Date Sunday 12 February 2012
Time 10am until 2pm
Where Werribee Park Heritage Orchard

Come along to Werribee Park to see how to propagate your own stone fruit trees or add another variety to an existing tree to extend the fruiting season.

Purchase newly budded trees, or scion wood separately

The orchard is on facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/wph.orchard/

Website http://www.werribeeparkheritageorchard.org.au/

Have a look at this article about budding techniques http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/propagation/budding/budding.html

It is often almost impossible to identify native vs. exotic grasses unless they are in seed. This is a great time to view native grasses such as wallaby and kangaroo grasses etc. etc. as they are currently setting seed.

Dates: 15 December 2011 until 29th February 2012

Location: Newport Lakes Native Nursery

Address: 2 Lakes Drive (formerly Margaret Street), Newport

Time: 11am – 4pm daily

Ph: (03) 9391 0044

No need to book – just turn up wearing old clothes. Bring gloves, hats and some lunch/ a water bottle. If you bring tools, write your name on them so that there are no mix-ups. All are very welcome, no expertise required!

View the full newsletter here http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=f87dfab2b9617aa2436246e0d&id=13bac98bf4&e=834ae50aa5

Orchard Location http://www.werribeeparkheritageorchard.org.au/orchard/maps.html

The orchard is on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/wph.orchard/

Identification page 3 of this document http://www.weeds.gov.au/publications/guidelines/wons/pubs/n-neesiana.pdf

The garden is working to eradicate the week and increase the amount of kangaroo and wallaby grasses on site.

Sustainable Gardens Open Day 2011, Newport and Altona

Sunday November 13th, Open 1pm to 4pm

Sustainable, productive, inspirational, achievable! These gardens are wonderful examples of gardening sustainably, producing fresh food in your own back, working with recycled materials, and maximising productivity through organic means. Kate’s garden and Mara’s garden will be open for viewing from 1-4pm on Sunday November 13th. Entry is by gold coin donation and all proceeds will go to Werribee Open Range Zoo.

More information and garden locations here http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=5210

It only takes a minute to register online at www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/greening

How do you find a green space and realise your gardening dreams when you have small outdoor spaces. There are many small spaces that are unconventional, in areas that may not have once been considered as a place for a garden. Come along and explore some great ideas about growing a garden on a verandah, in a courtyard or unusual nooks.

The workshop covers

• planting in pots
• balconies, courtyards and small backyards • plants for small gardens

Sponsored by City West Water

Date: Sunday 13 November 2011, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Location: Footscray Community Arts Centre, 45 Moreland Street, Footscray
Presenter: Sustainable Gardening Australia

The East Keilor Sustainable Community Garden started as a community project in 2004 and will be open to the public this Sunday 23rd October.

Free entry, plant sale and BBQ, garden tour, kids playground, chickens, orchard, seeds.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~eksscg/index.htm

Address: 10a Tuppal Place, Keilor East
Time: 11am to 3pm

As well as access to workshops, Moonee Valley & Hobsons Bay residents who sign up to the program receive sustainable gardening information, discounts from local garden suppliers and can win great prizes every month. You could win a rain garden worth $500 in October and a Fowler’s preserving kit worth $250 in November.

Introduction to organic gardening

Date: Saturday 15 October, 10 – 12pm
Strathmore Heights Community Centre,
Address: 1 Boeing Rd, Strathmore Heights

Beginner’s guide to chickens

Date: Saturday 22 October, 10am – 12pm
Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre,
Address: 5 Sargood Ave, Altona

Meet your garden bug life and control pests naturally

Date: Monday 24 October, 6-8pm
Flemington Library,
Address: 311 Racecourse Rd, Flemington

Garden for wildlife

Date: Thursday 3 November, 6-8pm
Avondale Heights Library,
Address: 69/72 Military Rd, Avondale Heights

Gardening in small spaces

Date: Thursday 17 November, 6.30 – 8.30pm
Newport Community Education Centre,
Address: 43 Mason St, Newport

To book in for workshops, please email
Contact contactus@mysmartgarden.org.au or call 9932 1142.

Worm Wicking Bed MiniBlitz/ Workshop
Sunday 9 October 10am-2pm*
Angela and Alex’s in Maidstone

Very limited numbers due to space
RSVP to permablitz@pow.org.au for address details

*If you’re interested in future MiniBlitzes drop us a line at permablitz@pow.org.au

Angela and Alex are hosting an impromptu MiniBlitz/ workshop at their townhouse in Maidstone this Sunday.

We will be making 2 worm wicking beds in our newly constructed raised beds, made of recycled palletts.

What’s a wicking bed? Wicking beds are the perfect way to ensure your plants have all the water they need to flourish, and really come into their own in the hot summer months when high rates of evaporation and transpiration can seriously affect plant growth rates and yields.

Wicking is a technique of creating self-watering beds that water from below rather than above, and is incredibly valuable in minimising water use and maintaining gardens over the hot summer and when you go away for holidays. We will also make small wicking bed using a recycled polystyrene broccoli box perfect for raising seedlings.

These will be worm wicking beds because the design will also include a worm farm to maintain nutrient levels in the closed system bed.

There are loads of articles on wicking beds and worm wicking beds on the internet. Here’s one of them.

Very limited numbers tho due to space. RSVP to permablitz@pow.org.au for address details.

Please bring a shovel and/or bucket if you can and a plate of food to share.

In September, our Green Lunchbox Session, ‘Your Spring Veggie Garden’, will be held Wednesday, 7th September from 12.30pm – 1.30pm in the Function Room at Maribyrnong Council offices.

In this session, we will learn which vegetables and herbs are suitable to plant in spring so that we can enjoy healthy and delicious food throughout the season. As well, we will hear about the benefits of growing our own vegetables including increased freshness, and the short distance they travel to your plate meaning less fuel being used to transport them.

No RSVP is required for this 1 hour session, and healthy snacks will be provided for your enjoyment. You will find more details about this session, as well as details about sessions throughout the year here: http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Page/page.asp?Page_Id=6738&h=0