Ornamental Gardens and vegetables

You do not have to be confined to growing vegetables exclusively in a patch out the back. Why not locate vegetables where they will be happiest, even if it’s among the bearded iris or roses. Once you are free of the mindset that dictates this you will soon realise the fabulous ornamental value of some vegetables and fruits. It also opens up new spaces, front back and side of houses. Those places may be the sunniest, or best drained. Plan vegetable plantings to surround a building or line a path, down along the driveway, against the fences or even out on the naturestrip.

Chard used as mass planting bedding plant

Lettuces ; they prefer a bit of shade in mid-summer and bolt quickly once summer arrives if left in the spring bed. I move them to my front garden under the shade of our big tree, the purple and frilly foliage contrasts beautifully with some of my bold perennials, this makes much more sense than buying punnets of bedding annuals.

Leeks at St Erth

Onions and leeks have strappy foliage and their flower spikes are a dramatic addition to any garden they also repel aphids. One of the better examples of this was at our recent visit to St Erth, the Leek flower spikes floated above other plants.  Imagine them amonst purple flax or cordylines, they could easily be blended in with other bold plantings in rows, back of borders or part of a perennial border.

 

onions or leek flowers all in a row


 








I’ve discovered that eggplant grows vigorously well with roses, requiring similar soil, water and fertilise they have beautiful leaves and fruit that mix well in a sea of flowers.

 By growing vegetables in unexpected spots it opens up the vegetable garden for plants that take up room. Zucchinis and melons sometimes grow into monsters but growing them with Nasturtiums, always a favorite edible flower, they will sprawl happily benefiting from the cooling growing mulch and the nasturtiums secrete a mustard oil, which many insects find attractive and will seek out rather than eating leaves of nearby veges and the flowers repel aphids and the cucumber beetle.



Other fruits and vegetables can double as ornamental, too. Blueberries might be great as a hedge you’ve been intending to plant against the garden wall. Strawberries make a fine ground cover . Cabbages, kale and  and Broccoli are bold foliage plants. Carrots, and parsnips are the same family as Queens Anne lace and send up a beautiful flower spike.



Chilies and capsicums have bright colourful fruit I have sometimes used them as annual container display in the middle of my Christmas table. Planted as a border with garlic chives as the pic to the left shows they not only look great but also make strong insect repellent barrier and ingredients for a spray. 

CERES Workshop calendar for 2011

Summer fruit tree pruning Saturday 5th February

The technique of summer pruning fruit trees will be taught by Justin in this one day hands-on workshop.Learn how to use summer pruning as part of your annual maintenance to get the very best from your fruit trees.
COST: $125/ CERES member $115

Bushfoods workshop Saturday 26th February
An inspiring and informative workshop spent immersed in the taste, texture
and tantalizing variety of our native food plants.
COST: $125/ CERES member $115

Organic Vegetable gardening Sat. 19th March and Sat. 26th March
This extensive workshop is designed for the vegetable gardener who wants to know the whole story.
The workshop is a mix of classroom presentations and practical exercises.
COST: $190/ CERES member $180

2 day fruit tree workshop Sat. 21st May and Sat. 28th May

Discover how to grow a variety of fruit and nut trees in your backyard and have
all your questions answered in this informative workshop.
COST: $190/ CERES member $180

2 day fruit tree workshop Sat. 30th July and Sat. 6th August
Discover how to grow a variety of fruit and nut trees in your backyard and have
all your questions answered in this informative workshop.
COST: $190/ CERES member $180

Berry fruit workshop Saturday 20th August
Learn about the wide range of berry fruits that can be grown in Victorian gardens and how
to cultivate them for great yields and great flavour. This workshop will cover selection, planting,
fertilising, pruning and trelising (If required) of a range of berry fruit.
COST: $125/ CERES member $115

Organic Vegetable gardening Sat. 15th October and Sat. 22nd October
This extensive workshop is designed for the vegetable gardener who wants to know the whole story.
The workshop is a mix of classroom presentations and practical exercises.
COST: $190/ CERES member $180

Bushfood workshop Saturday 12th November
An inspiring and informative workshop spent immersed in the taste, texture
and tantalizing variety of our native food plants.
COST: $125/ CERES member $115
For more information on any of these workshops, or to book in, contact CERES Permaculture & Bushfood Nursery Ph. 93890111

Email: nursery@ceres.org.au

Garden of St Erth Visit

 You sure did miss out on a great day,

although the wather was a bit wet on the way over, we were treated to very green and lush garden, full of inspiration.

What I knowabout tomatoes

Black Russian

Not that I'm an expert but this is a rough guide to how i grow my tomatoes and what i have found to work. i would really like to open a discussion and post the various suggestions or questions.



Tomatoes need warm soil and warm weather to thrive and ward off diseases. It seems to me that every year Bunning’s and other big garden suppliers sell their tomatoes sooner and sooner, knowing full well that the customer will probably be back for more. Depending on how the season is I don’t plant my tomatoes in the ground until after Melbourne cup, and well after if we are having a frosty spring.

Tigerella & Tatura Dwarf

Many times you can put in a tomato plant a good month after your too-early one, and find the later-planted seedling quickly catching up and surpassing the other deprived, stunted one you nursed along during a too-cold spring. Another good time to plant your second successive crop is on Boxing Day or when first lot flowers.

Tomatoes need good nutrition. To get big fat healthy tomatoes,  First dig a deep hole and at the bottom of that add a fish head. This adds both nitrogen and calcium as it decomposes over time. I then add two or three crushed chicken eggshells; The value of eggshells is that it's a cheap, organic method of adding calcium to your soil. Sulphate of potash is next which is high in phosphorus, which aids in both root formation and blossom production. The more flowers you get, the more fruit you get, and it adds to the flavour.


I also put two handfuls of a good dry, all-purpose organic fertilizer in the bottom of the hole. "All-purpose" means that all three macro nutrients are represented in similar quantities. The macro nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, making sure it is organically approved and not just called organic approved. Check here or here

A tablespoon of worm castings goes in and two regular aspirin tablets a few inches into the soil about 6 or so inches away from your planted tomato seedling. Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which has been shown to boost the immune system of tomatoes, making them more disease resistant. 

Tomato plants want to be planted deep, so get at least two thirds of that stem under the ground.  This is because all of those tiny fuzzy hairs sticking out of the stem turn into roots once buried.  The more roots there are, the better able the plant is able to uptake more nutrients.  You can either dig a deep hole, or use the “trench” method, which works particularly well with long seedlings.  Dig a narrow trench, about four or five inches deep, then lay the plant in sideways, bending the top up and out of the end of the trench.  Make sure you water all along the length of the trench for a while, in order to get the root ball wet.

Tomatoes don't like to be crowded. Tomato plants also need a free flow of air around them to keep down foliar diseases, and crowding them will inhibit airflow around 90cm apart. allow them to grow up naturally using good vertical and horizontal supports. i use 2mt high cylindrical cages. Simply cut lengths of large square chicken wire or weld mesh , attach them into a cylinder using either narrow gauge wire, or bend back and twist the cut ends together to secure. These cylindrical cages can then be placed over your plant (one per cage). Drive a star picket or bamboo well into the ground next to the cage, and then tie the cage to the picket at several intervals. As the tomato plant starts to grow out of the cage, gently push back the growing tips inside the cylinder, training the plant to grow up inside the cage.

Feeding your tomatoes Use an organic fertiliserer every three weeks (every week if growing in a pot). I particularly like using worm casting tea. It's simple to make: throw a handful of pure worm castings and some comfrey leaves into a 20lt bucket of water.(dairy bucket) Let "steep" for two -three days.To use get yourself a 7.5lt sprayer  add one and a half regular aspirin in the bottom of diluted worm casting tea dilute it up to four times with water then strain through cheesecloth. Spray this elixir once a week, but at least once every two weeks on the leaves in the morning. It tends to settle to the bottom of the bucket, so stir it up before watering.

Don’t over or Under Water .Most people water their tomatoes too much. It makes for watery tasting tomatoes, more diseases, and less fruit. The only time that a tomato needs to be watered every day, is if it's in a pot and the weather is consistently in the high 30's and in direct sun.

You should observe your plants every day and see how they are doing with moisture. If the ground is wet, they don't need watering again for a while. If the plant is wilting, it may not be water deprived; it just may be hot for a few hours in high heat and will perk back up in the cool of the evening. Also some diseases cause the plant to wilt, and no amount of watering will cure that.

Worm Tower

This I came across from a permaculture site and I just had to share it with you all. I love easy solutions and this in situ worm farm is as good as it gets. make sure you check out the comments at the bottom, they explain it even further

how-to-make-a-worm-tower/

Seed Saving Tips and Tricks Part 1

RECORDING YOUR COLLECTED SEED

It is important to record the details about the seed you have collected because:
• you may forget why you saved it by the time you want to plant it
• you may want to give it to someone
• you may want to compare it with another variety

How to record your collected seed at home

• Keep a notebook or old diary with the dates.
• Write down the following details on the date you picked the seed:
  - Name of vegetable
  - Special qualities of vegetable e.g. disease resistant, long yielding
  - Dates of collection
  - If there were special conditions at the time it was growing e.g. very dry
• If you sent some to your seedbank send these details on the packet
  Address of sender
  Name of seed and special type
  Details of the seed – e.g. can grow in dry season
  Date of collection
  On the envelope you have placed the seed in, write the same details.

From Michel and Jude Fanton, The Seed Savers’ Handbook, Byron Bay, Australia, 1993

Italian Torpedo or Italian Red Torpedo Onion

I came across this while checking one of my regular blog reads and i know these onions have been shared around by the Violet town group, and Derek is growing them at the moment, very similar results here Do check it out and give it a go maybe planting late summer.

http://masdudiable.com/2010/11/02/onion-rouge-de-florence/

Monthly Natter - November

Now is the time to take stock of what y0ou have planted and what you need to, successive plantings of crops will stop the glut. Carrots parsnips, celery, corn, and lettuce corn and lettuce every three weeks beans peas can be timed whenever the first plantings begin to flower,  and another lot of zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers in December. In the seed garden broad beans and peas will be fruiting, don't be tempted to take the best looking pods leave these for seed. generally the first pods are the best to save. if they are affected by chocolate spot, or other spotty fungal disease try and save pods from plants that are least affected.

These are my purple carrots setting flowers, they are the prettiest flower, and could be part of any cut flower collection. A
Foliar feed with liquid manure, worm tea or seasol. A great recipe can be found on ABC gardening http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1805268.htm
or http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2947565.htm

This week in my garden

Beans General McClay & Purple King
Basil Purple & Genovese
Onion - long keeping Stuttgart
More Peas Telephone & Sugar Snap
Carrot, baby round
Beetroot Choggia & Golden
Beneficial creature attracting Flower mix - Cosmos, queens Anne lace, phacelia, coriander, red clover, cosmos, dill, caraway, marigolds, buckwheat and sweet Alice.
Planting out  seedlings

Cucumber Lemon & Richmond River
Spinach Ceylon
Tomato Yellow Pear
Watermelon Moon and Stars
Zucchini Lebanese - Rondo De nice

CERES November/December Workshops

In the Nursery Workshops
Australian Bush foods
With Justin Calverley
Saturday 6 November 2010 10.00AM—3.30PM
$125/$115 CERES member/concession

In the Kitchen Workshops
Gluten Free Cooking
With Gad Assayag
Sunday 7 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM

$88/$77 CERES member/concession
Preserves and Jams
With 7 Stars Food Project
Sunday 14 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Fresh Sausages
With Sausages Made Simple
Wednesday 17 November 2010 6.30PM—9.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Turkish Cooking
With the 7 Stars Food Project
Sunday 21 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Fetta Cheese Making
With Carole Willman
Sunday 28 November 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Sour Dough Bread Baking
With Jao Blair
Sunday 5 December 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$120/$110 CERES member/concession

In the Garden Workshops
Seed Saving and Propagation
With Matt Daniele
Saturday 6 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession


Beekeeping With Lyndon Fenlon
Sunday 7 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Understanding Soils
With Annie Raiser-Rowland
Sunday 14 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Kitchen Gardens for Schools and the Community
With Justin Calverley
Saturday 20 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Potted Gardening With Justin Calverley
Saturday 27 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Chook Care With Louise Kay
Sunday 28 November 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Waterwsie Gardening With Justin Calverley
Saturday 4 December 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Composting and Worms With Justin Calverley
Saturday 11 December 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Beekeeping With Lyndon Fenlon
Sunday 12 December 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM
$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Backyard MedicineWith Melissa Collins
Sunday 12 December 2010 1.30PM—4.30PM
$66/$55 CERES member/concession

For further information contact Luisa Brown, Training Coordinator on 9387 2609 or luisa@ceres.org

For bookings contact: CERES Visitor Centre on 9387 2609.

Valhalla Wines Green Living Fair

The Green Living Fair showcased ways of living sustainably – on the land, in your home and with our food - including demonstrations, presentation and stalls on how individuals can make a difference.

Had a fantastic day thanks to Joanne Diver for inviting me along and I urge you all to check out the faboulous winery and get along to the festival next year

The Fair was hosted by Valhalla Wines, Wahgunyah - a straw-bale built winery using green power, worm-composting toilets and recycled waste water, and Fantastic wines!
http://valhallawines.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=1&Itemid=52

CERES garden workshops in October

Sour Dough Bread Baking With Jao BlairSunday 3 October 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$120/$110 CERES member/concession

Frugavore With Arabella ForgeSunday 10 October 2010 10.00AM—2.00PM$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Sprouts and Seeds With Carolina CordeiroSunday 17 October 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES member/concession

Cured Sausages With Sausages Made Simple Wednesday 20 October 2010 6.30PM -9.00PM$120/$110 CERES member/concession

Camembert Cheesemaking With Carole WillmanSunday 24 October 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$150/$130 CERES member/concession

Edible Weeds With Annie Raiser-RowlandSunday 10 October 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Introduction to Backyard Aquaponics With Dr Wilson Lennard and Steve MushinSaturday 9 October 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$150/$130 CERES member/concession

Advanced Aquaponics Design With Dr Wilson Lennard and Steve MushinSaturday/Sunday 23 and 24 October 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$280/$260 CERES member/concession

Introduction to Permaculture With Matt DanieleSaturday/Sunday 23 and 24 October 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$150/$140 CERES member/concessionIn the Home Workshops

Sustainability - Living your choices (Part 2)With Ian CullbardSaturday 2 October 2010 1.30PM—3.30PM$45/$35 CERES member/concession
Buying Green With Gavin HughesSaturday 9 October 2010 1.30PM—3.30PM$35/$25 CERES member/concession
Sustainable Building and Renovations With Paul AdamsSaturday 30 October 2010 1.30PM—3.30PM$35/$25 CERES member/concession

Getting Creative Workshops
Soapmaking for BeginnersWith Joyce ReedSunday 24 October 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES member/concession

Regional Seed Savers Day Roundup

Last Month we gathered at Violet Town for our first Regional Seed Savers Meeting. those that could make it were entertained by Jude and Michel Fanton from Seed Savers Network, and then we moved on to Murrnong after lunch for practical seed saving workshops in Dave Arnold’s vegie garden.

It was so nice to see so many people coming together and sharing ideas and learning new ones, I think it is integral to the survival of LSN's to gather resources and ideas from our region, and although we may differ in our structures our strength is that as a group we can then go back and pass on information and planting materials to our local groups.

I'm going to use one of the feedback responses i received to sum up our day because it sums it up so well.

Hi Carley,

We were both so inspired by the day. The setting for both sessions was perfect.
I was so impressed with the school/community garden – it is amazing what can be done in a small area and how much children can benefit from hands on experience at an early age. That is something that will stay with them all their lives. I wonder how many of those children have gone home and convinced their parents to start a vegetable garden as well. I believe Bunnings here in Shepparton is about to help provide information and assistance to schools in the area to get a similar thing happening here.

The film was also inspirational. To see so many indigenous people in their various countries, and how they grow their vegetables, and cope with the rape and pillage of their native lands by money hungry multi nationals destroying their crops to plant more lucrative ones, was certainly an eye-opener.

There is no doubt our world is in a very sorry state, and hearing today’s news about the tonnes of toxic vegetables being exported from China, some of which are destined for our supermarkets, means that the time for growing our own healthy vegetables is now not only sensible but imperative.

Catering for the morning and afternoon teas was superb, the food was fantastic and there was certainly plenty of it, and a wonderful variety to suit all palates, the team of workers are to be congratulated.

What a wonderful opportunity it was to participate in the four sessions during the afternoon. Our host was so knowledgeable and only too happy to share his experiences with us enthusiastically. He is doing an incredible job on that property. I found each of the segments really interesting and all the way home we discussed ways in which we could incorporate what we learnt into improving our own garden.

It was wonderful to have the trading stall there and I was fortunate to pick up some garlic, cos lettuce and spinach seedlings as well as a couple of types of sunchokes. We were able to contribute a lemon scented geranium, 3 peach trees and a fig tree to the stall, which I was pleased to see have all found new homes. I hope one of the peach trees is going to be planted in the school garden. I have bottled over 60 jars of peaches from the parent plant this year.

The variety of packets of seeds was amazing, I purchased quite a lot and even garnered a few from the seed saving segment as well, and you will be pleased to know that every day since then we have renovated another segment of our garden. ..............Thanks again for a great Sunday. Val (Val Hutchinson)

Some other feed back

" haven’t stopped talking about it to all my work mates ..... I am a true convert and will never buy packaged seed again."

" had planted some Yates seeds as they were donated but now I feel so inspired to use seed savers supplies for so many reasons"

"Especially loved your and terry's practical demosntration of saving seeds and walks around gardens.."
http://www.youtube.com/seedsavers#p/u/15/el0QZ27HARI (see it here)

"The variety of packets of seeds was amazing, I purchased quite a lot and even garnered a few from the seed saving segment as well, and you will be pleased to know that every day since then we have renovated another segment of our garden"

Dear Carley and Terry
We had a lovely time last Sunday! Thank you for organising it so well. I think it was really successful all round and the participants seemed very happy....
Thank you again for the wonderful welcome and consummate organising!
Best wishes, Jude and Michel

BROAD BEAN

Published on Seed Savers Network (http://www.seedsavers.net)

Broad beans are a hardy bush. They are also called Horse beans, and in northern Africa, where a smaller version is common, Tick beans.

Plant Names Botanical Family: LEGUMINOSAE
Common Name: BROAD BEAN
Genus: Vicia
Species: fava

Origins: Broad beans have been cultivated since prehistoric times in Europe. They were unearthed in the ancient city of Troy and found in Egyptian tombs and with Bronze Age artefact's in Switzerland. Their exact origin has therefore been hard to determine. It is recorded that the Romans used them as voting tokens and that they reached China by the first century AD. Before the explorers brought the common bean back from the Americas, the only bean that Europeans and Middle Easterners knew was the broad bean. Folk (or primitive) varieties grow in the Sahel, the southern part of the Sahara Desert, in poor agricultural lands.

Plant Description: Broad beans are a hardy bush. They are also called Horse beans, and in
northern Africa, where a smaller version is common, Tick beans.

Variety Notes: The Gene flow journal (1989) mentions that cultivars collected in Sicily, Portugal, and Cyprus show a great diversity of type and landrace. Wide variation was evident in respect of the size and shape of the grains as well as the earliness of the crop.

• For colder areas, there are the long-podded types with up to eight beans in a pod. They are hardy and are ready for planting from early through to late autumn. Examples are Early Long Pod, Polar and Acquadulce.


• Longfellow produces up to ten beans in a pod. Red Epicure is grown for its chestnut flavour and colour and is hardy and heavy cropping.


• The Windsor or Broad-Pod beans will not survive winter in frosty areas but will die back and shoot from the roots in spring. Their pods have up to five beans in them and they have a pronounced flavour.


• The dry seeds of Green Windsor are green and hold their colour when cooked.


• Scarlet Cambridge has a deep burgundy-coloured bean.


• The Sutton is a much-branching bush with white-seeded pods that mature early.


• Dwarf broad beans are useful for windy areas: Cole's Early Dwarf is one of the many good English types and bears all its pods touching the ground.

Cultivation: Broad beans respond well to the addition of compost and moderate soil moisture. May to July is the best time for planting in most areas. Prune the tops when the bushes are half-grown to encourage branching and try these as a salad green or spinach. The beans are best planted in double rows or blocks because then they support each other. In New Zealand, many experienced gardeners often surround their double rows of long pod types with stakes, fix a rigid rail on top and tie strings around. It makes harvesting them easier, considering each plant might have five stalks which often fall over each other. Broad beans can be cut back to the ground after a sub-tropical winter and can be expected to shoot again.

Seed saving notes: Broad beans are partly self-pollinated and partly cross-pollinated. Several hundred metres is a fair isolation distance to ensure purity if you happen to be growing more than one variety. The first pods to form are best for seeds. They are to be found at the base and are larger than subsequent pods. Allow the pods to dry on the bush and choose those from the most vigorous individual plants. Such refined steps cannot be taken on a large scale where a whole field is combine-harvested and threshed.
Shell out the beans and dry on a rack until a bite on the seed will produce only a little mark. Thresh and store in a loose knit bag. The bean seeds will not need any winnowing.
Seed storage:
Seed can last for up to ten years but only if kept in conditions with low humidity and constant

and to cooking Broad Beans...

one of my favorites is a salad recipe that goes just as well on bruchetta or thick sourdough, or hollow out a batard and fill with salad to take on a picnic/lunch

Ingredients (serves 4)
375g (2 1/2 cups) shelled fresh broad beans

100g thinly sliced mild pancetta, coarsely chopped
80g baby rocket leaves
1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
16 fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
Pinch of salt
60g reduced-fat feta, crumbled

Method
Cook the broad beans in a medium saucepan of salted boiling water for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Remove skins and place in a large serving bowl.
Heat a small non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until crisp. Remove from heat.
Add the pancetta, rocket, onion and basil to the broad beans and gently toss until combined.
Whisk together the vinegar, oil, mustard and garlic in a jug. Taste and season with salt. Drizzle over broad bean mixture and gently toss to coat.
Sprinkle feta over broad bean salad and serve immediately.
Notes
You will need 1kg of unshelled fresh broad beans for this recipe.

May Monthly Natter

Today we travelled to Beechworth to visit Charlie & Faye Robinsons property. Here Charlie and Faye are creating an expansive food sustainable system, with strong design and aesthetics. A lot of work has gone into the design and infrastructure of the 5 ha property, which will be one of its strongest points in the future. Shaded walkways, apple and citrus walks, raised no dig garden beds and beautiful crafted brickwork were highlights of the day along with Faye and Charlie’s hospitality.

Their vegetable patch which could sustain the entire neighbourhood was built up waist level using a double course of bricks. This not only raises it up to an easy height but also creates a thick insulation.

A concrete water tank had been converted into a storage pantry where cans of fruit, sauces and preserves stay a constant temperature.

Charlie has even built an underground cellar which will store more perishable and fresh food items, using the cooling properties of the surrounding earth.

We sampled a delicious Moon and Stars Watermelon, which of course we saved some seeds from. Finally we travelled home through the very scenic Millawa , Beechworth regions, Big thanks to Violet Town Group who organised trip.

Our next meeting will be at Mike Schulz’s in Toolamba on 30th May, 1pm start.
Mike ran a research project on saltbush a few years ago and has maintained an interest, and has many different varieties to see. Bring a plate to share and own mug. Directions: From Mooroopna take the Murchison road. Cross the railway line north of Toolamba. Mikes drive is immediately on the left. Look out for the goat and stone wall.

Also Derek has 4 Carob trees emerging from the ss workshop - so happy to give 3 of these to a good home.

We have compiled our current list of seeds which I will distribute later this week, please look over and try a few different varieties, also look for something that you know well and grow it on for us to return some seeds.

We need to increase the quantity of seed and also distribute the seeds we have to everyone. At the moment we surviving off seeds saved from just a couple of people, and the seeds are not being used, they are sitting in the bank growing old, and this won’t sustain us for very long. I urge you to try saving just one variety, choose something off the list and give it a go I myself started with some easy things and letting a couple of these go to seed by themselves is really quite easy. When it comes time to selecting, collecting or cleaning seeds and you need some guidance I’m always available for a advice or even a visit.

Easy Seeds
Basil
Beans
Broad Beans
Coriander
Dill
Garlic Chives
Lettuce
Marigold
Nasturtium
Pea
Tomato
Capsicum (don’t grow Chilli in the same year you wish to save)
Chilli (don’t grow Capsicums in the same year you wish to save)

With all these seeds if you are worried they might cross with something just grow the one variety. For example grow only one type of lettuce in that season or only let one variety go on to flower.

Finally this is going to be a wet season, make the most of it incorporate lots of compost into your soil grow green manures and mustard (good for soil nemotodes).
Celery - it loves a liquid feed, and remember it’s impossible to over water
Kale can withstand the most intense cold. In fact the best kale of all is picked after a frost Broad Beans should now be sown and growing on. They are another plant that can stand winter cold. Give them a little sulphate of potash. It will toughen up the leaves, induce early flowering and that will give a better crop. Spinach needs perfect drainage so if you’re planting these out build up little ridges and plant the seeds/seedlings on top of that.

Happy Growing Carley

CERES Workshop Program

For those that know of CERES, their upcoming workshops are below, if anyone interested yell out we might be able to make a day of it.

April Workshops
MEET YOUR GARDEN (ORGANIC PEST CONTROL) WITH VEG (very edible gardens)Saturday 10 April 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES Member/Concession Be introduced to the many creatures that inhabit your garden, from wondrous soil microbes to problem and beneficial insects and beyond. How do we invite in the good insects and other natural predators so we can garden without sprays?

DROUGHT PROOF YOUR GARDEN WITH VEG (VERY EDIBLE GARDENS)Sunday 11 April 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES Member/Concession Drought is no longer the exception, it's the rule. But in the city, we can still grow much of our own food through water-efficient planning and gardening. Covers the basics of everything you need to know to grow abundant, healthy food despite water restrictions.

THE CONSCIOUS COOK WITH GISELLESunday 11 April 2010 4.00PM—6.00PM Included with CERES Harvest Festival EntryHow can we live more sustainably, changing our behaviour in ways that work for ourselves and for the world? Giselle Wilkinson, author of The Conscious Cook will take you on a journey into the breadth of food-associated issues, help join the dots connecting the issues and demonstrate the complexity of sustainability and the simplicity of many of the actions involved in achieving it.

MEET YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WITH TREVOR PLUMRIDGEWednesday 14 April 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will measure your own carbon footprint and you will also learn tips to reduce it! Along the way, you will gain a greater understanding of ‘Carbon Footprint’, ‘Carbon Neutral’ and ‘Carbon Offsets’. Bring your questions, leave with answers …COOKING FOR KIDS WITH KEMI NEVAKAPIL (AGES 7 –12)Friday 9 April 2010 10.00AM—2.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession This workshop empowers children by teaching them to prepare a variety of dishes by themselves including simple sushi, yummy salads, easy dinners and fresh deserts. We will also look at general safety in the kitchen.

MOSAICS FOR BEGINNERS WITH GORDAN MANDICHSaturday/Sunday 17 and 18 April 2010 or 10.00AM—4.00PM Saturday/Sunday 19 and 20 June 2010 $190/$180 CERES Member/Concession Join master mosaic artist, Gordan Mandich and discover the colourful world of mosaic art. Over two days you will learn about a variety of mosaic techniques and design methods. The course includes all materials and tools and you will create your own piece to take home.

SEED SAVING AND PROPAGATION WITH MATT DANIELESaturday 17 April 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession Propagation by seed is one of the most commonly known methods of producing new plants. Take away the mystery of creating new plants from cuttings—it is much easier than you think! Complete the cycle by saving your own seed for propagation next season.

CHOOK CARE FOR KIDS WITH LOUISE KAY (AGES 5 –10)Sunday 18 April 2010 10.00AM—12.30PM$30/$20 CERES Member/Concession Chooks are great for the garden; they deal with weeds, eat bugs, are great fertilisers and provide the best tasting eggs you’ll ever eat. And they make great pets for kids. Whether you already have chooks or are looking to start a new backyard flock, this workshop will teach your kids all about basic chook needs and how to become an expert egg collector!

SOUR DOUGH BREAD WITH JOHN DOWNESSunday 25 April 2010 10.00AM—3.00PMorSunday 20 June 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$120/$110 CERES Member/Concession Take a workshop with master baker, John. You will learn about all the techniques which govern how to make good sourdough bread as a crusty and a sandwich loaf. Come bake bread and a few special treats in the CERES wood-fired oven and share the still warm spoils for afternoon tea.
May Workshops

UNDERSTANDING SOILS WITH ANNIE RAISER-ROWLANDSunday 2 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession Fall in love with good soil as you work through an understanding of basic soil properties and functions followed by principles for repairing, building and maintaining your own patch of earth. You will never see the ground in the same way again.

HOME BREWING WITH PAUL RIGBYSunday 2 May 2010 $88/$77 CERES Member/Concession 10.00AM—4.00PM The workshop will be a practical demonstration of full grain brewing covering ingredients, equipment, brewing theory and most importantly, the brewing process including mashing, lautering, boiling, sanitation, fermentation and packaging. Samples will be made available for tasting.

GUIDE TO SMALL SCALE WIND POWER WITH DEMIAN NATEKHANWednesday 5 May 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Is a wind turbine a viable energy option for your home, farm or business? In this workshop you will gain an understanding of what is required to run a small scale wind power system.

ROMANO CHEESE MAKINGSunday 9 May 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM$150/$130 CERES Member/Concession In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to make your own small hard romano style cheese and yoghurt. Workshops are hands-on and include light lunch, detailed class notes and of course taste sampling!!

KNOW YOUR SOLAR RESOURCE WITH BRYCE GATONWednesday 12 May 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Find out if it is worth installing solar hot water or solar electric systems at your home. This workshop covers the basics of solar energy and explains how to understand if a solar hot water service or solar electric system is positioned for best efficiency.

EARTHSHIP BUILDING TECHNIQUES WITH CERES EARTHSHIP GROUPSaturday/Sunday 15 and 16 May 2010 10.00AM—4.00PM $160/$150 CERES Member/Concession A two day hands-on workshop and information session for anyone wishing to learn more about the process of building Earthships in Victoria or would like to find out about Earthship Australia. You will get your hands dirty and be involved in building an Earthship style tyre wall here at CERES.LIVING

FOOD TREATS WITH KEMI NEVAKAPILSunday 16 May 2010 10.00AM—1.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Chop and blend your way to guiltless sweets that are high in nutrition. Whether for kid’s lunch boxes, your lunch, post workout or a dinner party, you will be amazed at what is available. Chocolate truffles for breakfast anyone? All recipes are gluten, egg, dairy, wheat, sugar, soy and junk free! This workshop is not for nut allergy suffers.

ORGANIC GARDENING FOR KIDS WITH POPPY (AGES 5 –10)Sunday 16 May 2010 $88/$77 CERES Member/Concession 10.00AM—3.00PMGet your kids engaged in the world of growing their own vegetables and herbs. We will help them discover the wonder of planting a seed and watching it grow and getting ready for harvesting. Through hands-on activities, your children will uncover the sense of pride associated with growing it yourself.

SAVING WATER, SAVING GARDENS, SAVING THE PLANET WITH TIKI SWAINWednesday 19 May 2010 6.00PM—9.00PM$66/$55 CERES Member/Concession Feeling drained about your storm water running away to sea? Is your garden washed up but your laundry water going down the sink? Wanting that flush of success when your cistern fills with water you’ve collected? Come to this informative workshop to learn how to save, collect and reuse all types of your household water.

WATERWISE GARDENING WITH JUSTIN CAVERLEYSaturday 22 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will learn how to create a luscious oasis that is water-efficient, pleasing to the eye and a welcome haven for native birds and insects. You can expect to learn about soil preparation, water catchment and use, indigenous plants and bushfoods.

COMPOSTING AND WORM FARMS WITH JAMES SPRUNTSunday 23 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession You will learn the fundamentals of composting, turning green waste into useful fertiliser for your garden as well as the benefits of having worm farms in your garden system.

SPROUTS AND SEEDS WITH CAROLINA Sunday 23 May 2010 10.00AM—12.00PM$44/$33 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will learn how to grow your own sprouts and baby greens. There will be samples to taste and you will receive a pack of seeds to get you started.

POTTED GARDENING WITH JUSTIN CAVERLEYSaturday 29 May 2010 or Saturday 26 June 2010$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession 10.00AM—3.00PMFeel that you are missing out on growing your own veggies and herbs due to lack of space? In this workshop you will learn how to maximise your small space to create an abundant food growing area, provide shade and privacy as well as an area that is pleasing to the eye.

EDIBLE WEEDS WITH ANNIE RAISER-ROWLANDSunday 30 May 2010 10.00AM—3.00PM$88/$77 CERES Member/Concession In this workshop you will learn how to use edible weeds to create delicious dishes in the kitchen. You will also learn how to enhance your organic gardening techniques

Dear friends of Seed Savers

The best vegetable seeds are those given by one friend or family member to another. “Here, try these seeds, they grow well around here!” This simple gesture is the modus operandi of our eighty Local Seed Networks (LSNs) around Australia. Jude and Michel at The Seed Savers’ Network hope that you will join a seed group or create one around you. This may help you to grow from local seeds and eat more diversely = nutritionally. Find out how more about Local Seed Networks

Local Food Anyone?

Local Seed Networks circulate locally adapted varieties. These varieties are the basis of local food. They have been circulated in the local community for donkeys’ years and grow well in the area. They don’t necessarily have names.

Hardiness

Local varieties generally grow pesticide-free because they are attuned to local climates and regions. Some rainfed varieties bred by farmers manage to give a crop without irrigation and even tolerate insect damage and salinity.

Real Social Networks

At LSN garden visits and meetings, everyone learns from one another; everyone gets lots of unusual seeds and cuttings and makes new garden friends. Seeds are sometimes pushed deep into your pocket, so watch out. None if this is a commercial enterprise by any stretch of the imagination. When you grow vegetables and fruit, what do you do with the excess?? LSNs exchange produce as well. None of this is calculated in the GDP!

Go Perennial

Local Seed Networks are the perfect source of vegetative propagules: artichoke slips, asparagus crowns, mulitiplying onions, potato tubers. Then there are the fascinating unusual tubers such as:
• the super profilic oca (Oxalis tuberosa);
• the trendy health food, maca (Lepidium meyennii);
• achira (Canna edulis) to make arrowroot;
• arracacha, the Andean parsnip, a tuber for delicious soups;
• nashua, the tuberous sister of nasturtiums;
• yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia) the “pear of the earth”, sweet only when stored.

Michel and Jude Fanton Report
We have just returned from two months in Rajasthan, India, and one month in Malaysia so we have colourful news and videos on seedsavers.net. There is even an environmental video made by Channel 10 where we are speechless.
Recent media coverage:-
• “Our Seeds” on Manhattan cable TV
• Japanese Asahi TV – early March
• The Age Epicure 9/3/10
• OK Magazine 20/3/10
• Reader’s Digest, Health Smart - soon

We are giving workshops in Victoria 10th and 11th April. See our website for details. www.seedsavers.net

SEED SAVING WORKSHOPS

Join Jude and Michel Fanton, founders of the Seed Savers Network
Learn from these world renowned teachers how to teach others to
select, harvest, process and store seeds from their food gardens.
Suitable for teachers / leaders / volunteers from
school / kitchen gardens, community gardens, gardening clubs,
local food / seedsaving and permaculture groups
Sunday April 11, 9:00am-3pm

Morning and afternoon teas provided.
Bring home grown produce or lunch to share.
Plants and Seedsaving books for sale.

Central Region Seed swap & Edible Garden Workshops

The Edible Garden Project is a series of activities and workshops based on the notion of sustainability and improving food nutrition in the community.

We have been lucky enough to be included in Jude & Michel Fanton's tour of Vic, and they will be joining us to run a workshop on seed saving.
The Day will culminate in a viewing of 'our seeds' doco which they filmed around the globe over the past year and a half, and our regional seed swap.



More details will follow as they come to hand. but mark Sunday April 11th in your Diary.

Seed Savers Network Update II

This was from 29th Jan, sorry i havent got around to posting until now ..

We have arrived in Pulau Pangkor a 10 square km coastal island harbouring fishing vessels and fish-drying houses on stilts. Migrant workers and political refugees with UNHCR official cards work on the mangrove side. Home-stay tourism is budding on the sunset side along with scars of fast-buck highrises.

The Cameron Highlands, where we worked two weeks ago, has a much older tourism industry going back to British colonial days. Now grey travellers and young naturalists backpackers "treck" along marked paths in the very wild rainforest.

The lower slopes (1000 to 1500 metres = 3000 to 5000 feet) are being bulldozered, with valleys and hills alike fitted with poly-tunnels on very large terrraces, housing strawberry farms and temperate crops to feed equatorial cities such as Singapore, KL and even Japan. The workforce is supplied by low-waged Indonesians, Burmese, Nepalese and Bangladeshis.

Pesticide and hybrid seed sales booming, heavy machinery booming, construction of highrises (with thick rainforests in background) booming, investment companies booming, trucking companies working overtime.

An hour downhill toward Ipoh there are palm oil and rubber plantations and marble quarries also using imported labour.

Meanwhile in ten days in Malaysia all the carrots we have seen have been grown in China. Same with oranges, mandarins, pears, nashi and apples. Some are labelled "organic". One wonders about the standards and stringency.

Michel & Jude Fanton

Directors, Seed Savers Foundation Australia

Wild tree bean eaten as snack (Parkia sp) is obviously leguminous seen on Malaysian Market today

Duku in aboundance in Malaysian highlands (Lansium domesticum) Piles of Durians in villages sold by orang Asli

Gourds (lagenaria sp) and small squashes (Cucurbita pepo) traded for Chinese New Year in Penang Malaysia

2,1 kg = 4,5 lb mango near Penang Malaysia. This is a huge variety indeed not an astronomical individual!!!

Seed Savers Update

News from Michel and Jude, the people behind the 24 year old Seed Savers’ Network based in Byron Bay, Australia. We are now on a working sabbatical in Malaysia, after two months in Rajasthan, India, and some weeks on a speaking tour in Japan.
Love food gardens? See our perceptions of food plant diversity and food issues, as short pieces, pictures and film clips at www.seedsavers.net We continue to take footage for a third documentary, after the success of “Our Seeds”(have you seen the trailer on our website?).

Left Michel with women and their local varieity of corn

A second, “Our Roots”, was shot in Vanuatu for French CIRAD, is now in post-production and due out in March this year.
The Seed Savers Foundation is a registered charity that fosters fruit and vegetable seed exchanges in twenty countries. It manages eighty local seed networks around Australia - see Google map at www.seedsaver.net.
We would be tickled pink to receive emails from Seed Savers' friends, fans and supporters and be part of your dreams and realisations. This month you will receive news from wherever we travel, now in the equatorial forests of the Cameron Highlands Malaysia, the home of a cornucopia of fruits and, importantly, the Orang Asli, the original forest people. The highlands are the vegetable basket for Singapore and lowland Malaysia, even Japan.
All the best for 2010.

Our Dates for 2010

2010 We are Looking for hosts & suggestions so please let me know if you are willing to host a meeting. or have any requests for workshops/visits

Sunday Feb 7th 1:30 - Community Garden, Violet Town - seed cleaning, recording, packing. We are going to join up with Violet Towns first meeting and have a look at what they have achieved at the local community garden meet in Shepparton at 12:45

Feb 28th - Propogating Day sharing of herbs and other woody shrubs / roots and plants
March 28th - Seedy Sunday Summer Seeds Collection
April 25th -
May 30th -
June 27th - Seedy Sunday seed bank sorting, recording & packaging
July 25th -
Aug 29th -
Sept 26th - Seedy Sunday Regional Seed Swap
Oct 31st
Nov 28th

SOS save our seeds

Seeds are critical to our success as gardeners and farmers. They are compact packages of genetic information and stored food reserves, just waiting for the conditions found in warm, moist soil in order to germinate and create tomatoes, carrots, beans and thousands of other delights out of sunshine, air, water and soil. For most of the last ten thousand years of human history, seed-saving was something nearly everyone practiced, because in order to eat and therefore to survive, it was necessary. The grains and beans which formed the basis of most diets were both seed and food. Grown in large quantities, the best were saved for planting and the rest were eaten. Our ancestors did this each year, generation after generation through the centuries. Variations in climate, soil and techniques from garden to garden and community to community, accumulated through the years, creating the incredible diversity which existed over much of our planet well into this century. These local seeds were integral to life and culture everywhere. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these varieties have disappeared.”
From Bill Duesing - Living on the Earth 1999

Some Statistics

According to FAO estimates 75% of the genetic diversity of crop plants was lost in the last century. A survey by RAFI found that approximately 97% of U.S. Department of Agriculture lists have been lost in the last 80 years

Before the 1940's very few pesticides were used on crops. Now 800 million pounds of pesticides alone are used on US farmlands each year and yet crop losses from pests are on the increase. The big producers of agro-chemicals have bought control of seed companies in order to produce seeds that require doses of their chemicals.

Seeds companies are being bought up at an alarming rate by Monstanto. Their most recent purchase was Seminis. It is estimated that Seminis controls 40 percent of the U.S. vegetable seed market and 20 percent of the world market

Almost all these cultivars have been replaced by 4 or 5 supermarket varieties because, as one grower stated, the supermarket buyer is not interested in buying any apples or peaches with less than a 4-month shelf life. This is the reason why 90% of all fruit and vegetable varieties have disappeared.

Our food is so altered that the supermarket hybrid tomato has become both the box and its contents

Preventing farm saved seed
An estimated 1.4 billion of the world's poorest people now depend for their survival on farm saved seed. Hybrid seeds and their required fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation systems have trapped many of the world's poorest farmers into a cycle of debt.

Terminator technology sterilises a seed as it develops in a plant. This means farmers can’t store or replant seed from season to season as many now do. Instead, they must buy new seed and pay a technology fee. If Terminator were commercialised, farmers would be prevented from using the ancient practices of harvesting, saving and replanting seed. Farmers rely on these processes to adapt their local varieties to unique environmental, soil and management conditions. As climates change globally this will become even more crucial. As the plant’s pollen remains fertile, Terminator genes can be transferred to other plants. This would sterilise them, too, wreaking environmental havoc and threatening food security

In India hundreds of farmers have committed suicide due to debt. Monsanto pushes their pesticide-producing Bt cotton, “there was no non-BT hybrid seed available in the market,” says agronomist Kiran Sakhari.

Farmers had to borrow heavily to pay four times the price for the GM varieties, along with the chemicals needed to grow them. In spite of glowing promises of higher yields by Monsanto’s ads, Bt cotton often performs poorly. Tragically, tens of thousands of indebted desperate farmers have resorted to suicide, often drinking unused pesticides. In one region, more than three Bt cotton farmers take their own lives each day.

In the US Monsanto are vigorously pursuing their proprietary rights. Using investigators to identify farmers suspected of saving their seed, Monsanto threaten criminal charges and damages in excess of $1 million. The company requires farmers to sign a contract that they will not save and replant GM seeds from their harvest

Conclusion
Commercial interests currently dictate the path of research and development of new crop varieties. There is a chronic shortage of research looking at the adverse effects of, and the alternatives to, the chemical paradigm. Scientists are discouraged from co-operation and publishing their work by the secrecy required for patenting.

It is a myth that large, intensive farms growing modern high response seed are efficient. Such measures of efficiency exclude social and environmental costs. Numerous studies indicate that utilising practices such as mixed cropping; small farms practising alternatives to chemical agriculture can produce greater yields

We can all help on a grass roots level by

Refrain from purchasing seed varieties controlled or purchasing chemicals by Monsanto

Grow your own food and save seeds from each crop and share them with others

Support local seed banks

Purchase organic, heirloom or open pollinated from independent seed companies who’s mission are to save seed diversity.

JANUARY IN THE PATCH

Its hot, the winds are drying and we all can't be bothered after the excess of Christmas, (or ConsumerMass as I heard it put recently) Unfortunately January is an important planting time, time for things to get going to make the most of the Autumn flush. Things you plant now will feed you from autumn to spring, I always seem to forget this and by the time I plant later in Autumn they don't have enough time to mature.

Sow some winter crops like cauliflowers, cabbage, broccoli etc keeping them moist and shaded at all times and pot them on in containers such as this htpp://scarecrowsgarden.blogspot.com/2007/11/growing-on-pots.html and tuck them up safely in a shade house, they should be planted out in garden mid Feb.

Rocket or Arugula: This is my favorite salad green, and my favorite weed. It loves our conditions here and naturalizes happily around my patch. Throw some seeds in and let them self seed.
Plant some more beans as soon as each new lot start flowering. Plant another 6-10 plants, after pre-sprouting them and a little deeper than usual to promote deeper roots,

Corn when last lot about ankle high, mix a good amount of potash into the soil when sowing to encourage good flowering. Keep the water up to the plants because they will quickly grow.

Zucchini and cucumbers, take the older ones out when mildew starts showing. Water new ones with milk solution to discourage mildew spreading using a mix of one part full cream milk to five parts rainwater. Repeat after heavy rain or irrigation or every 10 days.
Some more capsicums and chili they will fruit right up until May- June or longer if protected from frost.
Continue sowing regular crops of beetroot, coriander, carrot, parsnips, radishes, silverbeet, kale, mustard greens.
Sunflower use established seedlings - Sun King Helianthus annuus this will provide some welcome shade and bee fodder.

Colin Campbell said a good tip for propagating hard to germinate seeds during hotter months or in general is; “If a small amount of Epsom salts is added to water, when applied to the soil the magnesium in it will help the plant to activate the enzymes that breaks down the food supply in the seed. A light misting is adequate. Too much water will rot the seeds." Found in the Gardening Australia Fact sheet here:

Plant some lettuce greens or asian greens, but make sure they are well shaded otherwise they are tough bitter and will bolt to seed. For lettuces that are a bit tricky to germinate if soil temperatures are over 25 c“ Jackie French suggests to try putting the seed between two damp paper towels in the fridge for three days before sowing. (from Earth Garden summer # 146)


Other Garden chores include;

Continue foliar feeding crops once a fortnight with seaweed and or compost teas to help developing fruit/veg and strengthening plant cell walls.

Don't prune off any dead or burnt growth leave it as it provides valuable shade for both the roots and bark of trees and shrubs and vegetables. I left my spent peas and corn in place to shade more tender crops such as lettuce and spinach. If you absolutely need to prune mulch and water well immediately after pruning.

Clean up any diseased or spoiled fruit which may be a source of re-infection fruits and place in well sealed plastic bag in hot sun for a couple of days or bury at least half a metre deep, and this breaks the cycle. We have a responsibility to be vigilant in our region, for pest and diseases, if in doubt call the Dept of Primary Industries they are more than happy to have a chat and will even come and collect suspect samples from your house for identification. Enquires should be directed to the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Happy Gardening - and wear sunscreen!

CarriageWorks Kitchen Garden Workshop - #3

This Seed saving workshop was held in Sydned in Dec and is worth a look