Sunday 14 October 2018

14th October 2018 - Working Bee

A beautiful sunny, spring day awaited us for our working bee. 
The chores were written up for us to select from.

The Spring weather meant a good attendance - which is great with plenty needing to be done - including weeding the new 'Rainbow' garden in preparation for planting. This is the 'Before' shot.

Jo starts at the end of a row...

Seamus takes it easy on a blanket with his black-eye!

Sarah washes the buckets (with her broken foot in plaster) 
with Jan in the background coming to help.

All clean and ready for more work.


Nancy helps weed inside the compound with...

Jenni

and Walter - our new Beekeeper,

Andre and

 Andre again.

David with Jenni and Andre in the background.

 Edible Calendula looking golden.

And edible Borage.

 Keni brings some Harakeke for Sarah to weave 
some flowers for the Mara Kumara garden.

Sarah weaving.

Rosie joins in with the Rainbow garden preparation.

Kathryn, Shawn-Elise, Liv and Carla weed the Puha.

Working the compost is VJ and Arthur.

Arthur

VJ, Arthur and Mike lends a hand too. 

A BIG pile of green waste to process.

A pile of sorted out sticks and twigs are ready to go into the compost as a first layer and also to be distributed through the new compost pile as a carbon source and also for aeration.

Meanwhile, over at the Mara Kumara garden, 
peas are being harvested by Bev and Jackie 

YUM - deliciously fresh peas for our shared lunch!

Fay came along to lend a 
hand and enjoy the gardens. Thank you Fay.
 Jackie.

 Bev and Keni preparing the three Ti Taraha beds. These receive the first attention in the Mara Kumara garden as they will be planted with the Kumara that will be gifted as koha to Ruarangi, Wairaka and Hina.

Sarah's finished Harakeke flowers on the three Ti Taraha beds.

The three Ti Taraha beds.

Ella helps lay more bark onto the paths

 Mike helps weed the paths with his trusty machete, before the new bark is laid.

Steph and Riley (sans gumboots) lay bark on the paths as a team.

 Sinead weeding the paths in preparation for bark mulching.

Sinead working with the Rainbow Gardeners in the background.

Karine 

John and Rosie

Jan in her garden

Mike with Karine in the background.

Kerry

Cathy

The Papparazi (Jen) gets photographed!

Kerry, John, Ann and James

 Jo

Beautiful Sweet peas and Iris' growing in the Sanctuary Mahi Whenua.



Marita and Ella hauling more bark for the paths.

Steph with Riley loading more bark into the wheelbarrow with Seamus

The Herb garden (we miss you Liz)

Our potatoes are growing well after planting at last months working bee.

As is the new Artichoke bed.

James (Ella in the background).

 Lucille and Caitlin take the weed bucket to be emptied into the compost.

A lovely pollinator garden.

Our new roof on the potting soil store. Thanks Mort - you're a legend.

The Rainbow garden is starting to look well tended. 
James, Shawn-Elise, Kerry, Steph and John.

James, Shawn-Elise and Kerry working.

Finishing off before lunch.

The 'After' shot of the weeded 'Rainbow garden' ready for planting. 
Great work everyone - many hands do make light(er) work.

 The prepared Mara Kumara garden - awaiting the call of the 
Shining Cuckoo to let us know that it is time to plant.



Lunch - look how good our shared lunch is! Delicious.

Trevor showed us this option to deter the rabbits from eating the seedlings. Organic calcium based repellent - the only problem is that it attracts the slugs and snails - so a bowl of beer to catch them might be a good idea to use in conjunction.

Delicious homemade Marmalade (by Althea, John's wife) for members to buy.


Produce available for those attending the working bee today included;
the last of the lemons, some peas, Italian parsley and spinach.

Thanks to everyone who came along today and contributed their hours to the Sanctuary Mahi Whenua community.
Happy gardening.