2018 'Thank You' Bee

Thank you to the broad beans that fed our bellies and enriched our soils with nitrogen.

Thank you trees that so generously shared their gifts.

Thank you friends from near and far who volunteered their time and intentions.

Thank you to the flowers and countless pollinators.

Thank you to the people who donated seedlings for prosperity and sovereignty.

Thank you to those who came and cheered us from the sidelines.

Thank you sharp minds, sharp tools.

Thank you for your energy and enthusiasm.

Thank you for sharing your cabbage stems.

Thank you to our bodies that laboured our love.

Thank you to our love that laboured our bodies.

Thank you Mother Earth for receiving, enabling and sharing. We honour your food and seasonality and literally owe our lives to your gifts. We love you.

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Happy solstice season one and all!

The community gardeners are once again going to participate in this year's Daylesford NYE parade. If you'd like to join us, please stay tuned for more deets.

Here's us at last year's event:

A damp and modest but definite May bee

A wet and cold morning wasn't exactly conducive to gardening, but with winter upon us, though only May, there was not a lot that needed tending. Jo and Tony came early to do some mowing, and also something that had been in the pipeline since January came to fruition. A suitable area to present and gift free food to the community was discussed back at the January bee and Patrick had produced a rough design.

Local builder Nicko Andrews knocked up the structure and brought it to install with the help of Tony and Patrick.

Earlier on some kind person had left a bag of their freshly dug potatoes, so these earthly fruits became the first produce made available on the stand.

Nicko's children Grace and Joey joined their dad on the morning's mission. Thanks Nicko!

Also since the April bee the ever industrious Peter Jenkins installed removable slats for the front of the compost bays, increasing their capacity, and making them far easier to maintain. Thanks Peter!

The timber was donated by Brian Bowes. Thanks Brian!

NEXT BEE : SATURDAY 13 JUNE

Been: Saturday 10 January 2015

Our January working bee morning was preceded by a couple of days and nights of consistent and very welcome rain. The garden, already looking splendid with rostered watering in action since early December (thanks to Peter O… Lena… Lindy, Andrew & kids… Peter & Chris... Karen & Leo… Mara… Dave… Jacinta & family… & Jo!) is especially verdant and bursting with growth ... as these pics show.

While different plants throughout the garden are at various stages of their cycles (as at any time of the year) summer through autumn is a particularly bountiful season… A walk-through summary of current flora includes coriander, comfrey, varieties of lettuce, leeks, chives, basil, parsley, apples, strawberries, rosemary, spinach, lemon balm, beetroot, kale, broccoli, chives, tomatoes, pumpkin, mustard greens, cauliflower, corn, beans, snow peas, thyme, potatoes, vietnamese mint, zuchini, eggplant, capsicum .... & more.

A glance at 'the wash-up' pics in the December bee post below gives you an immediate measure of the dramatic growth over the last 4 weeks!

Saturday's modest session was more a talking bee than a working bee. First on-site was homecomer Patrick with young Woody – back from their 8000+km bike trek – joining him were Peter O, Peter & Chris J, Tony, & Ian. Meg & our favourite canine Zero, Jeremy & Tia with Jasper & Arden also came by.

Pete J, Pete O, Patrick, Chris

Pete, Pete   . . . . . . . .   Chris, Tony

As well as ongoing planting and maintenance details, talk concerned a felt need to encourage the community in recognising and using the garden as an open resource: a green space to enjoy, with free food available for responsible sharing. Therefore it's been decided to place a prominent sign, easily seen by Albert Street passersby, inviting people to not just harvest produce, but to see the garden as a small oasis for social warming. Watch this space!

It was also decided to revitalise our online presence and networking, particularly our Facebook page.

Community food expanded...

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