Recording the Newsletters issued by Casino Community Garden, located on the corner of Adam and Hartley Streets (adjacent to entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park), South Casino, NSW, Australia.

The garden is a project of Casino Neighbourhood Centre, overseen by the Community Development Project Coordinator. As the flier concerning community gardens says, it is a place of beauty, joy, peace and kindliness, and friendliness too.

All links active at time of publication. Please report any broken link you come across to Jan. Thank you.

2 April 2014

NEWSLETTER APRIL 2014

CASINO COMMUNITY GARDEN
Monthly Newsletter #13 APRIL 2014
Around Casino Community Garden this Month

Gardening:  Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 8.30am

BYO Lunch:   Every Wednesday 12 noon 

Monthly Meeting: First Wednesday of month.  Lunch 12 noon.
Meeting 12.30 for about an hour

Work underway on the new solid entrance path thanks to the generous 
business people of Casino, Novaskill and a crew from Jobfind.
Pictured Clive, Peter, Tony and Bobby, just before the April meeting.

NEWS FROM THE MEETING
Wednesday 2nd April 2014
Picking Veggies
Help is needed on Tuesdays from 8.30am to 10am, to pick the veggies for Lend-A-Hand.

Replacement of Taps
The Garden was fitted with new risers and taps for our irrigation "system" thanks to the generosity of local plumber Mark Palfrey, Williams Hardware and Casino DIY Hardware.  This support is very much appreciated, following the disappearance of our taps recently.

Food Preparation Area
All the steel, nuts and bolts etc has been purchased and ready to go.  Owen and Mark will commence the construction shortly.

Power
It is looking hopeful that electricity will be connected soon.

Casino High Students
Starting 8th May, several students will be involved at the garden on Thursdays from 11am to 1.00pm

Grants
Jo has applied for a possible grant, for some extras for the Garden, and looking out for further suitable grants.

Next Event - Welcome to Winter
The date and time was set - Saturday 14th June from 1.00pm to 4.00pm.  The meeting came up with suggestions for topics including Cheesemaking, Keeping Backyard Chooks, and Drying and Storing Herbs and Spices.  The final agenda will be subject to availability of Speakers etc.

Official Opening of New Path
It is planned to have the official opening of the new path in conjunction with the Event.

Dedication for you.  Amy getting on with the painting, in the heat of the day,
before the meeting, with a helping hand from the delightful Liam.

**************************************

 April Feature

 Soil Improvement
Presentation by Peter Cundall 12/11/2005
We have heavy clay soil and that's the reason I'm digging some pale looking stuff in.  It's called gypsum and it helps break up the soil.  But this is only one of the many ingredients to make soil fertile.  Others include mushroom compost, blood and bone, pelletised chook manure, and even sheep manure and dolomite limestone - they all work marvellously.  But how do they work individually?

The reason why mushroom compost is so marvellous, it's the best of all the fertilisers, and this one is absolutely neutral.  It can be used round just about any plant and dug in.  Turn it upside down to find this slimy stuff.  Get rid of that. It's stinky stuff and will break down later.  Then spread it around and it can be dug in later.

Now my favourite - blood and bone and it's a fantastic fertiliser.  Do you know why it's so good?  Because the blood meal contains slow release nitrogen, and the bone meal is full of calcium and phosphorus.  But this stuff lacks potash.  That means adding sulphate of potash.  About two cups for a bucketful.  It's easy to mix and I'm not afraid to handle it.  Add a good fistful, or a bit more, for every square metre.

Another of the best organic fertilisers is a complete fertiliser.  it looks like pelletised chook manure, but it doesn't really stink.  It's not bad, in fact it's an all purpose organic fertiliser, containing seaweed concentrate, blood and bone, fish manure, as well as shook manure.  A good handful all over the place and the pellets will break down as soon as they get wet, they crumble and all those lovely nutrients go down into the soil.


The layers are building up.  There is one more that I can't resist and it's sheep manure.  But use horse manure or cow manure, they're all about roughly the same.  But this is absolutely well decayed, All you do with this stuff, look, rake it over the surface.  Just rake it in.  I contains very little nutrients but is a brilliant soil conditioner.  It does the most wonderful things, even with clay soil, and it helps to break it up and makes it lovely and friable.  In fact, I can already feel the ground throbbing happily beneath my feet.

But there is something else, and it's dolomite.  Use dolomite if you've got acidic soild and you need to sweeten it.  Dolomite is not a fertiliser, it's a soil unlocker, and it's nothing more than calcium and magnesium.  It even helps break up this clay soil as well.  The great thing about dolomite limestone s that because it is slow acting, it doesn't react against any of those old, well decayed manures.  Put it on very, very generously.  And all I have to do now in winter is dig it in.

Words and pic of Peter from ABC Gardening.  It was good to see Peter again on the 25 year show recently.


Work in hand preparing for the next growing season

Vegetable Planting Guide by Gardening Australia for April
Amaranth, Beans (climbing and bush), Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Burdock, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chives, Endive, Florence Fennel, Huauzontle, Jerusalem Artichoke,Kale, Collards, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Malabar Greens, Mangle-Wurzel, Mustard Greens, Onion, Pak Choy etc, Parsley, Parsnip,Peas / Snow Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinah, Sunflower, Tomatoes, Turnips/Swedes.

Moringa Tree
Thanks to Agnes for details about this "miracle Tree", also known as Drumstick Tree and Horseradish Tree.  Ask at the Garden as we have a tree there, or Google Moringa Tree in Australia for more info.  

The tree is drought tolerant and grows in arid regions through to the tropics, will tolerate some frosts, and grows from cuttings and seeds. Originating from Northern India, the leaves, flowers, pods and roots are edible, and the flowers are loved by bees.

The baby leaves can be used in any spinach recipe.  The small trees are pulled up and the taproot ground, mixed with vinegar and salt and used as horseradish.  Very young plants can be used as a tender vegetable, and after about eight months the tree begins to flower and continues year round.  The flowers can be eaten or used to make tea.  Young pods cooked taste like asparagus, and much more.
The two pics in this section from internet.

RECIPE CORNER

No Bake Energy Bites.
I cup rolled oats
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Thoroughly mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Chill in refrigerator for half hour.

Roll into balls about 3cm in diameter.  
Makes about  20 balls.

This is a recipe that you can change around to suit your taste, or the ingredients in your cupboard.  You could include:
  • chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins etc.)
  • dried berries (cranberries, cherries etc)
  • chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or sunflower seeds.

Over the Veggie Rainbow

This healthy after school snack provides a golden opportunity to entice your kids to eat fresh vegetables.

To make it, fill a small bowl with dip (they used guacamole).  Slice four long strips of capsicum in various colours and arrange them as shown.  Cut two small cauliflower clouds, skewer each with a toothpick, then position one on each side of the capsicum.

Place sliced carrot coins beside the bowl for the leprechaun's pot of gold.  (Optional)

Words and pics in recipe corner from internet.
***************************************************

Shared from Facebook



Congratulations to Phil Dudman for winning two National Horticultural Media Awards in the beautiful Plaza Ballroom Melbourne - one for magazine journalism and other for the Harvest Radio Series he shares with his garden2kitchen buddy, Julie Ray.
*******************
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 member of the garden - $5/ annum


If you are new here, scroll down for back issues of the Newsletter.

Words and photos by Jan Brine unless otherwise stated.
_____________________

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

Location: Head for Entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park at South Casino
Garden on Left - corner Adam & Hartley Streets.
_____________________


















Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)