NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2013

Please excuse the variations in font etc this month, just seems to be glitches at time of posting.

CASINO COMMUNITY GARDEN

Monthly Newsletter #8 Issued October 2013

Around Casino Community Garden this Month

Every Tuesday from 8.30am: Join in at the garden with Jo, Janine, Mark and Kevin, weeding, general garden activities, and planting still going on.

Gardening Wednesday morning also.  Help also needed with watering, pop down Tuesday or Wednesday morning to make arrangements if you can help over Summer.

Every Wednesday 12 noon:  BYO Lunch gatherings every week at the garden - come on down at noon and have a bite to eat, a cuppa and join in the chat with the regulars, topics include good food, gardening and healthy living.

Monthly Meeting :  Lunch 12 noon, MEETING 12.30 for about an hour usually on first Wednesday of month, any change advised by email and on Facebook.

 Janine working in the herb garden just before the October meeting.

News from the October Meeting

Next Event: Welcome to Summer

Saturday 30th November from 9am to 12 noon with morning tea, and lunch following.

It is hoped the heat of the day will be avoided with this time-frame.

Topics were nominated at the meeting and speakers to be contacted and confirmed.

Casino Garden Club competition

  

Jo stressed her thanks to all involved, past and present, for their help in bringing the garden up to such a great standard, and in particular having it looking so good for the competition.  Jo  commended the Volunteers aas an amazing group of dedicated locals who put in their time and energy not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others.

Our thanks goes to the Casino & District Garden Club for having a new section for Community Gardens.  First prize was awarded to the Casino Community Garden.

 Shirley handing out newsletters and answering a query at the Casino Flower Show.

The Sponsorship Drive 

The sponsorship drive for the new access path for local residents and visitors with mobility issues is going well.  Already 20 businesses have committed to sponsoring a metre of the path at $80 per metre, and 29 are needed altogether.  (27 at time of going to print).

The reaction to Jo's request has been that they see it as a great cause, and are not participating for the publicity, just want to support the community!

The path will go from the accepted parking area on the QE side of the garden across to the undercover area.

 

Updates

Working on an update to the Procedures Manual, Membership Fees, and most importantly, the rules for the use of the Pizza Oven.

The Sheds at the Garden

Mark and Owen installing the lock on the new tool shed just before the meeting.

The sheds are now in place, a garden shed and shade house donated by Aileen Daly.

  And the new tool shed

Dave Geurts at work on the new tool shed.

These three pics by Shirley Wheatley -Dave, Janine, Mark and Shirley on the day.

Reading and Inspiration for October
Companion Planting by Helen Tuton
With thanks to Sustainable Gardening Australia - Apologies if you've already seen it!
Full article and chart

Once the realm of the hardcore, hippy, home gardener, companion planting is now an incredibly popular practice – from beginner gardeners right up to large-scale agriculture. But, despite its popularity, companion planting is often misunderstood, misused and misrepresented as the “cure-all solution” to problems in the patch.

So what is companion planting? Essentially, it’s a method of growing plants together, with the idea that they will assist each other in some way, like deterring pests, improving growth, enhancing flavour, attracting beneficial insects, fixing nitrogen, disrupting “patterns” and trap cropping. But, just as we have good neighbours, there are bad neighbours as well. Some plants really dislike each other, and shouldn’t be planted in close quarters, lest one of them struggle or meet its untimely demise.

Mythbusters – Does it Actually Work?

Now, the “Big Question”: does it work? Well, yes and no. There is a fairly limited amount of actual scientific information on companion planting, but it is safe to say that some combinations do seem to work, while others can be a bit hit and miss. Why? Well, for starters, companion planting is a northern hemisphere concept that works a treat up there, but not as well down here in Australia.

Secondly, it doesn’t work so well because it isn’t understood. We’ve all heard that basil and tomatoes should be planted together, but why? How many of each is required? Is one basil per tomato enough? Who benefits? What are we deterring? Does it enhance flavour? 

Get Your Fix – Companions that Work!

Well, companion planting CAN be the quick fix, and here’s how: biodiversity! The best thing about companion planting is that it increases the biodiversity of your patch; that is, the variety of life forms in your garden. Some of the greatest companion plants in my garden are those which have nothing to do with my vegetable patch, but are the awesome locally native trees and shrubs I have planted about the place. Clever planning (if I do say so myself) has meant that my garden is never without blossom, and is therefore never without the array of critters that come with that: birds, pollinating insects (like butterflies, bees, and native wasps), reptiles, beetles and all sorts of helpful garden buddies.

By encouraging this assortment of good guys, my garden is almost completely without the bad guys, who never get a foothold in numbers that matter to me anyway! Remember, a lettuce leaf with a hole in it doesn’t require chemical warfare, nor does it signal an attack of the dreaded munchies! So now that I’ve put you off companion planting all together, let me say that I reckon there are some combinations that really work, especially those that involve plants that have a fair odour to them. Also, there are definitely combinations that dislike each other, so I’ve made for you, dear readers, what is possibly the most comprehensive companion planting chart in the known universe.

And Helen says  my favourite companion in my garden is healthy soil, full of organic matter, worms and good stuff. And beer!

Exerpt from the chart

The most comprehensive companion planting chart in the known universe (maybe)

Plant	Good Neighbours	How it works	Bad Neighbours
Apple	Nasturtium, Chives	Nasturtium climbs tree and is said to repel codling moth	Potatoes
Apricot	Basil, Tansy, Asparagus	Basil and tansy are said to repel damaging insects
Asparagus	Apricot, Basil, Chives, Comfrey, Lovage, Marjoram, Parsley, Tomatoes	Basil and Parsley are said to improve flavour. Onions and garlic release substances reducing growth.	Garlic, Onions
Balm (Lemon)	Tomatoes	Attracts bees, said to enhance flavour and growth
Basil	Tomatoes	Basil said to repel flies and mosquitoes
Beans (climbing)	Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Lettuce, Lovage, Majoram, Parsley		Beetroot, Chives, Garlic, Gladiolus, Onions, Sunflower
Beetroot	Beans (bush), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce, Lovage, Marjoram, Onion, Peas, Potato, Spinach, Silverbeet	Bad Neighbours roots release substances reducing growth	Beans (Climbing), Tomato

 Full chart online, plus extra tips (same link as under heading)

 Companion planting at the Garden, in the perennial section

Vegetable Planting Guide by Gardening Australia
For October

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/vegieguide/

Amaranth, artichoke (globe), asparagus, basil, beans, beetroot, burdock, cabbage (loose head), capsicum, carrots, celeriac, celery, chicory, chilli, chives, choko, cocoyam, coriander , cucumber, eggplant, huauzontle,  lettuce, long yam luffa, Malabar greens, mustard greens, okra, oregano, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, rocket, rockmelon, rosella, salsify,  silverbeet, squash, sunflower, sweet corn, sweet potato, tomatoes, turnip/ Swedes, Warrigal greens, NZ spinach, water chestnut, watermelon, zucchini.

October in your garden 

October is a huge month in the patch.  With so many varieties to plant, you'll be struggling to get it all done. So, welcome to October, a fine tome to be in any sort of garden.  Remember to use all your senses in the garden.  Watch for pest issues, feel for soil moisture, smell your soil, and... most importantly.... taste the fruits (or vegetables) of your labours.

Tomatoes 

It's time to plant everyone's favourite - tomatoes.  By now your soil should be good and ready, so head to the local garden centre, pick a few varieties, and get going.  This is the moment we have all been waiting for.  don't forget their mates, Basil and French marigolds.  They are great companions, and no tomato patch is complete without them.

Sunflowers

Now is the time to plant some sunflower seeds. Find a sunny spot where you would like to see some happy sunflowers later in the year, and plant the seeds to double the depth of the seed. Cover lightly with dirt and wait… they’ll be popping their heads up in no time! !  

Remember to mulch
Top up mulch on your vegie patches, herb gardens and ornamental beds. Choose a sustainable, low environmental impact mulch that will enrich your soil as it breaks down.

Green Manure
Consider a green manure crop to add some life and love to an overworked garden. At this time of year, try clover, pigeon pea or soybean. This will improve your soil incredibly and you’ll find it well worth the effort. Young wheat is great too, it is used to make wheat grass… an incredibly vile tasting but very beneficial health tonic. Green manure crops, including clover, barley, millet and wheat are good to go now to improve that dormant vegie patch and get ready for next season’s heavy feeding plants. .

There is still time to plant passionfruit, paw paw, avocados, banana, citrus, and macadamias. If your tastes are a little more exotic try putting in a guava. 

Thanks to SGA - Sustainable Gardening Australia   http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=525

Please note this link may be removed as the post is dated Oct 2011.

If so Google "October in your patch SGA" for latest

Recipe Corner

Plenty of silverbeet around now, and as well as steaming, or in your salad or stir fry, try an Impossible Pie.  Great with a side salad from your garden and when you have guests for lunch.  Serves 4 to 6 depending on what you have with it, and also nice cold.

                        4 eggs                     

                        1-1/2 cups milk

                        1 tablespoon olive oil

                        1 onion

                        3  large silverbeet leaves, washed, dried and chopped

                        2 rashers bacon diced, or ham

                        1/2 cup SR flour

                        Salt and pepper, chives and parsley to taste

                        Cheese to sprinkle on top.

Combine all ingredients together in  processor.

OR by hand: beat eggs, add milk, oil, diced veggies, bacon, salt etc. 

Fold in flour and sprinkle with cheese.

Nice decorated with slices of tomato.

Place in ovenproof dish.  Bake at 190C for 45 minutes or until set.  

Use a 24cm round dish, 5cm deep,  or similar.

-oOo-

Suggestions and photos welcome, by email to Jo or

Jan - email casinogarden@gmail.com

or bring to lunch Wednesdays or the meetings.

Ask Jo about being a membe of the Garden - $5/annum

60 'likes' on our Facebook now!!!!

If you are new here, you might like to look over our back issues.

Words and photos by Jan Brine unless stated otherwise.

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Casino Community Garden
A Project of the Casino Neighbourhood Centre
Contact: Jo Nemeth on 6662 5435  Email: coordinator.cdp@cnci.org.au

Location of garden: Head for entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park at South Casino
Garden on left - corner Adam & Hartley Streets
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