Garden Update — July

Slightly quiet in the garden this month, with lots of cancelled sessions due to rain that then lead to a self-imposed policy of gardening rain, hail or shine in order to get stuff done! The public school strike one Thursday meant we had lots of hands on deck, and that made up for those missed weeks.

So many special garden visitors!

We set out chopping and dropping annuals that had been hit by frost, keeping the roots in the ground to break down and be worm food, as always. Weeding the swale was the next job, and it is now half done. A fresh layer of wood chip mulch will go down once weeding is finished, so keep an eye out for the food forest looking fresher than ever.

Still at it with the seedling raising in our precious greenhouse. We seriously cannot have enough sugar snap peas! They're the most delicious garden snack and a perfect reward after a big garden session. Plus, we want enough for everyone to take home and share with family and friends. Some volunteers have pups who particularly like them, so we are growing as many as we can to ensure all pups are happy. Some seedlings are thriving, some are getting hit hard by slugs and slaters. Always the way. 

That prolific nasturtium finally got hit by frost so we harvested some of the remaining flower buds to chop up and put in guacamole for a team member's farewell lunch. These buds can also be pickled and turn out very similar to capers! Nice peppery hit, great in salads.

We are eager to get in the garden on Saturday mornings, so keep an eye out for some changes to the garden drop-in roster as it warms up. Our greenhouse will be bursting with seedlings, and we usually have more than enough to share, so come by and volunteer your time and take home some seedlings, or plant them in the Gungaderra Community Garden yourself and return to reap the benefits!!