What your garden could be saving you today

I had a walk round my local Coles supermarket last night and here is what i found, and the savings that can be made made with your own garden not to mention the satisfaction of growing them is well worth it.

The Vegetables below we are all picking quatities of now:

Green Beans $4.98kg*
Spring Onions $1.98 bunch*
Spinach $3.48 bunch*
Beetroot $4.98 for 5 smaller than a snooker ball, (i picked 3 today almost as big as a softball)
Zucchinis $4.50kg

Fresh "8 Ball" Zucchini

Lettuce $2.48 each*
Lebanese cucumbers $5.98kg*
Herbs $2.48 bunch***
Pak Choy $1.98 for 2*
Garlic $17.98kg*
Fennel $1.28 each*
White onions $4.98kg*
Chillis $13.98kg*
Leeks *
Potatoes

*picked from my garden this week at home and Community Garden plot

Successful Working Bee and other news.

Talking amongst ourselves on friday it wasn't shaping up to be a great day for a communial working bee on saturday, but what started out a touch on the damp side didnt deter anyone, a dozen or so folk turned out and a big thankyou goes out to the committee members involved in the day, thanks to Jeff Ferrif the gardens president and his crew for putting together a BBQ lunch and thanks to Camden Council for their donations towards lunch.

The assembled troops cleaned up the herb garden, which has been a constant source of supplies for all association members, we can now distinguish chives poking through where once there were nettles, and the germinating italian parlsey has been given respite from the same beasties.

The shade trade with our seating will soon provide shade, it is now starting to sprout leaves and the almond tree had a solitary flower on it this morning.

Other plantings recently include potatoes for the Salvation Army "Brunch to Lunch" soup kitchen, these are in Bed 5, and Rocket in bed 7, Bed 4 is currently providing copious amounts of vegies for the Salvation Army in the form of Cabbage, Broccoli, Broccolini, Celery and Spinach, and is being tended by committee members, these have also been supplemented with donations of Leeks, Shallots, and several herbs from the communial herb section and other gardeners.

We will soon be adopting a marking system, using the Salvation Army logo, this will mark vegetables being donated to the soup kitchen, this will enable fresh harvesting of produce for the kitchen.

Floriade is around the corner, any association members interested in attending Floriade, the suggestion has been made we take a bus trip down, please register expressions of interest here, with preference for dates between the 17th of September and the 16th of October, using the same link also register interest in a bus trip around some of Sydneys' community gardens.

Happy Gardening Comrades in Compost

Steve

Over the hump, Spring here we come.

We are now over the hump but winter isn't quite finished with us and decided to remind us by giving our gardens a frosty coating over the last couple of weeks, a few vegetables have had their growth slowed somewhat with gardeners trying to take control and initiate a few preventative measures to keep the warmth in the soil and their plants, concerns over flowers setting on broad beans and growth of various veges have been raised but i am sure over the next few weeks these thoughts will be behind us. The herb garden is still quite productive with Coriander and Sage trying to shrug off the cold, Curley and Italian Parsley are both growing well, Chervil and Dill also both growing really well, and i have to say went down very well on the sausage sandwiches that we enjoyed during the working bee.



Shallots



Another great working bee on saturday, a big thankyou to all concerned, many hands make light work and thanks to the efforts of all concerned weed matting was put down on about 75m of perimeter, unfortunately alot of the kangaroo grass planted early on had failed to take hold. The redundant/spare/relinquished beds were weeded and allocated to new gardeners or existing ones wishing to expand. The mulch was all used up and we now await another delivery. Thanks to Annette for her work with the kids on the day with the installation of 2 new worm farms, Gabrielle, Warwick, Jai and Tali certainly enjoyed naming all their new friends in the worm farms, more worms will be delivered over the coming weeks.

If you are wondering what to plant at the moment the following can be put in - radish, shallots, spinach, peas, onions, lettuce, endive, chicory and kohlrabi.

Anyone interested in the gardens can find out by dropping us an email via the contacts link