Learn How to Build Wicking Raised Garden Beds

We have built the frame of two raised garden beds, at Buxton Community Garden (Buxton is part of Wollondilly Council, at the base of the Southern Highlands – an hour South of Sydney, Australia).

Buxton Community Garden will now be building wicking (water reservoirs) inside the raised garden frames.  The purpose of this is to save water and help with watering – like a self watering system.

The date to build the wicking water reservoirs is September the 27th.  Everyone is welcome to come along and learn while getting involved (or welcome to just watch). This is a FREE event.  Children are welcomed and encouraged to get involved too.

For all the details check out our event listing.

The raised garden bed frames, will soon have an inbuilt water reservoir, soil and plants.

Photographs from Stage 1 Build of Buxton Community Garden

Stage 1 of Buxton Community Garden is complete!!  What’s next? We are planning two workshops on basic composting and building water reservoir, raised garden beds (wicking beds) – information coming soon. Both workshops will be in September. 

Stage 2 of our community garden will see more raised garden beds, building our meeting area, establish a three bay compost bin system and worm farm. 

Again I would like to take the opportunity to say “thankyou” to all the locals, community groups and businesses who sponsored and supported Buxton Community Garden!!

Children of our Town say "Thankyou" to local businesses who sponsored and helped make Buxton Community Garden a reality

With the generous free use of a 'Dingo' (thanks to Picton Hire), Buxton Community Garden stage 1 build was much easier

Building the first raised garden bed which will be turned into a wicking water reservoir garden bed

Our first raised garden bed is finished

Down tools. It's lunch time

Old black plastic garden pots, reused as planted seed markers - a permanent silver marker was used

Stage 1 build of Buxton Community Garden is completed - two raised garden beds built and a large planted area (netted to keep birds away)

The beginning of Buxton Community Garden

Stage 1 of Buxton Community Garden is completed - this time next year, in 5 years and in 10 years, we will look back at this photo with amazement on how far we have come. We have a big vision!

Buxton Community Garden grand plan

Thankyou Wollondilly Business & Community Groups

Talk about heart warming and being overwhelmed by community spirit and support!!

Last Sunday was stage one of our town’s community garden build.  I will be posting photos and sharing all the amazing details shortly but for now I feel compelled to focus on the ‘thank yous’.

Thankyou to all who came down and got their hands dirty.  Thankyou to all the businesses and local community groups who sponsored, supported and helped. 

I feel humbled to belong to this community.

Thankyou:
Picton Hire
Picton Mitre 10
Macarthur Seed Savers
Buxton Rural Fire Service
Picton Sand & Soil
Beautique Hair Body & Soul
Pheasant Nest Produce
Matt Mills Carpentry
Peter Hunt Real Estate
Premium Fire Wood
Marks Landscape Supplies
Tahmoor Garden Centre
Derks Pet & Rural Produce

Supporting Local Farmers and Community Spirit

Produce market at Sutton Forrest NSW Australia

Next to our family calender, is a list of all the local food, produce markets. Therefore each weekend, we know where to buy our fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables.

It is important to my family, that we know exactly where our food comes from and to support our local farmers and food producers.

The photograph above was taken from a local farmer’s produce market we visited yesterday (in a town South of us).  The cane baskets, cardboard signs and freshest produce was an inspiring ‘throw back’ to before Australia’s multinational grocery duolopy.

We always have a choice.  Our purse and wallets are our biggest power and loudest voice.  Every time we spend money we vote for the life we want – the life we will support.

Yesterday’s visit to the produce market inspired me.  It gave me a potential idea for the future of our town, community hall and garden. 

I had a future vision for a monthly traders / produce market, held at our community garden and hall. An idea to support our local food growers and producers.  An idea to support our community garden and community hall.

Thought I would put the vision ‘out there’ – planting the vision seeds, to see where they may grow in the future.

Share the vision, paint the dream and promote the possibility.

New Community Garden Update – Clearing the Overgrowth

Green = raised garden beds, Blue = compost, Red = permanent no dig garden

A massive clean up and tidy was organised yesterday behind our town’s community hall.  Trees were trimmed, rubbished removed and weeds cleared.  Everyone was getting ready for phase one of our community garden project.

I am totally amazed and impressed with the ‘can do’ attitude and vision of those who are behind the building of this community garden.

Keeping it fun and enjoyable is what you want if you desire to attract others to the vision.

Wood Firing Pottery Workshops in the Southern Highlands

I feel blessed to belong to a local community of creative and sustainable people.

Yesterday I was invited to Steve Harrison and Janine King’s home for morning tea.  Regular readers will recall my previous visit to their sustainable home, inspirational property and expansive pottery sheds.

I know many of my readers are local to me (Wollondilly & Southern Highlands NSW of Australia) therefore I wanted to share a link to find details of their wood firing pottery workshops.   Evidently many attendees travel long distances to attend.

All my potter friends have told me, any chance to learn wood firing from Steve and Janine, is an opportunity not to be missed.  As potters, Steve and Janine are renowned in Australia and Internationally.

As I am not a potter, I just feel blessed to know Steve and Janine as friends – kindred creative and sustainable spirits!

Photos from Steve and Janine’s expansive pottery shed:

Janie King, My Little One and My Mum

Fun pottery 'okay' hand on top of a kiln

Update on Our New Community Garden Plan

Thursday night I met with those excited and dedicated to building a new community garden in our home town.

The agenda was to agree on our united vision statement and complete our grand community garden design. We achieved this with humour, fun and excitement!

We have not only agreed on the final ‘grand design’ but also agreed on identifing what items are important to complete for stages one and two of the garden building process.

Stage One (by Sep 2015)
shown as lime green / yellow on the map plan

* First water tank to be fixed to the community hall or toilet block.

* Turning the only existing garden (in the community garden area) into a ‘no dig garden’.  Possibly upgrading the retaining wall and adding stepping stones.  This garden will be mainly herbs and benefical insect, attracting flowers plants. At the top of this garden is adjacent to an existing high, wire fence.  Therefore this area lends itself to growing beans and peas etc.

* To build at least three raised garden, wicking, worm farm beds.

* For fun, build a sign post at the entrance of the garden – signaling what is to come in the future.

Stage Two (by February 2016)
Shown as pink on the map plan

* Install a three bay compost system.

* Install worm farm / farms.

* Complete all the raised garden, wicking, worm farm beds.

*  Paving around the beds.

* Built our meeting area

Future Stages Yet to Be Confirmed

*  Non citrus fruit tree orchard
*  Nut tree orchard
*  Citrus fruit tree orchard
*  Pigs & sheep
*  Chickens and chicken run
*  Strawbale gardens
*  Glass house
*  BBQ area
*  Cob oven area
*  Aquaponics area
*  Vertical gardens
*  Notice board
*  Bush tucker area
*  Fun and creative sculptures and ‘discoveries’ for children and adults eg sundial, flags, large snake & ladder outside game etc
* Revamp and upgrade to existing children’s play ground

Buxton Community Garden Vision Statement

Together building an edible and sustainable garden that everyone in Buxton can love and belong.  A place to learn, inspire and have fun, while creating a financial way to support our community garden.