News

Autumn Seed Swap

Saturday April 30th 1-3pm at 7 Oaks School, corner of York St and Hassals Lane, Opawa, Christchurch.

Bring seed or plants to swap - or make a gold coin donation and go for it!
Good time to swap cuttings, tubers such as potatoes, garlic for planting, root divisions, etc.
Our main interest is in vegetables and herbs and also flowers, but anything goes!
Bring a snack to share, if you feel like it...

All Welcome!

Garden Visit - Nicole Bühr's - 5th March, 2011

Thank you Nicole for keeping your garden visit open so soon after the Earthquake. For those who made it out it was a lovely afternoon escape from mud and dust of town.

Garden Visit - Ron Crowley's - 15th of January, 2010

I am not sure I have seen a section as intensively gardened with vegetables as Ron Crowleys. There is not a blade of grass to be seen but all manner of vegetables, herbs and grains including millet, sorghum & water chestnuts which most of us had never seen growing before.

Garden Visit - Jim Goodwin's - 16 November, 2010

A small group turned out of a warm November's evening to discover the wonders of Jim's never ending back yard. Full of homemade & cleverly sourced materials Jim has turned one man's junk into a whole lot of food-growing treasure.

His glass house is made from old window frames and crate pallets have been cut down and modified to make perfect raised beds. You would never know you are in the middle of town.

Jim also has a bunch of happy little hens who graze freely in the compost heap and scratch an area clean before the next round of planting.

Seed Saving Workshop - Postponed

This was advertised as Sat 12th March 2011, now postponed to be held on the same day as the Autumn Seed Swap (date to be confirmed in newletter due out in next couple of weeks). Please pass this info on to anyone who you think may not be connected with the email machine.

Upcoming Seed Exchange Events

Sat, 15th Jan Garden Visit to Ron Crowley's
146 Hampshire Street, Aranui, 1 p.m.
Garden tour followed by a shared afternoon tea.
Bring finger food to share.

Sat, 5th March Garden Visit to Nicole Bűhrs'
551 Springston‐Rolleston Road, 11 a.m.
Bring a plate for a shared potluck lunch after the
garden tour.

Sat, 12th March Seed Saving Workshop
1 p.m. 7 Oaks School, Hassals Lane, Opawa

Pruning Workshop Report

The weather turned it on for everyone who attended the pruning workshop at 7 Oaks on Sunday the 28th of August.

The venue provided the perfect learning space - an abundance of trees to practice newly learnt skills. Thanks to tutor Hamish Kelland, who kept everyone entertained and interested for the day.

Field trip - Richard Watson's north Canterbury property

On the 21st of March about 25 seed exchange members enjoyed a trip to Richard Watson's Hurunui property. Richard has a ¾ acre garden where he raises and saves seeds, many of them for Koanga Gardens. He also has a stone–walled tunnel house that uses passive solar heating to extend the growing season.

Here Richard describes to us how he uses broom laid down on the soil to prevent the birds digging up potatoes when they've just been planted: