Happy 4th birthday little garden!

Wednesday 11th July 2012

4 years ago today, a hardy bunch of urban agriculturalists, permaculture students
and North Fitzroy neighbours planted organic food seedlings in biodegradable
cardboard trays filled with luscious compost & clean soil.

Laying out the planted trays in the shape of the windmill on the opposite roof
(of what was then The Homestead Inn - now Marmalade& Soul Cafe)
they dug the trays into the freshly levelled & raked soil on the naturestrip
alongside the still-being-constructed townhouses.

So Friday night 11th July 2008 was the beginning of the neighbour-stewarded
and grandiosely-named (!!!) Windmill Foodgarden @ Tramstop 22 
that has grown food, fun, friendships and connections over the years

HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY little garden - and thanks to everyone who
helps look after it for all to enjoy

Sunday 15th April 10.30am Tastetour & planting

cooee foodgardening fans

bring your tastebuds, gardening gloves & watering bottles along
to the garden 10.30am this Sunday morning
for a fresh-picked cuppa & chat
with other friendly locals

learn more about the garden's
tasty herbs, fruits, vegies and bushfoods
....and help weed, water & plant snowpeas,
broadbeans & other winter/spring yumminess

time to plant peas & broadbeans...hints & tips

Thanks to Scotsburn Nursery for seasonal planting tips: Hi Peter, As a first time gardener watching recently planted snow peas grow could you recommend a tying process to the 1 meter stake I plan to support their growth. To date they seem very flimsy and I don’t want to over or under support them. Kind regards, Peter Fantastic question. As a nursery industry professional I tend to overlook some things we take for granted. Here's images and tips on growing Peas. Clearly there is no need to worry about over-supporting peas. I recommend Jolly Garden Ties; they're like a long roll of t-shirt material offcuts. Old nylon stockings are also very gentle on soft shoots. Now is an ideal time to plant Peas, Snow Peas and Snap Peas In Melbourne's climate they grow quite happily through winter, though if frosts are severe protection with a cloche will help. We'll stop sowing Green Beans this week but have just started sowing Broad Beans, "a springtime treat" according to Stephanie Alexander. The biggest issue I'm aware of with Peas is Powdery Mildew.... best controlled by growing the plants in a sunny spot and keeping them growing vigorously with plenty of nutrient and water as needed. Peas and Broad Beans are terrific vegetables especially for novice vegie gardeners; very simple to grow and very prolific. Harvest Peas while they're young & fresh, preferably before you see individual peas pushing through the pods (true for all three types). You should be able to start picking 6-8 weeks after planting your Peas. Broad Beans take 2-3 weeks longer to mature and are also best picked before beans bulge through the pods....as a rule of thumb pick when they're 10-15cm long.

Autumn Tastetour, Recipe Swap, welcome new plantings

10am
Sunday 26th Feb

Join us for a herbal cuppa in the garden
as we taste, learn about
and enjoy
the gardens edible
herbs, veg, leaves & fruit

Bring a watering bottle
to help care for latest plantings:
lemongrass, parsley, brussel sprouts,
mizuna, cos lettuce, marigolds,
heartsease, basil.

*Earlier/more mature plantings include
Mint (Mojitos anyone? please pick regularly
before it takes over the garden!)
sorrel, sultana grapes, sage, thyme,
rosemary, chillies, kiwifruit, garlic chives,
curry bush, feijoa, choko, pepino, corn,
eggplant, silverbeet, tamarillo, basil,
warrigal greens, alpine strawberry
cape gooseberry, lemon verbena,
*See 'What's in the Garden' section for
pics & info on many of the above

midsummer garden spruce-up, taste tour, gardening bee

Gday foodgarden fans

(& thanks Tyrone for watering the garden this past windy week :)

Love to see y'all
10AM this SUNDAY 12th Feb
at the garden for
a 'taste tour' & gardening bee

...then a cuppa across the road
to welcome new neighbours
"Marmalade & Soul" Cafe
(who've been helping in the garden too)

BYO gloves, garden tools & bag/bucket
for take-home garden goodies

Spring tastetour & garden tidyup 4pm Sunday 2nd Oct

Tastetour, 'springclean' & fresh-picked herb tea
in Tramstop22 foodgarden....
Meet
other friendly foodgarden fans,
learn to identify,
care for,
sustainably harvest & use
the gardens edible plants.
BYO gloves & waterbottle to help weed, plant & mulch
the garden for a yummy summer harvest
Everyone welcome - see you there :)

fab garden song youtube clip - sing along!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FnRQoiRWkM