A fine and warm morning saw 23 adults and one child working in the garden.
Snapshot
Warmer weather means more watering and weeding, along with general tidying up to discourage pests. Beds were prepared for more future plantings by digging in compost and adding fertiliser and some planting and sowing were done. Plants gone to seed were removed, crowded plants were thinned, beans were trained up trellises and a variety of plants harvested. A small bale of lucerne hay was dug into a convenient bed to add organic matter and nitrogen to the soil (and to make room in the shed!).
Harvest
A range of produce was harvested: sorrel, red veined sorrel, silverbeet (plants that had gone to seed were removed), kale, rocket, mizuna, ruby streaks, golden streaks, Warrigal greens, celery, radish, daikon radish, basil, dill, coriander, parsley, sage, oregano, shiso, fennel, Lebanese cress, French tarragon and rhubarb.
The big harvest of the morning came from one of the potato patches (photo below)! Three varieties of potato were dug up: Purple Congo (a fair crop), Kipfler (a moderate harvest) and Red Pontiac (a good harvest).
Sowing and planting
Some more beans were resown (Lazy Housewife) and snake beans were sown under the teepees built for them to climb. More basil seedlings were also planted.
Special mention
Tim and companions were thanked for the table found and repaired, which we are now using. Jan from kil.n.it, the ceramic studio behind the community centre, was thanked for the ceramic plant labels (photos below).
Members were warned about rhubarb leaves. They are not for eating because of their high oxalate content. Rhubarb stems are the edible part of the plant and must be cooked. Warrigal greens also have oxalates but only need quick blanching to remove the oxalates.
Coming up in the garden
Next week, we’re planning to plant some cucurbits (cucumber, zucchini, spaghetti squash), okra and rosella (both in the hibiscus family).
We’ll also be doing video or sound recording of anyone who would like to comment on what they get out of coming to the community garden – socialising, learning (more) about and doing gardening, getting fresh organic food, meeting other local people, enjoying a dose of fresh air in peaceful surroundings … the possibilities are endless! These comments are for the urban agriculture meeting at Sydney University on 18th November.
St Helen's Community Garden 