Category Archives: Workshops

Growing vegetables in the mountains

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On Sunday March 4th at 12 Midday till 1pm [1 hour max] we have a short workshop & question and answer chat session planned for anyone interested in discussing ‘vegetable’ growing in the mountains. This will follow the usual volunteer session on the Sunday that runs from 10am – 12 midday.

This is a huge and varied subject and the plan is to swap stories and experience with growing the full range of vegetables possible in the Blue Mountains with it’s cool temperate climate. i.e. what to plant when and how to try and fit in with local conditions. We will have some practical suggestions based on local experience with weather and soil, and suggestions for ways to access resources that may help.

Some of the recently formed North Katoomba transition group will be attending.

 

 

 

new volunteer timeslot added on Sundays 10am-12

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A new timeslot for volunteer meetings at the Katoomba community gardens will now be run on Sundays 10am till 12 Midday.

For many working people living in the mountains it is hard to make the current Friday 10am-2pm timeslot. We are keen to get more people involved who cannot make those Friday sessions due to work or other commitments.

These sessions will be only two hours and tend to be focussed on undertaking a specific range of tasks or workshop like activities. It is assumed that the intent is also to meet up with like minded community gardening people and catch up with how the gardens are progressing, swap plants, seeds and information. Feel free to come and help or possibly just watch the plants grow.

The shed will be open and tools available for this two hour period.

The first of these Sunday volunteer sessions will be this coming Sunday 22nd January [2012]

This does not replace the Friday volunteer sessions which will continue as usual each Friday from 10am till 2pm.

Fruit bagging and protection methods this Friday

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Friday 18th Nov at the Gardens.

It looks like a good year for fruit trees all around this year in the mountains – especially pears, quinces and apples. It will be great this year to try all the varieties of fruit growing at the gardens instead of watching them being mostly taken by the wildlife and weather.

This Friday we follow up from the tree pruning session we had a few months ago. This time we will be spotting and identifying fruit trees with good clusters of fruit and then bagging them to protect them from weather, birds and animals.
I have a stack of various bags ready to go and we will be using various waxed paper, mesh and cloth bags to cover the fruit.

Lloyd will provide fruit protection bags to be used onsite and some general guidance to get going.

Session will start at 11am and go for about 1 hour.
Open to whoever turns up and can help :)  This will be followed up with another session in a few weeks to check on them and see how the fruit is developing, and then eventually another session in summer to pick and taste the ripe fruit.

Even if we only get a few apples off of each tree in the Heritage Apple walk it will be worth it. :)

UPDATE -

We had a good turnout on the day and attached at least 100+ bags of various types to protect the trees. We ran out of bags long before covering all the fruit we wanted to save! We will do some more bagging over the next few weeks when bag stocks have been replenished. Looking forward to seeing the results in Summer when we pick.

1st May is Permaculture Day

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words by Kat, photos from this Friday’s working bee by Franklin

The Community Garden at Harold Hodgson reserve is not one but many gardens; an aboriginal garden, flower garden, soup garden, dappled heritage apple walk, the medieval garden, labyrinth and performance space as well as a dedicated childrens’ play area. A protected swamp, creek and bush areas undergoing regeneration complete the picture in this much loved public space. In 1993 the first brambles were cleared, and the first trees planted. All year round our volunteers and partner organisations work together to keep these delightful gardens open to the public, and today we’d like to share just a few of its secrets with you. Come along share some soup, and find your favorite garden.
11am – 12am Walking tour of the Gardenswith founding member Supapon Lantay and special guest gardeners.

12 – 2pm Seasonal Soup and Sourdough, made with ingredients fresh from the garden and local producers. Twitter with friends around our Outdoor cob oven.

12 – 4pm –  Community Exchange Trading Day  The Blue Mountains Organic Community Gardens is delighted to host  this community trading initiative. Get started trading locally without traditional money, share your talents and see what skills your neighbours have to offer in exchange.  Whether you can change a tyre, fix a kettle,  knit a jumper, grow glorious herbs or have a surplus of gourmet duck eggs,  bring your skills or produce along. Its totally free to join.
2pm – 3pm Walking Tour of the Gardens with gardens founder Supapon Lantay and special guest gardeners.

3pm – Composting Q & A with ‘a Sense of Humus’- Don’t know the difference between a tumbler and an aerobin?  Come down to the gardens and get yourself informed about a range of composting techniques. From thermophilic to lazy composting and worm bins, we’ve got it all covered.  Local composting experts show you how to transform your smelly bin into an earthy delight!

Entry by $5 or EMUs donation (so we can buy some more fruits nuts and perennials to grow our food forest)

All day, every day is Pot Swappin’ Bring your old plant pots for Pot Swappin’ in the shed. The community gardens recycles all your old garden flower pots and keeps them busy growing more plants. Don’t just throw them away, give yours a wash and bring them along, and get some more when you need some again. Whether you’re potting up, potting on or just a bit potty…

You don’t need to look far to find a vibrant sustainable lifestyle, its out there in the back yard. Permaculture and sustainability strategies are all over the country on May 1st.

If you’re nowhere near Katoomba on May 1st, find your nearest event at http://www.permacultureday.info