Flowering Broccolini at 4am

Currently it is 4am in the morning.  I have been awake since 2.30am. Getting out of bed to do something productive is not my preferred option – it is just too cold and may wake the sleeping family.

So now I am hiding under the covers so the illuminated light from my mobile phone doesn’t awake my husband.

Sharing a photograph of flowering broccolini at 4am just feels appropriate (not sure why).

I have allowed one full bed of brocollini to flower this season because it attracts the bees and because it also attracts me to the garden too – as very little is currently flowering.  Don’t worry there is plenty of brocollini to eat.

I’m feeling a little sleepy now….

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.

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

Creative uses for Tree Branches

Days ago I gave our ‘wattle like’ bush a massive trim, to allow more light onto the far top vegetable patch.  As I previously mentioned, I used to place the trimed branches of this tree bush in the green recycle bin.

It only recently dawned on me what a waste of resource this was and hence I needed to start getting creative, with the trimmed branches.

Long straight branches, to be used as garden trellis - for peas, beans and tomatoes etc.

Fire wood

Branches used as fence stakes - allowing light through but not toddlers or small white fluffy dogs.

Long skinny and flexible branches to be used for weaving - baskets and fences

Leaves and small branches used as mulch in an area we need to rejuvenate the top soil.

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.

Finally my Upcycled Security Door, Garden Feature is Finished

My friend and neighbour Janine, gave me clippings from her gorgeous ‘ground cover like’ succulent plant.

I felt the tiny, yet hardy succulent will grow well in these old recycled coffee mugs.

The coffee mugs now hang on an old security screen door that I upcycled – painted racing car red and mounted outside, on our back verandah frame.

Finally my upcycled, garden pot plant hanger is completed.  I will post an update  in a couple of months time with photos – it will be interesting to see how the plants grow.

Lack of Imagination Creates Garden Waste?

What I considered as garden waste is now a treasured resource.

Two years ago I was raking the Autumn leaves to fill the Council’s green recycling bin.  Even last year, I was chopping up tree branches to also fit into the green recycle bin.

Yes it is good that these items will be turned into mulch by the council but I was throwing away good resources.

Now the above tree branches are being used for numerous weaving projects like privacy screens and fencing.  Also the strong ‘bamboo like’ branches have now been turned into garden stakes. It is crazy that I was throwing the branches away then buying bamboo stakes from a garden centre.

Autumn leaves fallen from our large deciduous trees are now being used as mulch and compost.  A large sandy area where nothing but weeds previously have grown, now has a very thick layer of mulch leaves.  The leaves will stop or slow the weeds over time (leaves takes awhile to break down). Then the leaves will turn into a nutrient rich top layer for the garden – helping the soil to support future growing plants.

I doubt there really is ‘true’ waste – just our own lack of imagination, knowledge and motivation to see things differently.  To see waste as a potential resource.