TNG Member News 2023
May 12th.
Working bees
Surface of the new central area-help needed to spread the gravel
Kingborough Council has delivered the last of the gravel and now it needs to be spread in preparation for the ‘wacker packer’ which we will hire too compact the surface.
When you are in the garden could you spread a few shovels full please? Then on
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May there will be a ‘rolling working bee’ to complete the job. (This worked well for the 14 cu m of soil – thank you to everyone who helped to complete that task!)
The regular working bee which would normally be held this Sunday is cancelled as it is Mothers Day.
If you are unable to help with our working bees, you may like to volunteer to do one of these tasks.
- Make/source and fit a new door on the shed
- Reinstate the hose hanger (we will supply a pole) at the end of the new area.
- Check and repair the perimeter watering system.
- Sand and repaint the white garden seat.
We will reimburse for any necessary purchases. For more information please send us an email.
Don’t forget our Design a gate competition. Entries close May 31. All the detail is in the April news:
Solstice Celebration and opening of the new central area
Sunday 25 June from midday. We will be having a long table lunch. Bring a plate of Autumn themed food to share. More detail later.
April 16th
What’s happening in the central area?
The old weed ridden ‘community’ plots were demolished some months ago. New raised timber beds have been constructed and lined by a team of our members. The surface of the central area between the new beds has been levelled by machine, and gravel has been laid over Geotex (landscaping fabric) which should deter weeds from coming through. Another load of gravel will be laid soon, and the surface will be thoroughly compacted. Premium garden mix soil has been added to the new raised beds , which will be planted out soon (see below). When ready for harvest, the produce will be shared among our members. The long table is being refurbished and will be repositioned soon.
There are still ongoing works planned to enhance the beauty and practicality of our garden, first of which is the design competition for a new gate. (see below).
Many people are due our thanks for the work so far…
- Thank you to Roy Langman and Kingborough Council for making available the machinery to level the area and the staff, gravel and geotex for the surface.
This has been done without cost to TNG and has saved us a significant amount of money, allowing us to use our funds for construction of the raised beds and for ongoing works.
- An amazing effort was made by a number of our members to shift 14 cu metres of ‘premium mix’ into the new raised beds. We had anticipated that we would need to have a rolling working bee right through to Sunday afternoon, but the job was all done by Saturday afternoon!! Thank you everyone for your hard work.
- Also thank you to Jill and Jamie for bringing us a load of horse manure. The manure is still a little fresh and is curing in the resource bay.
- Most of all…. we owe a great deal of thanks to Christophe for his continuing (and hands on) work in project managing the whole redesign and the coordination of tasks.
April 30 grand planting day
Sunday April 30th 2-4pm, we invite all members and their families to join us in a grand planting and sowing event for the new raised beds. Seeds and seedlings appropriate to the season will be on hand.
To be followed by a BIG afternoon tea. Please bring a plate to share. Hot drinks will be supplied.
If weather is inclement, we will postpone one week.
Anzac Day Dawn Service
Is anyone going to the Anzac Day Dawn Service in Taroona Park? If so would you be able to lay a wreath on behalf of TNG? For many years TNG has laid a wreath of simple garden flowers and foliage on Anzac and Remembrance Day at services in Taroona Park. We can supply a base if you would like to make a wreath or can supply a completed wreath. Please email: tng.member.news@gmail.com if you can help.
April
Design a new gate!
As you will have seen, so as to undertake the work on the central area and construct the new community beds, we have had to remove the gate and some of the fencing at the entrance adjacent to the green house.
The committee has for some time been discussing the need to upgrade that gate and make it more welcoming. We thought that this was now an opportune time to undertake that work and would like to invite you to participate in a design competition.
The gate should be 1800mm wide and composed of 2x900mm gates. It probably should be 1100mm high, the same height as the chain link fence and capable of keeping wildlife out.
We don't want to specify materials but want to see something attractive, maybe artistic and quirky as befits a community garden.
If you are interested please send photos of a drawing and a description in words of the materials proposed to be used, to the TNG email address.
We think it would be highly appropriate that the successful designer got to name the gate.
Could we please have entries by the end of May.
President Michael Lynch
March
Shovellers needed!! Rolling working bee this weekend
New soil for the new plots will be delivered on Friday (March 31). Can you spare an hour to shovel soil into the plots - any time from Friday evening onwards, whenever you can be there. The pile of soil must be moved into the plots by Monday when the gravel will be delivered for the central open area. There will be a final effort to complete the soil shovelling from 11am - 1pm on Sunday.
AGM results: appointed at the AGM on Monday evening: President Michael Lynch, Treasurer Christophe Marcant, Secretary Deirdre Brown. Committee members: Margaret James, David Coleman, Peter Lutz, Michael Asher, Graeme Watt, Katja Phegan.
February
Notice of Annual General Meeting
Monday 27 March 2023, 7.30pm
St Lukes Church Hall
All committee positions are open, so please consider nominating.
Nominate by sending your name and position for which you wish to nominate by return email.
Following a brief formal part of the meeting, members are invited to have input into the work program for the future and to hear about and discuss the renovations being started in the central area of the garden.
Workshops
Sunday March 19th 10am-1pm - everything provided for these two free activities
Make a mosaic plot sign: please register (by return email) for this activity as numbers are limited.
Seed sowing: sow some punnets of winter vegetables and winter flowering ornamentals to take home and grow on for your TNG plot or home garden. A range of seeds, punnets and seed raising mix will be provided, no need to register.
Thank you
Thank you to the small squad who came along on Saturday to prepare the new site for the worm farm. The farm will be moved in the next few days to the top corner to make room for works to begin in the central area. Although the day was hot, with combined effort the job was completed in an hour! Thank you!!
Miscellaneous Tasks around the garden
We appreciate that many members are unable to attend working bees in order to fulfil the member commitment of 6-8 hours a year. If you see a job that needs doing around the garden, please offer to do it at a time that suits you. Just drop a line to this committee email to let us know what is happening.
Hope to see you at the AGM!
14 January - Message from the TNG President
Welcome all to another year in our garden.
There are two matters that I would very much like to draw to your attention, in the hope that you can help the management committee keep the garden working to the benefit of us all. The first is how we all deal with the proliferation of weeds in the common areas and the second is why the committee cannot seem to get the message across regarding "the good, bad and ugly of making compost".
Firstly, the weeds. Some time ago (November 2021 actually) I wrote to you asking that you consider giving say 30 minutes every time you visit the garden to weed a common area of your choosing. My email had virtually no impact whatsoever. Surely you can see the twitch, yet again taking over the perimeter beds and other common areas.
The committee is made up of seven volunteers. We do all that we can to keep the twitch under control, supported by a small number of dedicated members, but unfortunately it is beyond us. Please could you help us. Just 15 minutes of your time (rather than 30) would make all the difference to your garden.
Please help.
Secondly the compost. Your committee has just installed a large coloured sign on the side of the wooden waste bays above the shed, explaining in simple terms "the good, the bad and the ugly of making compost". Immediately beside the waste bays is a large Council green bin for the "bad and the ugly". There is another large Council green bin near the side gate for more "bad and ugly".
Sadly, it is as if the sign did not exist. Every day there are woody roots, twitch and other "bad and uglys" in the bays. Every day committee members and our wonderful, energetic compost group (who are always looking for new volunteers to join them), have to remove the woody roots and twitch etc from the bays and deal with them in accordance with the simple information provided on the sign.
Please help by reading the sign and follow the advice.
Thank you for taking the time to read my email and hopefully act on the matters I have raised.
Michael Lynch
President
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