Another busy Sunday with 24 members and one child! We harvested a huge crop of silverbeet, broccoli, celery, English spinach, sorrel, radish, chicory, asparagus, celtuce, lettuce (Green Cos, Royal Oakleaf, Lollo Rossa, Rouge d’Hiver and Freckles), land cress, parsley, kale and green garlic.
We sowed lots of seeds this week!
We resowed some climbing beans (Blue Lake, Lazy Housewife and Purple King).
We sowed:
- saved seeds of rocket and mizuna
- bush beans (Jade, Simba, Stringless Pioneer)
- lettuce (Amish Deer Tongue)
- radish (Cherry Belle)
- mustard (Golden Streaks and Ruby Streaks)
- white radish (Daikon)
- coriander
- carrots (Baby Amsterdam and Baby Pak).
The Muncher cucumbers previously planted did not germinate. The variety Spacemaster was planted in their place, so now all cucumbers in bed 7 are Spacemaster, a bush variety. The frame we built over the bed will give them that extra support and help keep the fruit off the soil.
Basil seedlings, that were very crowded in their punnet, were disentangled and planted and will hopefully grow well.
We decided to try to reduce the aphid infestation on the Chinese mustard cabbage plant marked for saving seed by spraying the aphids off with a jet of water so we can keep the plant.
A representative from Whites Creek Community Garden in Lilyfield visited to enquire about how we managed a communal garden. Their council (Inner West Council) is encouraging them to go communal rather than have private plots. Jock explained how we operated successfully and what the benefits were of making “community” the operative word in community gardening and abolishing the obsession with Sydney real estate. We wished them well!
St Helen's Community Garden 