Wood sorrel turns up in our road garden

Wood sorrel, Myrtle road garden Luke, the chef who lives in Cleveland Street, joined us briefly for gardening on Friday and showed Karlie and I  some wood sorrel growing in the road garden on the corner of Myrtle and Pine. Luke says when he’s looking at what plants he might eat from the road gardens (and anywhere)  he relies on what his tongue tells him. If something tastes like grass then he’s doesn’t pick it. He uses wood sorrel to flavour such things as... Read More

New leaky drain in Pine Street

John and Helen ready to make a leaky drain Today we dug up and made a leaky drain outside Helen’s house in Pine Street. Now, all or most of the rain from the two roofs draining to the street will stay where it falls and the road garden will be self-irrigating. About 1200 litres a year falls in each square metre of this part of Sydney.  As each roof is about 30 square metres, this leaky drain will keep about 60,000 litres of rainwater to feed the new life that will be created... Read More

Shepherd Street raised bed garden

New garden, Shepherd St This is the new raised bed garden Sean, Karlie, John and I built last week after Sean bought or salvaged the mulch, plants, timber borders, and leaky ag pipe and we mixed our compost in with some potting mix and soil. With the left over leaky ag pipe Paul and I were able to lay about 15 metres to catch rainwater from the sidewalk along the units at the top of Myrtle Street and direct it below ground to feed the plants.  Read More

A surprise and a new road garden

Chickweed, Myrtle Street While gardening on Friday I met a stranger who showed me some Chickweed he had picked from the road garden. Until Luke, a chef, told me I was unaware of it or that it was there but now he’s pointed it out it’s as plain as day.  Chickweed is in several places in Myrtle Street.  So I just picked a handfull of it, washed it and put it in a salad.  Chickweed’s fresh little leaves in the mix were noticeable; a little tart and crunchy.... Read More

Gardening and compost trial breaking myths

It’s over two years since we’ve been gardening and growing food in the streets and composting there. The compost trial results in Peace Park will be compiled by early 2012. So far the gardening and composting has broken some myths and created valuable new data. Here are some interesting facts: several people come here from nearby suburbs of Pyrmont, Ultimo, Darlington and Glebe to use our compost bins and to garden or to take the fruit and veggies because they are... Read More

What we did in the road gardens today

Irrigation pipes and comfrey plants Today Karlie, Kath, Rachel, John and Alina worked in the road gardens. We: cleaned the outside of the seven bins in Peace Park cleaned the outside of the six bins in the streets augured all bins and mixed in the fluffy coffee husks from Toby’s Estate one bin in Rose street needed compost from the base of the bin dug out and put on top to make it less smelly and drier had a little pruning workshop on one citrus and the first tentative... Read More

Villages support us most

This week’s column from George Monbiot provides a useful summary with data of the benefits of villages, some of which we’re experiencing in Chippendale’s village-like streets. Here’s some of George’s column: “We are, to a surprising extent, what the built environment makes us. Academic papers show that many of the problems we blame on individual behaviour are caused in part by the places in which we live. People are more likely to help their... Read More

A loss in the street

Two fruit trees (bush lemons) and a native planted to feed and shelter small birds were stolen from our road garden in front of the units at the corner of City Road and Myrtle sometime since last Sunday. Sad to see the empty holes where they’d been pulled out.  It looks as tho’ someone’s stealing them to sell not to vandalise. I try to let pass the hurts of theft, death and vandalism of our plants. And to try for the road gardener’s laugh, and these words,... Read More

Seedling pots you can plant

Rachel, John, Karlie putting seeds into loo rolls Avoid transplanting small plants; to do this use loo paper rolls as seedling pots.  They will decay in the soil and protect the young seedlings until then. Plant seeds in the loo pots, rope them together with string and place in a cardboard tray that you put in good sunlight.  Water them all at once.  Leave in sunlight ’til big enough to plant. When ready to plant bury the seedling pot into the soil where it will decay... Read More

Road garden composting progress

This is just a brief report on progress of one part of our community gardening here: public composting. It’s also a thanks to Sydney City Council, it’s General Manager, Monica Barone, Councillors Harris and McInerney, and waste education coordinator officer, Michael Neville, and other staff and councillors; thanks for  your support and vision which is a real confidence booster for us all here.  Together I think we’re doing something positive that could not... Read More