April's autumnal working bee

Ayumi, Anita, Tony, Alison, Sam, Ruby, Ian

After a week which saw welcome rain followed by days of drizzle and cloudy skies, a slightly smaller than usual group of dedicated willing workers gathered in crisp autumnal sunshine for the April bee. We had planned to mulch all the beds, but, acting on a needs-to-be-done basis, the paths were mowed, edges trimmed, lots of green tomatoes that would not now ripen were harvested, and various spent plants pulled up and added to the compost. Potatoes were dug, beans collected, cucumbers gathered, broccoli picked, worms admired. The more advanced compost was turned, while the newer pile of trimmings and spent plants grew. Amidst these activities a central bed was cleared, sifted, and planted out with various seeds including coriander, varieties of silverbeet, lettuce, beetroot and parsley. An energetic morning passed quickly with brisk labours alongside much catching up, planning, talk & laughter. At the end of the morning there was produce to share round, and plans were made for mulch-spreading here, and at Rae Lands, over the next couple of weeks.

Sam, Ian, Anthony, Luna, Fiona

Tony & Anita

Sam, Alison & Ruby

Ruby, Ayumi

Tony, Anita, Maureen, Ayumi

Ruby & Alison

Ruby, Alison, Anita / Sam's legs & produce

Tom in the foreground

Sam & Anita

Anita, Alison, Anthony, Ruby, Sam

Ayumi, Sam, Tom, Anita, Alison

Hannah & Ayumi

Agnes over on the right there! (Pics: Maureen & Ian)

Gardeners and visitors included Alison, Ruby, Tony, Sam, Fiona Anthony & Luna, Ayumi, Anita, Ian, Vivienne, Miriam, Sumar, Maureen, Tom, Hannah, Laurel... and Agnes, this month's canine observer (reminding us that there are beings other than human...)

Next Albert Street working bee: Saturday 10 May

Update: Rae Lands Park in autumn

Earlier in the year Paul, and more recently Luke, Anita and Rob in particular, have been busy at Rae Lands Park – mulching, pruning, planting and generally tending this wonderful community resource. Anita especially has been making new beds and watering virtually every day through this extended dry period. (2014 has seen less that 1/3 of the average rainfall to this stage of the year – and less than half the amount we received in the same period last year.) The park is looking established, the fruit trees are growing... there is a developing sense of a place with a presence that reflects the care and attention being put into its tending. Betty Rae would be delighted to see this appreciation of, and responsibility to her gift to this community, now becoming ever more evident...

New sign at the Hepburn Health Service garden

We have just installed a beautiful new sign for the Health Service garden (cnr Jamieson & and Hospital Streets, Daylesford).
The Daylesford Men’s Shed made the sign and the wonderful Jeff Stewart designed and painted it. Everyone's contributions were donated... what a wonderful community we live in! The planned activity group had a working bee on the same day, to plant some veggies for winter… but we still have lots of tomatoes available for people to harvest. (Thanks Fiona for the update & pictures!)