Mt Eden Community Garden

Sunday 24 March

Look at these beauties, our ten pumpkins all lined up. On Sunday we divvied up more beans and tomatoes, had a feed of strawberries and started on the manure and mulch. The garden is still packed with goodies for the coming months. Thanks to Jim for keeping up the watering – our plants are flourishing. Come and join us on Sundays 2-4pm and swap some good old gardening tips.

Cant believe this is the first post for the year! Where have the weeks gone?! The gardens are madly producing tomatoes, basil, beans, pumpkins and kamokamo. Thanks to the dedicated team of waterers who have been keeping the plants happily feed during these dry few weeks. You guys are great and the plants love you for it!

This last Sunday we were joined by Phubeth who got stuck in with Jim and emptied and lined the rhubarb box. We took the opportunity to mix in some fresh compost and horse manure. That should keep the rhubarb happy! Some of the earlier boxes made out of recycled pallets didnt get lined with polythene and we’ve noticed the difference in their ability to retain moisture in the soil. There’s a couple more boxes to do in the next few weeks.

Pic above: Beatty and Ganga re-staking and tying up the tomato plants
. Below: Elizabeth hiding behind the tommy plants.

At this time of year there is lots happening at the gardens so pop on down Sundays 2-4pm if youre keen to join.

check out the ‘how to’ tab to get a great recipe for whitefly and other insects…

It was a glorious, sunny Sunday, at the Mt Eden Community Garden.
Three people from the Local Board and Auckland Council came and visited. They came to see the hard work and huge effort we put into the Mt Eden Community Garden Centre. Sue and I turned the compost as Michele, Laura and Jackie talked to the Council. Sue and I got attacked again by a swarm of fruit flies! We also have a new member joining, Kelly. That’s right there’s another Kelly! We’ll call the new Kelly, Kelly 2, and me, Kelly 1! Kelly 2 watered all of the plants and did a fantastic job. Sue and Laura also built a new bed for more plants. They’re a great team! Sue also planted bok choy, while I planted hollyhock and sweet peas. After I finished planting the seeds, I watered them. Once you get me spraying (using the hose) nobody can stop me! Then, we ended this weeks Sunday with a cup of tea!

Kelly

A blustery day with lots of showers, but 4 of us got lots done.

We also have a new raspberry barrel, which is now ready to go!

This Sunday Elizabeth, Jackie, Sue and Kelly came to the Mt Eden Community Garden.

Jackie watered all the seedlings that we planted today. We planted a variety of seeds including carrots, lettuce, beetroot, parsnip, eggplant and basil into empty beds and any free spaces.  We topped up the potatoes, and garlic beds with more compost. We also turned over the compost bins. Thousands of fruit flies flew up to us and started attacking us. We were definitely the bravest of brave! This Sunday was a very action -packed day!

By Kelly

It was a gorgeous day at the Mt Eden Community Garden. The sky was a bright blue dotted with white puffyclouds.

The only people that were there to enjoy the lovely day were Jackie, Sue, Kelly and a brand new recruit, Ruth.

We all did our fair share of work, mostly weeding, watering all the beds and cutting the yellow leaves that were slowly dying away.

The main highlight of the day, you ask? Of course I have to admit, the main highlight was dodging all the humongous, yellow and black striped, KILLER (at least I think it was KILLER, anyway) bees and wasps. And to end this entry/blog: also equally sharing the main highlight’s limelight was getting a new stunningly amazing person to help us more with the Mt Eden Community Garden! What a great way to end this perfect Sunday!

Kelly

These pictures tell our story from last Sunday when we made a new raised garden out of discarded pallets. The pallets we used this time were all different sizes requiring some creative carpentry work. We learned skills like how to drive in that corner nail and that ‘flush’ was more than just a toilet word (adjective: completely level or even with another surface). This coming Sunday we’ll be filling it up with strawberry plants. Email us for more info on how you can make one for yourself at home.

Happy gardening.

Laura