NEWSLETTER MARCH 2014

CASINO COMMUNITY GARDEN

Monthly Newsletter #12 March 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

Our beautiful bench seat built by Casino Youth Early Intervention Service, ready for 

Opening Ceremony at Welcome to Autumn event on 1st March 2014.

NEWS

Vandalism

Members are concerned about the ongoing vandalism at the garden, and several ideas were discussed at our recent meeting.

New Path

Novaskill, and a crew from Jobfind have started work on the new path. We're looking forward to having more people access the garden who currently find it difficult without a solid entrance path.

Splash of Colour

Thanks to Amy and her daughter for their ongoing efforts with the garden beds.  Plenty more to go, and we are issuing an invitation to other artists too, who would like to contribute.

Pics by Amy from FB

Garden Notes
We have had some interesting heritage watermelons grown offsite (Thank you Mark), because of the vandalism.  One French variety is light green inside and delicious.

Luffas or Loofahs are going strong.  They can be eaten small or used as a loofah scrubbing brush when allowed to mature.

Music Group

The Music Group is meeting regularly, with up to 27 attending so far, and more interested, as participants tell friends that it is an enjoyable time. The group should  remain manageable as there are always some away with other commitments.

WELCOME TO AUTUMN 2014, HELD 1ST MARCH

 Co-Ordinator of the Casino Neighbourhood Centre's Community Development Project, Jo Nemeth welcomed everyone, outlined details about the garden and thanked the great team of volunteers past and present.

First speaker was Andrew Woods who was employed by The Casino Neighbourhood Centre to kick off the garden in 2011.  Andrew's love of gardens came across as he told us how a garden s a special and sacred space and he can feel it here.  It was bare paddock to working garden in 10 months and he felt very supported in his time in Casino.

Andrew shared many anecdotes from the early days of the garden and went on to detail that the basis is building healthy dynamic soil, fostering pride in growing food and learning about healthy nutrition.  Gardening helps unlock the senses in children with Autism and Aspergers and there were many cookups involving school children in Andrew's time.

Andrew went on to say that a garden is a primal space, connecting us with nature, and a community garden knits a community together, and provides a sense of satisfaction with something to show for our day's work.  Andrew spoke about plants with high levels of antioxidants, various healthy juice combinations, mentioning many plants.

Andrew outlined the history of community gardens, which go back to the late 1700s and the allotments  in the UK, and now the fastest growing movement across the world.

 Pic - Andrew and Jo

Our second speaker was Glennys Moran on Mosaiking.

Glennys extended congratulations to the people who did the mosaicking on the Bench Seat and commented that mosaics last and it could be here in 100 years time.

Glennys said that mosaicking is an ancient art, still being practiced and we do need some knowledge to get started.  There is plenty of information available at local libraries, and through talking to other mosaickers, and on the internet.  Many sites have galleries with designs for ideas.  Tiling outlets are helpful with instructions and glues to use, and Casino Country Store has been very helpful and a good place to start.

Pic - Glennys, speaking and Jo, with Shirley preparing the delicious pizzas

There is a huge array of items that can be mosaicked, and various items to use, from purchased tiles to items picked up at op-shops, including baubles and beads for indoor use, and old china with pattern burnt into the clay that can be broken up.  If you are thinking of mosaicking, spend some time collecting beforehand, keeping in mind that some items are destroyed by sunlight and frost if for outdoor use.

Glennys talked about the tools required, most found in backyard sheds, and safety aspects and described various techniques and tips for successful mosaicking for indoor and outdoor in great detail.

Glennys had a couple of small pots for the audience to inspect, and also handed around her album with photos of many projects that she has completed, including tables, sideboards, panels on her home etc.

The third topic on the agenda, Home Cheesemaking did not happen, but we were indeed fortunate to have two such impressive and interesting speakers.

An informal opening ceremony for the bench seat constructed by Casino Youth Early Intervention Service and the bravado Program took place as planned.

Morning tea with home baking by Jean and Ric, and Jan, and pizza freshly made by Shirley, was enjoyed as participants had a good chat and also found time for a walk around the garden.  The jam made by Shirley with Rosellas grown at the garden, as well as home made pickles and other jam from Jean, sold for garden funds, were popular, as was the swap table.  A big thank you to all who brought items along, to those who bought the jams etc, and for the donations for the morning tea, pizza and swap items.  All very much appreciated as the garden works on a tight budget, which has been hard hit by the vandalism, having to replace padlocks and taps etc.

We had plenty of comments about what a great day it was, thanks to everyone involved.  A special mention to Aly for the poster and all who helped distribute it around town, to those who helped with setting up and dismantling on the day, to Fred and helpers for firing up the Cob oven just right, and of course Mark and all the gardeners for having the garden in such great shape.  

Attendance was 45.

Pics - around the garden at the event

Pic - enjoying the new bench seat

Vegetable Planting Guide by Gardening Australia for March

Amaranth, Asparagus Pea, Beans (climbing and bush), Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Burdock, Cabbage (loose headed0. Capsicum, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chilli, Chives, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Florence Fennel, Huauzontle, Kale, Collards, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Malabar Greens, Mangle-Wurzel, Mustard Greens, Onion, oregano, Pak Choy etc, Parsley, Parsnip, Radish, Rocket, Rosella, Salsify, Shallots, Silverbeet, Squash, Sunflower, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Turnips/Swedes, Zucchini.

Vegie Guide - Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is a practice designed to minimise pests diseases, reduce chemical use, aid in building and maintaining healthy soil, and manage nutrient requirements - all of which maximise yield.  The principles of crop rotation have been successfully used for thousands of years in agriculture and are still used today.  The simplicity of crop rotation allows the practice to be used in your home garden with great success.  In the Gardening Australia Vegetable Planting Guide each vegetable is listed with its family name, which will help with crop rotation.

Crop rotation means that no garden bed has the same crop in successive seasons to:

• Reduce build up of pests and diseases;
• Helps vegetables get the most out of the soil;
• Builds soil by using organic materials and turning in green manure crops.

With thanks to ABC Gardening Australia and see all the post at http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/vegieguide/crop_rotation.htm

Recipe Corner

Easy Pumpkin Soup - Jan

Lovely  pumpkins around now, and soup with crusty bread makes a hearty lunch dish.  If you usually prepare soup from a can or packet, so easy, tasty and economical to make your own.  Try other vegetable combinations too, whatever vegies you have at the end of the week, add leftover chicken, or fry bacon  with the onion.

Pumpkin peeled and cut up (3 or 4 cups)
2 potatoes
1 onion
Butter or olive oil
Pinch nutmeg, and maybe cayenne
paprika, cumin or curry powder
Salt and ground pepper to season
Water or milk and water
Cream or yoghurt to serve (optional)


Lightly fry onion in olive oil or butter, in pot that will hold all the soup.
Add pumpkin, potato and a little water to steam until just tender.
Add cup water to cool and  cream with blender stick or in food processor.
Add spices and more water, or water and milk, retaining creamy consistency.
Taste for seasoning, return to stove, stir and heat. Do not allow to boil.
Serve with blob of cream or yoghurt, topped with parsley, chives or grated cheese.

Tip if making vegetable soup and it is not creamy enough, add dessertspoon cornflour dissolved in cold water and stir in whilst heating.

Bitter Melon

Agnes has been telling us about Bitter Melon, and Andrew mentioned it's healthy properties in his talk.  It is a unique vegetable-fruit that can be used as food or medicine.  It grows on a vine and is rich in vital vitamins and minerals.  It has long been used for a range of ailments, and to help reduce blood sugar levels.

Sounds like a good vegetable to follow up on.

Pics in recipe corner from internet.

Kevin picking up smashed watermelon - see firewood door stolen also.
We are also wondering what our stolen taps are now doing in their new lives elsewhere?


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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

Join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CasinoCommunityGarden

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.

_____________________

NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2014

CASINO COMMUNITY GARDEN

Monthly Newsletter #11 February 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

New bench seat built by Casino Youth Early Intervention Service

due for completion this month.

News

The official opening ceremony for the new bench seat will

 be held at the "Welcome to Autumn" event at 11.00am on Saturday 1st March, after morning tea.  The crew from the Casino Youth Early Intervention Service assisted local young people to build and mosaic this structure to create a beautiful addition to the garden.

Pic - back of bench seat by Jo

New Path

Clearing of the garden beds in the way of the new path is underway.  It's all go for the path to be built in March.  We are looking forward to the garden being more accessible to various groups in the community.  The path can only go ahead thanks to thanks to generous support from 29 local businesses who sponsored a metre each of the path.

Pic: Jo and Owen discussing the new path with Tony Watego from Novaskill.

Publicity Sub-Group

Ways are being discussed to increase community use of the garden particularly when the new path is in use, to increase attendance at events, and attract more groups to use the garden.  Watch out for exciting developments.

Food Preparation Area

CCG is still working on the stainless steel food preparation area, though it is a couple of months down the track, as is the onsite power supply.  However we are resourceful and can always make tea or coffee on a camp stove, and with a generator at our events, our morning teas with home made cooking and pizzas from the cob oven for lunch are absolutely delicious.

Next Event - Welcome to Autumn 2014

Our next garden clinic will be held on Saturday 1st March 2014 from 9.00am.  So far, the events have gone ahead, even if it is raining in the early morning, so please check our Facebook page if in doubt.

We will have a half hour break for morning tea and home-made goodies, and a friendly chat and time to look over our "plant and spare produce from home" stall.  We are also looking forward to our favourite pizza lunch (provided no total fire ban in place). Donations for morning tea and pizza appreciated to cover costs.

The official opening ceremony of the new new bench seat built by Casino Youth Early Intervention Service will be held at 11.00am.

Topics and Speakers

Building Healthy Soil - Andrew Woods

Andrew was involved in setting up the Casino Community Garden and we are looking forward to his return to the garden to share his knowledge on soil health and organic gardening topics.

Mosaicking - Glennys Moran

Glennys moved into Casino a few years ago and her love for mosaicking is obvious around her home.  Glennys will have some objects to show and will fill us in on what we need from glue to grout and the technique to follow.

Pic - garden pot by Glennys featuring broken blue willow mug.

Home Cheesemaking - Louise Woolbank

Louise is from the Wicked Goat Dairy at Coraki and has years of experience producing different dairy products from her home business.

Louise will run through the basics of making different cheeses at home.

Louise offered to bring two goats along on the day.

Reading for February

How to grow Vegies where space is tight

Raised plots are the answer to growing vegies where space is tight, writes gardening expert Helen Young.  Simply make your bed and away you grow.

The two main requirements for successful vegetable and herb cultivation are a sunny spot and rich, well-drained soil.  But few of us have a spare bit of garden that fits the bill, which is where raised vegie beds prove their worth.

You can install one in any sunny position - on top of concrete, paving or lawn - and very little preparation is needed.  Fill it with lovely new soil and good drainage is assured.   Their height makes working in the beds easier, especially for littlies or those less mobile.  As a bonus, the soil warms up quickly in Spring, the beds always look neat and contained, and they can be covered to protect against weather and marauding animals such as possums.

Do it yourself

You can build raised beds yourself, using new and recycled materials.  Concrete or Hebel blocks, bricks, stone and hardwood sleepers are possibilities.  Straw bales work well but take up more space.  Make your bed 1.3m wide at most, so you can comfortable reach into the middle from each side.  Anything more than 3m in length can be inconvenient to walk around.  Sides should be at least 30cm high to accommodate root growth but can be as high as 80cm.

Modular Kits

Rising demand has seen prices of modular vegie beds fall and the range of designs grow. They are easy to assemble and transportable if you move house.  Some are made from corrugated steel, others in food-grade plastic, pine treated with ACQ (a safe wood preservative), cedar or eWood (made from recycled printer cartridges).  Optional accessories include netting and trellis systems, irrigation kits and clip-on benches.  Some, such as the Ecogreengarden, incorporate water storage and solar-powered irrigation.

Soil

Use best-quality soil from your local landscape supplies company.  Many sell a special vegetable-growing mix.  Rich, organic soil should not be deeper that 50cm, otherwise it can turn foul. Some high modular beds have a false plastic bottom or use the lower space for water storage.  Otherwise, fill the base with coarse gravel, cover with landscape geotextile fabric and then just fill the top 50cm with soil.

Survival Tactics: Summer Gardening

Early morning gardening and constant watering are the keys to protecting your garden, and yourself, during the summer months.

Harvest leafy vegetables in the cool of the morning to prevent them wilting. Keep soil moist with daily watering and a cover of soft mulch, such as lucerne.  Seasol applied fortnightly helps protect against drought stress.  Treat powdery mildew on pumpkins, zucchini and other cucurbits with a weekly spray of one part full cream milk and six parts water.  This works on grapevines, figs and roses too.  Keep removing flowers on basil to prolong its life.  Prune stone-fruit trees after fruiting finishes.  Harvest garlic bulbs, leaving them in the sun to harden for a few days.  As summer crops end, sow a fast green-manure crop such as mustard to improve soil before autumn planting.

Brightly coloured sunflowers, geraniums, bougainvilleas and marigolds are favourites that stand up to the sun's glare.  Stand-out flowering trees include frangipani and flaming red poinciana

With thanks to Helen Young.  here

Vegetable Planting Guide by Gardening Australia

for February

Amaranth, asparagus pea, beans - climbing and bush, beetroot, broccoli, burdock, cabbage (loose head) capsicum, carrots, chilli, chives, choko, cucumber, eggplant, hauazontle, leeks, lettuce, malabar greens, mustard greens, okra, onion, oregano, parsley, parsnip, pumpkin, radish, rockmelon, rosella, salsify, shallots, silverbeet, squash, sunflower, sweet corn, tmatoes, turnip. swedes, watermelon, zucchini.

Around your garden in February

If your garden is anything like the CCGarden, you still have summer vegetables that haven't finished their season, and you are still harvesting.  However it is also time to start thinking about your autumn planting.

As always, weeding is necessary at this time of year to cut down the competition for nutrients between the plants and the unwanted grasses and weeds.  If you have backyard hens, edible weeds make a tasty treat for them.

Top us the beds with good organic compost and it will pay off with improved crops.

Keep up the watering.  It might be worth looking into an irrigation system you can lay yourself, if you haven't already installed one.

                 Pic Mark and Shirley

If you don't already have shade cloth tents, a simple movable structure to cover some of the sun sensitive vegetables will soon pay for itself, help on windy days, and may save your vegetables from a moderate hail storm and sparrows and grasshoppers if they are a problem in your yard.

Edited from various online posts

Recipe Corner

Around the garden, Agnes will always help with ideas for the use of Okra,

and whilst delicious raw, here is another recipe to try.

Okra Simmered with Tomato

Serves: 4, preparation: 10 minutes, cook: 30 minutes, ready in 40 minutes.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 green capsicum, chopped
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• handful chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 500g okra, trimmed and sliced.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until soft.  Add capsicum and cook and stir until tender.  Drain the tomatoes, reserving juice, and our them into the frying pan.   Season with thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.  

Add the okra, and pour in enough of the reserved juice from the tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until okra is tender.  

Recipe here online

Health Benefits of Okra

• Very low calorie, no saturated fats or cholesterol, rich source of dietary fibre, minerals and fibre.
• Healthy amounts of vitamin A and flavonoid anti-oxidants.
• Fresh pods good source of folates.
• Excellent source of vitamin C
• Rich in B complex group, niacin, vitamin B-6, thiamine and pantothenic acid.
• Good amounts of vitamin K.
• Also good source of many important minerals such as iron, manganese and magnesium.

More on health benefits

Back Page:

Music Group at Casino Community Garden

Casino Community Garden is open to more local groups using the garden.  One of the first is the CCG Music Group pictured at their first session.  Talk to Jo if you have a group interested in meeting at the garden, and Jan if you would like to have a chat about joining in with the music group.

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

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

Join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CasinoCommunityGarden

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 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.

_____________________

NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2013

CASINO COMMUNITY GARDEN

Monthly Newsletter #10 December 2013

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

Next Meeting Wednesday 5th February at 12.30pm

Membership Fee Due: $5 per year

Christmas - New Year Arrangements
Xmas lunch at the garden Wed. 11th Dec at noon

Gardening Tuesday and Wednesday mornings as usual

 Bring your sandwich for lunch Wednesdays as usual

Jo will be on annual leave 17th December to 14th January 2014

With all best wishes for a Happy and Safe Christmas and New Year 

to all our Members and Readers

NEWS

Generator: As most who follow on Facebook would know, the CCGarden generator was stolen in the week leading up to the Welcome to Summer Event.  A big "Thank you" to Greg Cole for the loan of a generator for Saturday 30th November.

Pizza Oven: Newly decorated as a Lady Bug, thanks to time and effort from Owen, Mark, Shirley, Tracey and others.  Top notch job!
 

 Mark, Richard, Shirley, Jo, Janine - pic by Keith Norman

Undercover Area:   The grant of $1,000 for bench top and amenities in the undercover area has been received, thanks to Richmond Valley Council.

 Garden Seat:  Bautiful mosaic is being added to the garden seat under construction by Casino Youth Early Intervention Service (CYEIS).

Jo and Shirley snapped admiring the garden seat before the December meeting

"Welcome to Summer"  Garden Clinic 30/11/2013

It was a damp, cool day, soon warmed by the friendly atmosphere at the underover area at the Garden.  Everyone pitched in to set up, including the Speakers.

 

Coordinator Jo introduced the day, thanking the volunteer garden group for their work, most happening since June 2012.  The aim of the garden is to supply the local welfare agencies.

It was heartwarming to meet Clayton and the group from Evans Head in the midst of starting their community garden, The Hive, and a Food Crop Collectors, a community harvest project.

Creating No-Dig Gardens

Jo introduced Roz Borrell, a High School Teacher, who has now attained Certificate 3 in Permaculture.

Roz pointed out the term No-Dig Gardening was coined by Esther Deans about 35 years ago and promotes increased productivity with less activity.  Esther Deans' book by the same name is well known and available at libraries.

Roz went on to outline the procedure, all the while demonstrating in a basket, with the help of her friend, and especially the importance of the nitrogen and carbon layers, and what these terms mean.

If interested, Google to see online versions, or refer back to the July 2013 Newsletter in this blog.

July Newsletter


Preserving Your Harvest
The next Speaker was Vicki Stebbins from Tabulam who soon convinced us that all the preserving methods are easy once we get going.

Vicki concentrates on the high acid produce, (tomatoes, fruit and vegetables), and pointed out some of the concerns with the low acid items such as meat.

Vegetables need to be pickled in vinegar or done in a canner to kill bacteria.  Vicki had on hand the various elements needed, the old style canner for the stove top, and an electric canner, as well as demonstrating the various bottles and accessories.  Vicki elaborated with a lot of helpful hints.

Hygiene and care in sterilisation is vital and there are strong opinions on the best methods. Vicki prefers the oven method which was not as daunting as the audience may have expected.

Other presservation methods are dehydrating and freezing and Vicki talked about the importance of preserving in season.

Preserve what you eat and eat what you preserve

Nickel Energy - Jessica

Nickel Energy is in the process of donating a solar power system to Casino Community Garden, and Jessica is a very enthusiastic exponent of solar power, considering it is still a very good option, with the panels at their most economical now.  They are a particularly good option if consumers are at home during the day to use the power.

Jessica opened the topic to the audience and asked for questions. Several were very interested in the possibility of converting their system to off-grid (batteries) when the current feed-in tariff system ends in December 2016.  Jessica expects that the cost of batteries will come down as demand increases.

It was pointed out that solar power depends on light, and hot water systems on heat from the sun.  So solar panels will not necessarily do better on very hot days.

Jessica reminded us there are now more than one million installations in Australia.

Shirley kept the pizzas coming

Home - baked for morning tea

-oooOooo-

We had some damage with the hailstorms,  but the gardeners had everything tidied up in a few days and the garden has recovered very quickly with the ongoing rain.

 Mark surveying the tattered corn 

 Zucchini looking sad

Asian Vegetables at Garden - Agnes Tierney
Alugbate - Basella Alba
Ampalaya - Momordica Charantia
Malunggay - Moringa Luzonica
Tawatawa Weed for Dinghy-Euphorbia

Recipe Corner 

We have been enjoying delicious treats made by Shirley, at our informal Wednesday lunches, and Shirley has passed on the recipe for two of these, Mango Cheesecake and Tomato Relish, for all to  enjoy.

MANGO CHEESECAKE

Prepare 20 cm Springform Tin

Base

12 milk arrowroot biscuits

75 grams butter melted

Combine and press into tin, no need to go up sides. 

Cool in fridge for half hour, or may be made the day before.

Filling

3 mangoes chopped or one large tin mangoes in natural juice, drained.

250 gram packet cream cheese at room temperature

1 tablespoon gelatine dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water

Reserve mango for chunks in cheesecake, and topping if liked.

Blend mango, cream cheese and slowly add gelatine mix

Stir few pieces mango through

Place in tin over base

Topping

Arrange pieces of mango

Pic scanned from Women's Weekly recipe book

SHIRLEY'S TOMATO RELISH

Will keep for a year or more

Ingredients

3 pounds firm tomatoes

1 pound onions

2 tablespoons salt

2 cups brown malt vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vinegar extra

Method:

Peel tomatoes, cut into cubes, put in bowl

Sprinkle with salt and leave overnight.

Drain off any excess liquid, put tomatoes into saucepan, add vinegar

Bring to boil and boil for five minutes. 

Combine curry powder, mustard, pepper,
extra vinegar and mix to smooth paste.

Stir into tomato mixture.

Simmer slowly, uncovered for 45 minutes, add sugar, stir until sugar dissolves.

Simmer further 45 minutes

Bottle into sterilised jars while hot, seal when cold.

                                                  Words and pic Shirley Wheatley

JEAN LAWRENCE'S  GREEN TOMATO RELISH

Will keep up to four weeks

Ingredients

4 large green tomatoes chopped

1 fuji apple peeled and finely chopped

1 medium bell pepper or capsicum chopped

celery chopped

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Place all ingredients in a large stainless pot

Bring to full boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes

Allow mixture to cool slightly

Ladle mixture into small jars with tight-fitting lids leaving 1/2 inch headspace

Allow to completely cool before keeping in fridge

December in your Garden from SGA 

(omitted in hardcopy Newsletter for lack of space).

Things really start ramping up festive wise at this time of year, and things are certainly starting to bear fruit in your patch, its December! Hopefully you’ve already put in loads of produce plants but it’s not too late to get some more growing, especially if you’ve had the pleasure of already harvesting some plants.  Keep up the good work in the garden -  despite the rising heat there’s still plenty to do this month in your patch.

And if you’re heading off on a trip this break, read our tips on preventing “holiday-itis” in the garden.  It’s an all too common occurrence that can turn the most beautiful backyard into a garden grave in a matter of weeks! Give your garden the gift of a bit of your time this December… you’ll be so pleased you did!

December in your Garden  for full post

 Vegetable Planting Guide by Gardening Australia for December

Amaranth, asparagus pea, basil, beans-climbing and bush, beetroot, burdock, cabbage (loose head) capsicum, chilli, chives, coriander, cucumber, eggplant, huauzontle, lettuce, long yam, luffa, Malabar greens, okra, oregano, pumpkin, radish, rocket, rockmelon, rosella, salsify, silverbeet, squash, sunflower, sweet corn, tomatoes, turnip/ swedes, watermelon, zucchini.

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 per annum

Join us on Facebook

75 "likes" on our Facebook page now!!

Scroll down to see back issues of 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
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