News and Events: Autumn in the Garden

Hi Everyone!

Summer has been a busy time for us at the garden as I'm sure you're all aware! With the completion of both the chook shed and the wood fired pizza oven, we have had our hands full. All that hard work is paying off now, in terms of delicious fresh eggs and pizza!

For those of you who are interested in how we built the pizza oven, I will shortly be uploading a set of pictorial instructions of step by step construction of the oven, to assist any of you who are now thinking about doing the same thin in your own garden. Watch this space (and your email) for more info soon.

With the quieter Autumn season coming on, we will have more time to spend on activities outside of normal garden maintenance. We will be running workshops over the coming months on a wide range of topics, from composting to fertiliser production and maybe even bees. If there is a topic you would particularly like to explore, tell me or one of the coordinators and we will do what we can to make it happen.

I'm looking forward to working with you all in the garden soon, there is allot to be done and allot to look forward to!

See you there,

Jackson

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your help over the last year. This year has been a huge year for the SLC garden, including :

· establishing the drip irrigation system for the main veggie beds

· procuring 2 x 5000L Water tanks

· establishing the Orchard

· sales of excess produce (to the ANU food coop)

· securing a grant from the Australian Open Garden Scheme – for the chook shed

o Building the chook shed (70% done)

· rebuilding the herb spiral

· holding workshops on composting, worm farming, drip irrigation systems, water tanks, permaculture and many others.

This has all been achieved due to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers who have given up their time to make this special. So thank you for all your help this year. Next year is looking like being an even bigger year so please watch this space.


HELP OVER CHRISTMAS

Christmas is always a difficult time for the garden as the heat and lack of people really take its toll on the garden. The garden also traditionally stops its working bees from the 24th Dec – 4th of January. However the plants still need a drink and basic maintenance is required.

If you are able to help (even for only 10 minutes to water) over the Christmas break please send me an email to let me know and I will send you instructions of what to do. These are the main dates we really require help on:

24th Dec
26/27th Dec
29th Dec
1st/2nd/3rd Jan

Once again thank you all for your help and look forward to seeing you all (and our new feathered friends – the chickens) in 2010.

Cheers,
Riccardo

SLC GARDEN WINS GARDEN GRANT

Hello all,
The SLC garden has won a grant from the Australian open garden scheme. The money will go towards the construction of a chook run, shed and fruit trees in a integrated system. The plans are to have the system finished by early December 2009 and will be built primarily by volunteers. If you would like to be part of the fun please come down and have a look.

Thanks again to everyone who was involved in the grant including: Jackson, Beth, Jasper and Sharyn.

Hope to see you all down in the garden soon.

Cheers,
Riccardo

Video Blog #1: Intorduction to the garden

Hello all,
My name is Riccardo Natoli and I have taken over as garden coordinator for the SLC organic garden. We are currently looking for volunteers and now is a great time to join in the fun. Have a look at the following video for more information about the garden and then come and join in on the fun Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-6pm and Saturdays 10am-12pm.

The garden is starting to prepare for winter so now is a great time to come and help out.

Also stay tuned for more video, photos and how to demonstrations to be placed on the blog throughout 2009. Should be a great growing year!!!!

Cheers,
Riccardo

November highlights!

Some pictures from around the garden this November:

The native/bush food garden beds on the South are finally complete!

Shed

Never too late radishes

lush potatoes, basils, tomatoes, capsicums and eggplants

onions flowering

Amy making use of the dried pea stalks as mulch for the native plants

the environment centre's balcony garden

appreciating the terrific achievements of 2008

Lawrence, Sally, and Amy

Cheers.

October highlights! (Spring, Warm, Very Warm and occasionally Drizzly)

It's all happening at the Garden.

October reminded everyone that there is certainly a physical component to setting up a sustainable garden and growing great veggies! And we've had plenty of physical activity and exercise going on this month: sowing seeds, transplanting all sorts of veggies, planting lots of trees, transferring dirt and mulch, building up no dig structures, picking produce, moving beds, the works! But it's all sweat and smiles.

Started consigning some of the Garden's peas to the ANU Food Co-op this October too, and they're selling really well! So be sure to get some for your next veggie basket...Support the local food system!

Sally has suggested we turn the unused southern beds into a bush food garden! What a terrific idea! So watch out for that!

Here's some highlights from the productive month of October.

Amy transplanting seedlings into Bed 1: Tomatoes (and lots of it), basil, potatoes (top), capsicum, potatoes (middle), eggplant, potatoes (bottom)

Cucumbers at Bed 4

Zucchinis at Bed 3

Corn at Bed 3

Radishes, leeks, beetroots and carrots in an experimental mini-water spike system at Bed 2

Pumpkin patch!

Extending the garden to the back of the Centre's wall, planted calendulas, mint, comfrey, and sunflowers (can't wait to see this go wild!).

Beetroot from the herb spiral

And the onions are ready. Tangy and sweet brown and spanish types.

The salad and herb bed. Lettuce, mints, strawberries, lavenders, and calendulas--what a sight. Pass the dressing please.

Bindu eating fresh and organic

Citrus tree (front) and Bay tree (back) at the southern end of the garden (note garden beds to the right to be used to grow bush foods!)

Locally grown organic peas for local 'berrans.

The eggplants are growing very well.

The capsicums are growing very well too.

The biggest tomato plant so far (as with the pumpkins, we are expecting a haul of tomatoes by the end of this season)

More radishes sprouting...they grow pretty quick and are pretty spicy too.

The dill flowering and feeling tall.

Dill inhabitant.

Jared weeding.

The product of sheer brawns: Steve, Jared and Lawrence's weed matting project. To ensure weeds don't grow on the planned mulched paths in between the beds, we laid out old carpet to suppress the weeds. And cutting and carrying old and dusty carpets is hardwork! But knowing we're able to hold the weeds off for future gardeners made the whole thing worth it.

Segregating Beds 3 and 4 officially (and the space in between is carpeted too!)

Sally watering Bed 2

Spanish onion, which probably ended up in Adam's dinner

The Garden has certainly come a long way. I can already foresee a lush green space with veggies, natives, and trees growing everywhere, smell all sorts of sweet and spicy scents, hear birds chirping, see some animal friends skipping about and lots of cool people with huge salad bowls.
Do you see it happening too?

See you all soon!

School Holidays (Sept 29-Oct 10)

Here's some pictures taken from the garden through the school holidays...lotsa dirt, lotsa greens, lotsa action, and lotsa smiling faces!

ready for transplanting

Aquila preparing the beds

transplanting tomatoes

watering lettuces is meant to be a father-daughter experience

Maddie and the biggest turnip to come out of the garden (1.1 kg!)

Katie helping herself to some peas

Hannah getting ready to plant a tree

Sally looking after Bed 4

Amy and our new pumpkin patch

Busy bodies: Josh, Steve, Amy, Sally, and Hannah

And the broadbeans start beaning

Sal transplanting lettuces to Bed 4.
The organic garden is tremendously thankful for all your help, wisdom, and coolness Sal!
We've managed to do so much work! Looking forward to more.

See you guys soon!