Monday 5 December 2016

Potato harvest Sunday December 3rd

Due to the pesky blight and the pesky birds eating them, it was decided that the potatoes would be lifted one week earlier and so an additional working bee was held on the December 3rd.

Brendan and Matthew with Shamus in the barrow.

All hands on deck - what a brilliant turnout.

Bev overseas the team.

A gorgeous day for the work.

Sinead collects weeds for removal.

Our beautiful Sanctuary soil - and some of our beautiful Sanctuary members!

Idyllic!

The harvest.

Our 3 varieties;
Uenuku,

Liseta,

and Maori.

 Meanwhile, our honey bees are hard at work.

The harvest ready to be weighed and portioned out, once next year's seed potatoes have been selected.

Bev and Sarah clean the tools after the dig.

The gardens are looking magnificent - lovely poppies.

Our slumbering Hugelkulter is now planted.

Meanwhile, our noxious weeds are slowly being transformed into nutrient rich organic matter that's safe to add back into the gardens.

The harvested beds are now ready for the next crop to go in at this Sundays regular working bee.

Dense-headed poppies - the nearest thing to a Peonie that will grow in Auckland!

Fragrant sweet peas - a market favourite.

Summertime and Zucchini starting to flower.

Shamus found his heart shaped potato!

Carefully weighed booty.

A perfect selection.

Delicious,
not just new, but Brand new potatoes!
YUM!

Monday 14 November 2016

Sanctuary working bee - Sunday 13th November


The 'Engine room' VJ, Peter and Clement turn the compost.

Ian pitches in too.

John wrangles the huge pile of fresh green material.

Preparing the beds are Christine, Dimitri, Sarah, David, Karine, Cathy and John.


Our beautiful organic gardens!

 Ainsley and Mort weed the front garden.

Gabriel too.

Island style edge trimming by 'Mike the Slasher'

Bev and VJ - sneaky long lens shot, the only way to get a picture of Bev.

A stunning dark coloured poppy. Save the seed...

Stephanie and Riley weed the beds.

Rileys cool gumboots!

Jenny works on the edges of the food forest.

Welcome to new members Jeremy and Olive, weed the comfrey.

Liz - paparazzi shy - weeds the beautiful herb garden.

 Beautiful Iris'.

Sweet, sweetpeas!

Trevor harvests the carrots.

A good crop.

 The new bees are settling in well. We look forward to the honey - YUM!
Gerry Smith is our bee keeper.

Benedict washes pots for re-use.

Lucile

 Corinne

 Martina came along to help

Communal beetroot

Our delicious piles of produce for the working bee workers.

Rhubarb, beans, carrots and beets...

And limes.

Sarah

and Sarah

Dimitri, Sarah and Rose

Dimitri

Elli

Jackie and Cathy

Mike, Dimitri and David who came along to volunteer while he waits for a plot of his own.

At our next working bee we will be harvesting potatoes. See you then.