April Newsletter   
Latest Community Garden Design

We're sure you're all waiting eagerly to see what's happening with the community garden. In short - it's been a lot of work but we're getting there!

 

As a member of the Warners Bay Community Garden group you are the lifeblood of our group, so you get to see and comment on the latest design before it is in the public domain. 

 

The garden will be your garden, so you should feel totally comfortable in being a part of the design and the workings of the garden as we build it together. Before we submit our  final application to council we'd love to hear from you with your thoughts on the latest design of the community garden. The design has been revised to incorporate feedback received to date from WBCG members, Council, and the wider community. 

 

Although council have asked us to submit a fairly precise design of the garden, the garden will only be what we as a community make it. 

Plan for final comment March 2011
What do you think of the design for the community garden? 

Please send all comments, questions and suggestions on the design:

by email to Ben (click here)
 
or by post to:
WBCG Committee
PO Box 561
Warners Bay
NSW 2282

By Monday 4th April 2011.

Thanks to Gerrad Everson, Chris Gilmore and the hard-working WBCG committee for their time and effort on the community garden Development Application.
Next Vegie Blitz - Saturday 2nd April

All over the world lately, people are realising that growing our own food as locally as possible is part of the solution to our environmental, social, health and economic problems!    

 

Vegieblitzes are a wonderful, fun way to be part of that positive solution.   

Community gardens can be behind this idea ... ultimately aiming to have everyone grow as much sustainable food as possible at home, as well as in their Community Gardens.

 

The next WBCG Vegieblitz is at the Oakley family's house this weekend,  

we look forward to seeing you there!

 

3pm till 5pm - 2 hours only

Sat 2nd April 2011  

 

11 Cowmeadow Rd, Mt Hutton

 

For more details contact Jane Oakley - Phone 4023 0908, Mobile: 0413 709 843 

 

Bring along a smile, some gloves if you can, and please wear closed in shoes and sun screen!  

 

We'll be building up a garden bed especially for vegies.  The bed is already edged on three sides, so we just need to edge the last side, fill it with compost and mulch it!   

 

There's also a narrow garden bed bordered by a path, next to the north side of the house we hope to prepare for vegies, time permitting.  

 

The more the merrier!  

 

If you'd like a Vegie Blitz at your place, please contact Maree on 0410 405 815 or click here to email. 

Next Monthly Meeting - Sunday 3rd April

We look forward to catching up with you at the monthly meeting of Warners Bay Community Garden. Hope you can come along for a cuppa, a chat and a catch up with friends.  

Gold coin donation for hall hire welcome.  

 

2pm - Sunday 3rd April 

Warners Bay Lion's Club Hall

Sweet St Warners Bay 

 

Is something interesting happening in your garden, backyard or maybe your kitchen?  

Feel free to bring along an interesting plant, some excess veggies/herbs, some seeds you've saved,

a story to tell, or a favourite recipe to share with the group!

 

The Monthly WBCG is a great opportunity to show, tell and share! 

Next Market Stall - Sunday 10th April

A fun and social morning! Volunteers are needed to assist in shifts with manning the stall, and to set up and pack up the stall. Shifts are: 7.00am to 9.00am, 9.00am to 11.00am, 11.00am to 1.00pm.

If you can help out, please contact Trish, phone 49471821 or  click here to email.

 

March Market Stall 

8am-1pm

Sunday 10th April  

John St car park, Warners Bay 

Report from Working Bee Sunday 27th March

On the morning of Sunday 27th March 2011 WBCG members constructed three new veggie gardens for the children at Warners Bay Early Learning & Care Centre.

The centre's parents, children and staff did a fantastic job removing the old veggie beds and organising the new materials, and worked tirelessly to transform the bare gardens around the centre's carpark into pretty and sustainable native gardens.

The WBCG team put together three pre-fab corrugated metal garden beds, then with the help of some wonderful parents and children, lined them with newspaper, filled them with soil, and mulched and watered them in ready for the children to plant the seedlings later in the week (seedlings were grown and donated by the WBCG volunteer seedling growers).

The parents and the community gardeners transplanted the turf from below the new garden beds to an area of the playground needing new grass.

The community gardener's then gave the parents and teachers a hand to plant out the last of the native plants around the carpark area, to finish off a very productive morning outdoors.

Thank you to all the WBCG members who took part! It was a great social way to start the day.

Thank you to the WBCG members who brought along the tools, mulch, newspaper and morning tea!

Thank you to the staff, parents and children for making WBCG so welcome,
and for the lovely morning tea!

 Step1returfsoilFinished
Thanks Received
 
A recent thank you to WBCG, for seedlings donated after the monthly market stall:

"Hi Trish, can you please forward on a big thankyou to all the volunteers that made the pots, planted the seeds, grew the seedlings, and donated the seedlings for so many children to enjoy. Eleebana Public School and Eleebana Kindy Patch are both grateful for the kind donation.

 

All the seedlings have been planted and have enjoyed the recent rain.

 

Kind regards, Michelle"


 
Warners Bay PS Kids Garden Club Request  

Cathy and Rebecca invite WBCG volunteers to assist with the new 'Kids Garden Club' starting up at the school in Mills St Warners Bay. Gardening sessions are planned for Mondays and Fridays.

 

Kids Garden Club is being offered to all interested boys and girls from Kinder to Year 6. This is a new activity being coordinated by Cathy and Rebecca (parents and members of WBCG) with the support of WBCG volunteers, WBPS P&C Committee and Mr. Peter Byrne.

 

 

The idea of the Kids garden Club is for kids to come along to have fun growing plants under the supervision of some parents and community garden volunteers. They will be using the existing raised garden bed behind the kinder rooms. No cost is planned.

 

 

Session times are out of class time and rely on the availability of parent and community volunteers. You are welcome to drop by week to week as convenient. Times as below.

 

MONDAYS - 3.15 - 4.30pm;   4.00 - 5.00pm

 

FRIDAYS    - 1.00 - 2.00pm   

 

Parents, grandparents, friends and children are welcome to participate. For more information or to register for the 'Kids Garden Club' please contact Cathy or Rebecca.

 

Cathy: 0414 182 614     Rebecca: 0408 249 709

Get more involved with WBCG   
 

SEEDLING GROWERS!

We currently have 3-6 monthly seedling growers. More are very welcome and needed, all materials provided along with advice and support. Go on, give it a go! A patch of sun and a watering can is all you really need. You'll love sowing seeds, seeing the first green shoots come up, and marvelling at the new seedlings unfolding.
 

SEEDLING POT MAKERS

We have 3 potmakers who prepare newspaper pots for our seedling growers. More are very welcome and needed. Wonder how they are made? Watch this YouTube clip of Steve making them! (Click here)

VOLUNTEERS for composting needed!
 

STALL VOLUNTEERS

We need more market stall volunteers so that the same people don't need to be at the stall each month. It is a fun and social morning, and just an hour or two is all that is needed (between 7am and 1pm on the 2nd Sunday of the month).

VOLUNTEERS willing to transport people to/from meetings, events please contact Trish.  

(Someone is needed in Eleebana at the moment please).

 

MEMBERS needing transport to meetings/events, please contact Trish.



If you can assist with any of these roles, please contact Trish, phone 49471821, or to email click here.
What to plant this month?
This link (click here) has useful planting suggestions for our temperate climate for each month. Click on the month you are interested in. Hope its useful for you!

Warners Bay Community Garden are collecting ORGANIC RECIPES


One of the alternative home remedies we have on file is:

PEST REPELLANT GARLIC SPRAY (USE DILUTED)

Ingredients: 100g finely chopped or crushed garlic
                     2 teaspoons vegetable oil
                     2 teaspoons liquid soap
                     500ml warm water

Method:       Combine garlic and vegetable oil and allow to stand overnight.
                   Dissolve soap in warm water and add the garlic / oil mixture.
                   Strain and use diluted at the rate of 15ml per litre of water.

Garlic is an effective short-term repellent and will kill soft bodied insects. Wash fruit and vegetables well after harvest. Store concentrated mixture in clearly labelled glass jars in fridge.

Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Disclaimer: Home remedies are designed to have minimal impact on the environment, but no solution that is intended to kill should be regarded as safe. This remedy is not intended to replace professional advice.

Do you have an organic recipe to share with the group? Please send recipes to Trish, to email please click here.
Membership   

A new family membership rate is now available, for just $30 for two adults (children free).  

 

Current annual membership rates are:

 

$20 - adult

$10 - concession, health-care card holders

$10 - students (Uni/Tafe),

$30 - family (2 adults)

FREE - children up to 18yrs 

 

All membership renewals are due on 1st July 2011.

 

Membership fees contribute towards such things as insurance, garden materials, market stalls and advertising. Financial Members have access to additional topics in the online forum.

 

NOTE: All membership fees are renewed at the start of each financial year (1st July). Fees for new members registering between 1st Jan and 30th June are reduced by 50%.
Warners Bay Community Garden Inc.
ABN: 49 117 244 067