Community Garden News

By Debbie Yates

This is definitely the month of thank you. Nga Mihi Nui!

We now have well mulched garden beds. Many thanks to “Peastraw Pete” aka Mr. Smith for his generous donation of pea straw. This is such an invaluable addition to our garden in the current conditions…in fact to any garden: retaining whatever moisture is available and suppressing pesky weeds.

Another big thank you to the quiz team who nominated the Community Garden as the recipient of the night’s proceedings, should they win the competition. Congratulations on your quizzing prowess and many thanks for your generous donation. 

This created much excitement as we thought this money would be sufficient to purchase a much-needed replacement for our “dead” wheelbarrow… but no! A very handy chap turned up and asked if we used the wheelbarrow (the old “dead” one). 

In true Kiwi fashion, he reckoned he could fix it and “would we like him to give it a shot?” I kid you not, we considered this wheelbarrow beyond redemption it was severely fatigued and dysfunctional. However, said chap has returned the wheelbarrow…just like a new one. He left it at the garden when no one was there, and no one knows who he was. I hope that he reads this…we are eternally grateful. Nga mihi Nui!

This is our ninth year as the Community Garden, and over that time we have welcomed and farewelled a number of gardeners: we have learnt something from each of them (even if it has had no direct relation to the garden). 

So, while we are in the thanking space …thanks to all who have contributed, their time, their wisdom, their good humour, and their comradery. Special thanks to John Taylor who generously donates his land and Nathan, next door who generously donates his water. Thanks too, to those partners of gardeners who fix taps, weed eat, move hefty soil, etc. Oh! and the horse pooh people. The Community Garden has, over the years, indeed created its own community.

As the weather cools a bit toward Autumn, we will begin to plant Brussel sprouts, and brassicas for the winter months. Our leeks are looking healthy, and our crop of Jerusalem artichokes are about to “bomb” the community larder. 

We are preparing a kumara patch, and our large, free-standing compost is rotting down slowly: hopefully a few autumnal showers will jolly it along. Meanwhile we will be delivering lettuce, peppers, tomatoes beetroot and corn to the larder at the Medical Centre – come along and help yourself!