Many hands (September working bee)

We finally had a great day for gardening after a week of poor weather and the previous (August) working bee being washed out.

Our numbers were doubled by a group of students from Clonard College, most of whom were first time gardeners. Patrick introduced the ethics of the garden and handed out jobs.

Tracey arrived early and got to weeding one of the leek beds.

Loique worked on the other one, hidden by the broadband.

Mara, as colourful as ever, helps in this front bed too with help from ...

Chris gets those happy-pill soil microbes into his blood stream.

Tom lends an ear to the garden nymphs.

Artemisia collects up the purple Congo potatoes.

Tom loads up the beds with mature compost.

Zero hunts mice.

Meg plants some European parsley.

Ian sprays white oil on the fruit trees.

These two from Clonard College learn to set a compost.

Kim wheels the nitrogen down to the composters.

Patrick pulls out the chickweed that has been feeding us all winter. Chick weed is full of Vitamin C.

Ange returns to the district to lend a hand.

Laura from Join Adventures and Michael, the outdoor ed teacher from Clonard College, lead a weeding team.

Linda and Mara take a moment for a moment.

And Diana, one of the librarians from next door, prepares a frame to hang pollinator hotels. Diana is running a workshop for children to make them, as part of the holiday program.

Next working bee is on the second Saturday of October, 9am -12 noon. See you there!

April warm working bee (before the rain)

Another warm April working bee took place on the 8th, the second Saturday of the month.

Patrick arrived early with Artist as Family's ute, tools and gifted straw.

Flo, who is living and working at Melliodora utilised his verbi-voco-visual skills to make up new signs

Luna reminded us of childhood a generation and more back.

Everyone had a role to play 

Jeremy screened the compost to add to the leek and broadbean bed preparations.

Meg fine weeded with Woody and young new friend.

A mellow weekend cohort rocked up and gave gifts through the labour of their hands

Fe had the right idea, with smiles, hats and plenty of community garden experience.

Patrick jigged around the beds evenly distributing the finely screened compost.

Little garden nymphs also danced and explored the possibilities of the garden.

Lowique rests her back after a vigorous weeding session.

Just some of the bikes that transported workers to the bee.

Zero got among the soilers – Jono, Liv, Caroline and crew. His dog grasp of English is better than most think.

Woody cut points on stakes so they could be driven into the ground.

Alison harvested potatoes

Jeremy planted out the leeks

Patrick planted the broadbeans and staked them.

Flo set his signs above the compost piles

Nice job Flo!

Ah, the possibility of autonomous engagement. That's what we love about our community gardens. No membership, no gates, no rules, just the unpoliced ethic of take and return and let the gifts flow through the community.

It's so satisfying to grow communally and to learn, side by side.

Signage is always useful to let other gardeners know what's gone on before things become self evident.

Well, there we have it, another bloody beautiful bee.

After we divvied up and took home the bounty there were grapes, spuds and sun chokes left to offer up to the needs of others. All in a morning's work.

All ages, activities and abilities (February working bee)

Each working bee Saturday (the second of every month), our two councillors Fiona Robson and Kate Redwood meet at the library for anyone to chat with them about particular issues concerning the shire. Hello Fiona!

 Pic: Mara Ripani

Community gardener Ian Clarke gave Kate an update on the library apples and why he and others are carrying out extensive work to get them back into health.

Pic: Mara Ripani

Patrick, who planted the apples back in 1999, takes Ian's summer prunnings down to the compost area to be shredded and turned into productive soil.

Pic: Mara Ripani

Meg pulls out old brassicas and also takes them down to the composting area.

Pic: Mara Ripani

While we are technical creatures, we are also mammals of place and have the legs to prove it.

Pic: Mara Ripani

Bridie, Dale and Jeremy chop and drop the green waste into fine pieces to get ready to set another compost.

Pic: Mara Ripani

Little people are always welcome to participate in the working bees. Watering is a favourite job in summer.

Pic: Mara Ripani

Bridie lends a hands and smile at the compost arena.

Pic: Mara Ripani

Patrick pulls spent brassicas,

Pic: Mara Ripani

 while Mara, with camera, captures the day's feel,

Pic: Mara Ripani

in many,

Pic: Mara Ripani

many,

Pic: Mara Ripani

many,

Pic: Mara Ripani

ways. 4 year-old Woody helped with the mowing,

Pic: Mara Ripani

and teenagers were even spotted being involved. Thanks Zeph!

Pic: Mara Ripani

Les and Fe helped save parsnip, coriander and rocket seeds,

Pic: Kirsten Bradley

while Fe was often doing multiple jobs at once.

Pic: Kirsten Bradley

Thanks to Kirsten and Mara for the great pictures and to everyone who showed up and once again transformed the Albert Street community garden. Thanks to Melissa, Sue and Karen for donations of straw and cane mulch. Next working bee coming up at DNC. Follow us on Facebook for more info or email Patrick (see right) to get the e-newsletters.