Newsletters 2011

TNG Member News 2011

July 2011

Great news!

TNG's application for a Kingborough Community Grant was successful and we have been awarded $2460. The grant will provide funds for the following:

* 2 demountable shade structures for use at workshops and social gatherings
* Folding or stacking seating for adults and children
* Materials to construct two large sturdy outdoor tables
* Materials for rectifying problems with plot construction

Our application was successful partly because we undertook to contribute an equal amount in kind - ie labour to construct the tables and work on the plot improvement, so there will be work to be done to keep our part of the agreement and to make some great enhancements to our neighbourhood garden.

We owe thanks to Tina who researched and wrote the submission, and a big thank you to the Kingborough Council for the grant.

Please read this summary of the discussions at the management committee meeting held on Tuesday July 12 to find out what is happening with your neighbourhood garden. See meeting notes for more.

Urgent Appeal

We are particularly appealing to you to adopt a fruit tree. Several trees are still waiting for someone to care for them. You will also see that there are many tasks that would benefit from your participation.

July 25 - Stop press! only a few fruit trees left to adopt. See map

Compost bays

Jon will start work soon on construction of an additional compost bay for on-site compost production from the chopped vegetable waste.
Adopt a fruit tree plan

So far only committee members have taken up the request for members to ‘adopt a fruit tree'. During discussion it was noted that we have only ever appealed to members to help in the garden, but that in future we may need to keep a register of contributions as not everyone is contributing the 6 hours per year. It was noted that no members attended the working bee in May. It was resolved that an appeal should be made in an email letting members know which fruit trees still require adoption.

Spring Workshop

Workshop is planned for August 28. Theme: plant propagation. Seeds could be planted for garden use and also possibly for sale at Seaside Festival at Primary School on Nov. 12.

Garden Ramble October 16 - 2pm

We are planning a walk around Taroona to visit a number of interesting vegetable gardens, ending with afternoon tea at the neighbourhood garden. More information on this soon.

25 March 2011 Newsletter

Early Autumn Working Bees

Our most urgent early Autumn jobs are to clean up spent summer crops from the community plots, move the rotation on to the next phase and plant autumn and winter vegetables. We plan to have 3 working bees at different times to accommodate more people for these tasks.

Wednesday evening - March 30th 4-6pm (last chance before end of daylight saving)
Friday morning-April 1st. 10am - midday
Sunday afternoon-April 3rd. 2-4pm

Please try to come along to one of these sessions - there is lots to be done. We'll put a list of remaining tasks on the noticeboard on April 3, so if you cant attend a session you may like to tackle one of those in the following few days.
For your own plots you may like to consult Peter Cundall's planting guide:

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/07/07/2296755.htm

Grant Application submitted

The committee has recently submitted an application to the Kingborough Community Grants Program for funds to purchase demountable shelters and seating to use in workshops and meetings and other gatherings. Thank you to Tina for putting in the hard work and research to complete the application.

Beans for seed?

Summer has moved into early Autumn and the garden plots are still producing the last of our summer vegetables. There are few beans of edible size left now in the community plot, although there are quite a few over-mature pods remaining, and we could leave these to dry to see if we can harvest viable seed.

Please harvest now...

In the community plots there are zucchini, corn, beetroot, and tomatoes maturing continuously, so please harvest what you need from these crops. There is also some Chinese cabbage, sadly looking a little caterpillar affected, but OK to eat if you strip of the outer leaves.

REAL MEN MOW! ( A note from Tim O'Loughlin)

It struck me as I spent a happy two hours mowing the TNG a few months back that mowing is a peculiarly male thing. All that noisy machinery that needs coaxing into life, then all the thrashing and subduing of nature into tamed order. It is also a single task that is relatively simple and after awhile becomes almost meditative. Men are renowned for their ability to focus (usually only!) on one thing at a time and mowing suits this very well.

So for all you men who need some meditative oneness with a four stroke engine, here is a golden opportunity to get a bit fitter and do the TNG a favour by mowing the grass whenever it gets a bit long - far be it from me to hog all the fun! Therefore if you think it needs a mow give me a ring on 6227 8938 or 0418 135 721 and I can lash you to the beast and give you a few tips on being at one with a Briggs and Stratten.

PS if your female and want to get in touch with your inner male or you think this is all highly sexist and want to show me that women can mow just as well as men, wonderful - the more the merrier!

PPS Beware of the stakes that are there to protect people from the corners of the vegie beds while mowing, it is easy to push these over.

Transplant Cos

The cos lettuce seedlings in the community plot have sprung up much too close together, so if you would like to grow cos in your own plot, please take a clump from the row to transplant.

Family plots

Many family plots are displaying rapidly over maturing vegetables, or even some rotting produce. It's a shame to see vegetables go to waste, so please check your plots often, and harvest your produce. For example, zucchini, which notoriously grow faster than you can eat them! But beat them at their own game by picking them when they are only a few centimetres long (so much nicer too) or by harvesting them when they are still flowers.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9597/stuffed+zucchini+flowers

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/159/Stuffed_zucchini_flowers

Tomatoes trusses may droop as they ripen, touch the ground and rot. Pick them when they are showing only the merest hint of ripening, take home and put them in a dish on the bench. They will ripen successively to give you a steady supply. By the way, some of the tomatoes in the community plot are yellow and "black" varieties, so may be riper than they appear.

http://www.wikihow.com/Ripen-Green-Tomatoes (given that bananas are $12 a kg currently, substitute with an apple - just as effective).

See you at a working bee!

BBQ and get-together 9 February 2011

About 20 memberas attended a late afternoon BBQ and get-together at the garden on Wednesday February 9th. Highlights of the occasion were the unveiling of the new sign on the street side of the shed, and the ceremonial first opening of the new compost bay gates. The gates will allow the direct delivery of compost into the bay, so that working bees will no longer need tospend hours barrowing compost in from where it has previously been dumped on the footpath.

Here are some photographs from the event.

Enjoying the food

Unveiling the new sign

Walking through the new compost bay gates