Breaking Dormancy

We have come out of winter dormancy – just like our fruit trees – over the working bee and shared lunch in the garden last Sunday. But the cold winter has been perfect for autumn-sown garlic, which needs the cold to set good sized bulbs, and for the berries, pome and stone fruit, which need a certain “chill factor” to flower and fruit well.

Thanks to funding from the Rural Transaction Centre and Ewen Campbell’s fencing expertise, we now have some fabulous (six foot high) climbing frames for the loganberry, boysenberry and raspberry canes to run on. In some very short bursts of winter gardening, we also renovated our strawberry patch and planted new certified runners, planted a communal crop of broad beans, and a green manure of wheat and lentils around the asparagus as a soil improver for this long lived crop.

just slashed, wheat and lentil green manure

Now Spring is here it’s time for much more activity and also seed sowing….. See the September growing notes for what to plant, when, and a word of caution about frosts – still capable of creating carnage this month! Don’t forget the Produce Exchange, next Saturday (voting day) 10.30am outside the Red Store.

We are enjoying having the Newstead Primary School, and more recently the Newstead Preschool, spend regular time in the garden. Also welcome to new plotholders Erica and Julia.

A reminder of our involvement in the Castlemaine Childrens Literature Festival again over the school holidays. We welcome garden members to assist with the event and join in the fun – contact Mary to find out what’s needed. The Program is just out and bookings have been filling fast for our workshop – register your child now to avoid missing out!

And check out Saide’s paper on our garden, published in the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Project, a global initiative.