Mulch bin mulched

Mulcher and mulch bin Empty mulch bin Fresh mulch on road garden Yesterday a private mulching business came and mulched our road mulch free of charge. John from Treescapes (tel 9519 4790) donated his machinery, labour and his time to turn our bin of garden waste into mulch. In about 20 minutes we had the whole bin mulched and put around the road garden plants. John has said he’ll come back anytime to mulch our garden waste because he loves what we’re doing.  And... Read More

Native Australian raspberries

Native raspberry and suckers, Myrtle St Native raspberry from above Raspberries According to the wonderful Encyclopaedia Botanica by Frances Bodkin (Collins Angus Robertson, 1986) there are three Australian raspberries. Rubus Hillii (Rosaceae), or Wild Raspberry, is a native of NSW, Qld and NT.  The fruit are red, globular berries, 1.2 cm across. Flowers are white or red.  Propagation is by seed. Rubus Parvifolius (Rosacae), or Native Bramble, is a native to NSW, Qld and Papua... Read More

Gardening as a frolic

At the end of the morning: L to R: Xavier, Norman, Colin, Charles and potato sacks New mulch crate, Rose St Well, such a frolic in the gentle, caressing rain this morning. About ten or more of us. We found a new mulch crate that Kris alerted me to.  I went with John and together we took it to Rose street and half-filled it with branches and things which won’t compost.  The photos shows it; lovely, almost stylish (?) and made for the site.  It’s a left over crate... Read More

Trees do furnish a street

A beautiful tree centred street, Surry Hills Mulberry tree and fruit, Surry Hills Here are two beautiful streets I walked down today in Surry Hills. One has trees down the middle. One is blessed with a banquet of mulberries some of which I picked and ate . . . mmmm.  Read More

Road gardening today

Working on compost bins in Peace Park today: L to R: John, Beth, Paul, Xavier Today we worked on the compost bins in Peace Park, Myrtle and Rose Streets. Some serious getting to the bottom of things work was done.  John disappeared in one of the bins.  Paul reckoned we could have popped John and the bin in the post, all we needed was a stamp. Beth was awarded the Compost Bravery Award for Courage Under Fire From Cockroaches (First Class).  It’s a big thing for a middle... Read More

Road gardening

Gardeners How time is whizzing by – half way through the first month of Spring already. Time waits for no plant, nor the planters – us. Some of the things we did last Friday are on my blog for that day.  We covered a lot of ground and did plenty – thanks to the dozen folk who turned up. And congratulations to Sam who has bought his own compost bin and taken some compost from our road bins to quick start it. Remember – if you wish to come to the splitting... Read More

Road gardening 10 Sept

Removing compost from bins Quality control by Bob The Chook Planting, espaliering Meyer Lemon  Read More

What we did in the road gardens today

About 10 or more of us gardened today; some chefs from a well-known restaurant, some new gardeners, some folk from Total Environment Centre interested in our gardens, some reliables who have been coming for weeks now.  We: - took compost from several bins, turned them with augers, measured the temperatures and put in some coffee husks from Toby’s Estate - planted a Meyer Lemon tree which we then espaliered to make it unattractive to thieves in its early months and to set... Read More

Pine Street raised bed garden

Raised bed gardeners, L to R: Zac, me, Sam, Helen, Rachel, Luke (holding a pot of Herb Robert) On Friday about 8 of us worked on the road gardens and we: turned the compost bins in Peace Park and in the streets took about six wheelbarrows of compost from the bins to put onto the new Pine Street Road raised bed garden in front of Don and Helen’s house installed a leaky drain for the new raised bed garden planted some lemongrass (offcuts from existing plants which were transplanted);... Read More

What we’ll do in the road gardens this Friday

Gardeners Now is our time.  Spring has sprung, warmth is in the air, green shoots are on the wing . . . hyperbole is all about. See you at 58 Myrtle this Friday at 9 am or at the bins in Peace Park, and we’ll be in the road gardens in Myrtle, Shepherd and Rose streets ’til 12. We will: -  Fight them on the beaches, we will never surrender;  I’m talking cockroaches in our compost bins in the park and the streets.  We’ll mount some defences, including: PREVENTION To... Read More