Newsletter

April 2015

Our next Working Bee is Sunday 19th April 2015

2015 Regular Working Bee Schedule

Future working bees in 2015 will be conducted on the 3rd Sunday of every month at 10am. Update your calendars with the following dates:

19th April 2015
17th May 2015
21st June 2015
19th July 2015
16th August 2015

20th September 2015
18th October 2015
15th November 2015
December TBA

It is likely there will be additional working bees between these dates as well so check our monthly newsletter and keep up to date on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/54889718502

If you have questions or need further information, please contact Trish on (02) 4947 1821 or secretary@warnersbaycommunitygarden.org.

Can You Cook?

As our compost bays near completion, we're looking to form a "compost cooking team" to manage the hands-on aspects of creating nutrient rich compost to power the future of the community garden.

We have a wide variety of knowledge in the group so there is a fantastic opportunity for budding organic alchemists to join in and learn the secrets of making "black gold".

If you would like to be a part of the team, please contact Trish now to register your interest!

Have You Visited Our Facebook Page Yet?

You can join in discussions and keep up to date on the latest news and activities through the WBCG Facebook page. This is an open forum for anyone to share interesting garden ideas, raise issues or ask questions.
Drop by and introduce yourself to the online gardeners!

Get Involved

To participate in our working bees, events and other activities, please visit our Website 'Register' page for membership details. If you prefer Trish is available to discuss and arrange membership. Contact on 49471821. Children are always welcome at WBCG and membership for them is free.

WBCG Volunteers assist with many different jobs at our garden. There are jobs suitable for everyone from seniors to young children.

Have You Made Your Pledge Yet?

Please be aware that all members participating in gardening activities are required to complete the Member's Pledge. This can be done online here or at a working bee.

Native Bee Workshop

Adelle Austin and Trudy Patterson represented WBCG on Saturday 7th February at the Native Bee Workshop at Belmont Neighbourhood Centre. The ladies said that Dr. Tim Heard presented a fascinating workshop. Adelle brought home our native bee box plus resident bees and will look after it until we install it at Bunya Park. Thanks to Adelle and Trudy - our native bee experts, for attending this workshop on behalf of WBCG.
Tim Heard's bee article was published in The Herald.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2867144/native-bees-make-good-pets

From Our Members

Donna

Use the gel in aloe vera leaves to relieve mosquito bites.

Lois

Cut a spring onion about 1/2" above the soil and a new plant will grow. Plant root and bulb on spring onions from the supermarket to grow a new plant.

Trish

The colour green balances mind and body.

Allan

Turmeric Tea Recipe

⅓ Cup / 80 ml good, raw honey

2� teaspoons dried turmeric

lemon

lots of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Work the turmeric into the honey until it forms a paste. You can keep this on hand, in a jar, for whenever you'd like a cup.
For each cup of tea, place a heaping teaspoon of the turmeric paste in the bottom of a mug.
Pour hot (but not boiling water) into the mug, and stir well to dissolve the turmeric paste.
Add a big squeeze of juice from a lemon, and a good amount of black pepper. Enjoy!
Stir now and then as you drink so all the good stuff doesn't settle to the bottom, or top off with more honey.

Garden Tasks and Your Back

Lifting

Bend from the hips and knees, rather than the waist. The hips are more powerful and better equipped to deal with the load than the back.
Keep your spine straight.

Digging

When digging dirt use your weight as leverage. Place the shovel in front of you and as much as possible, lean your weight rather than muscle with your arms.
Move your whole body when dumping the dirt out of the shovel. While it may seem easier to simply twist your body, this is not easier on your spine. Walk around in a quarter or half circle and then release the dirt.

Weeding

One of the most popular positions for weeding sessions is sitting on a bucket or stool. Sitting will help you avoid putting pressure on hips, knees and back.
If you have to lean forward to grab a weed, try keeping your back straight and folding at the hip joint.

Mowing

Use your body weight as leverage. Keep your spine long, and lean your weight in.
Establish a neutral wrist posture and elbow angle you can comfortably maintain.

Behind The Scenes

Rosalie donated milk bottles to recycle as seedling pots.
Terry and Pamela donated turmeric corms.
Tony and Justine donated garden pots.
Dorothy donated strawberry seedlings for our market stalls.
John purchased timber and colour bond to build our garden beds.
Adelle and Trish started vegetable seeds in cell trays.
John installed watering system in our greenhouse.
First batch of seedlings set up in new greenhouse.
Grahame, Paul, John, Trudy, Rosalie and Trish transported equipment to Bunya Park working bee on Sunday.
Patricia Smith donated lemon myrtle cuttings for our greenhouse volunteers to grow.
Lisa and William shared home- grown sweet potatoes with our members.
Sharon and Sandra donated venetian blinds for recycling as seedling tags.
Dani and Graham shared honey from their own bees with WBCG members.
John put shade cloth in place at the greenhouse.
Michael mowed the swale area at Bunya Park.
Steve, Paul, John and Dennis completed the colourbond on our first garden bed at Bunya Park.
Maree donated 25 small-leaf Tamarind seedlings to WBCG.
Adelle, Kerry and Neta picked up and potted the small leaf Tamarind seedlings.
John organised a load of soil for potting at our greenhouse.
Trish M. donated venetian blind slats for recycling as seedling tags.
Rebecca donated milk bottles to recycle as seedling pots.
Shari donated lemon myrtle cuttings.
Adrienne donated potted herbs for WBCG.

Planting Guide

April Amaranth, Broad Beans & Fava Beans, Beans (Climbing - Pole & Runner), Beans (Dwarf - French & Bush), Beetroot, Broccoli, Burdock/Gobo, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chives, Collards, Coriander, Daikon, Dill, Endive, Florence Fennel, Horseradish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mizuna, Mustard greens, Onions, Oregano, Pak Choy, Parsley, Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Silverbeet/Swiss Chard, Snow Peas/Sugar Peas, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Sunflower, Swedes, Turnip

For more planting advice see:

Note: Newcastle on the border of the temperate and subtropical regions and as such, local weather conditions may need to be factored when deciding what to plant. This planting advice provided here is as per gardenate.com subtropical region only. If you have a specific question regarding to planting, please feel free to post it to our Facebook page.

Upcoming Meetings

Coffee Morning Tea
Date: Tuesday 14th April 2015

Time: 10:30am
Venue: King Street Depot
Address: 12 King Street Warners Bay

Members, Friends, New Members welcome. For bookings, please RSVP Trish.

Working Bee

Date: Sunday 19th April, 2015

Time: 10:00am
Venue: WBCG, Bunya Park
Address: Cherry Road, Eleebana

If you'd like any more information on the activities of the Warners Bay Community Garden please feel free to call or email us. Click here for contact details.

Sincerely,

Warners Bay Community Garden Inc.