Happy New Year for 2018 Fellow Gardeners
With the Heroic garden festival imminent, several additional working bees have been scheduled so we can have the Sanctuary Mahi Whenua ready to showcase. Additionally, the festival will provide a perfect opportunity to promote the continuation of the gardens alongside any new development on the Unitec site.
Today's tasks...
The pots and trays ready for the 'washing up'
Meanwhile a crop of ying yang beans, being grown for the colouration of the bean seed (which resembles the ying yang symbol) is well established.
The sweetpeas are finished and are now ready to be removed
Our sign announcing the Heroic Garden Festival at the entrance
John cleans the protection cloth
Jackie weeds the Zinnia
The start of our plum harvest - these were available to share at the end of our working bee. However, the storm last week, which brought the welcome rain, meant the plums were blown off while still green and they're unlikely to ripen.
Jenni weeds the front garden Rengarenga lillies
Janet and Jan doing 'the dishes'
Weeding and mulching the paths was a big job for today
Carla rakes out the mulch...
David forms part of the mulch delivery team
Marita too
Bev weeds a path
With Pauline
Liz was hard at work again in the herb garden - here's her trug!
Our Leafcutter House in the herb garden.
This was one of the sponsor prizes received by Trevor for being a finalist for 'Gardener of the Year', and very soon we should have (non-stinging) leafcutter bees for the Sanctuary
This was one of the sponsor prizes received by Trevor for being a finalist for 'Gardener of the Year', and very soon we should have (non-stinging) leafcutter bees for the Sanctuary
Meanwhile our mara kumara garden is growing well
The tiraha mounds will be the first of the crop to be lifted.
These kumara will be gifted as koha.
Keni weeds the mara kumara plot
Our Maori potatoes are under cover and growing well. The cover is to stop the potatoes being affected by the potato/tomato psyllid - an insect pest that arrived in New Zealand around 2006 thereby posing a relatively new problem for all potato growers.
The kumara which will be lifted in May/June
And the gourds whose flowers open in the late afternoon
and evening, so they're not so visible in the mornings
and evening, so they're not so visible in the mornings
Keni, (Pauline behind) Bev and John working around the kumara garden
Beautiful!
Sinead weeding the beans
with Kelly
Bill weeds the basil
Eva (all the way from Glenfield) weeds the Zinnia
Clara weeds the Puha with Jackie in the background
Deborah - dressed (colourfully) to garden
and her daughter Zigi and grandson Felix
Our crops of Florence Fennel
Lettuce
Zucchini
Cavolo Nero
Curly Kale
Rainbow Silverbeet (Chard)
and Basil - YUM!
Benedicte helps weed the beans
The 'Three Sisters' establishing well
The corn supports the beans and then pumpkins will be underplanted.
Seamus with Nala the dog, enjoy the shaded area
Chillies growing in an allotment garden
The mulch (that we are generously allowed to access) ingredients - collected and ready for processing
And finer materials
The variety of materials once chipped
And eventually the well aged mulch
Meanwhile, Helen our Hugelkulter is growing well in the food forest
The food forest is tranquil and shaded
Plenty of material is collected and stacked
ready for processing in our compost bins
ready for processing in our compost bins
The shadow of the papparazzi
A perfect day for our busy working bee
Louise
Timothe
Seamus and Benjamin
And their active transport - fantastic!
A great working bee
David finishes off the path mulching around the mara kumara garden
Carla - still raking out the mulch
Diana working
And at the end of the working bee,
the Rosemary hedge looking very smart and shipshape
the Rosemary hedge looking very smart and shipshape
The 'dishes' done
and the plums, prepared by Trevor, ready for sharing out
Jackie made date scones and served them with
freshly whipped cream and allotment plum jam - YUM!!
Jackie's Plum Jam
2 kgs Plums
7 cups sugar
1. 5 Cups water
Halve plums and add to preserving pan.
Cook until the plums are softened.
Add the sugar and boil for 15 minutes until at setting point.
Decant into steralized jars.
Enjoy.
And since it's Zucchini season again - here's the recipe again for the
Zucchini Chocolate Cake
The next Working Bee is on Sunday 21st Januray
- please bring a plate for a shared lunch.
Happy Gardening everyone and see you on Sunday.
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