding and picking off apparent blighted leaves of tomatoes (the fruit of which is looking good!). So hopefully the blight does not take hold.

Silver beet, rhubarb, cucumber doing well, and many other plants beside - also a good head of cabbage on one of the plants.

And check out the apples and pears on the fruit trees at the back near the railway line. Many look ripe or almost ripe - I have just been picking up windfall from the ground so far. Help yourself to the produce carefully, but if taking regularly, do lend a hand in the garden please.

Sessions coming up: Wednesday 6pm: 24 Feb; 10 March, 24 March. See you there.