Well … what a fantastic way to celebrate our 100th food garden visit. A cool summer morning, stunning garden and fabulous friends … life doesn’t get any better than that!
Our gracious hosts, Dirk and Pauline welcomed the group to their country retreat for the third time – a kind gesture so there would be no attendance limits, and we could all join in the celebration. Thanks so much!
So, here’s the run down on the garden party of the year …
The Garden
Dirk and Pauline’s Howden garden was an absolute picture … a rustic country garden nestled against the boundary of the Peter Murrell Reserve.
Ten years of dedication has transformed the site into a beautiful and productive garden with a mix of fruit and vegetables …
…. cottage garden plants contained within neat hedges …
… a relaxing pond surrounded by yellow irises.
But an idyllic location still comes with its challenges … minimal winter sun shortens the growing season, frost, and some keen wildlife means that crop protection is a must. The site has four growing cages covering a wide range of variety of fruit, vegetables, and some exotic flowers.
Dirk talked about cycling sheep manure through his compost and the creation of biochar from woody waste materials on site (Dirk’s method is described in Backyard Biochar on the FGG blog).
He mentioned that his next project is the installation of a more permanent watering solution.
Set back from the house are these beehives, with this resourceful curved wind break created from conifer branches.
And then there was this very ingenious solar drying cabinet – which was drying some recently harvested bay leaves.
The Demo
The day also provided the opportunity to see a star picket remover in action, with Larry (left) providing keen onlookers with a hands-on demonstration of the tool. Nice work Larry!
The Celebration
Max and Gaye commenced the 100th food garden visit celebrations reflecting on how the group almost didn’t get up all those years ago. But a radio interview and newspaper advertisement later, a keen group of six people attended the very first Food Garden Group at the Lindisfarne Community Centre in the autumn of 2011.
The group’s philosophy of goodwill and sharing, along with no committees, meetings or membership fees (!) has proven to be a winning formula, with the group now boasting over 2,500 members from all corners of the state. Over the past 12 years there have been 100 garden visits across more than 90 different gardens, along with 150+ Food Garden Group Blog articles and countless blog posts on the FGG Extra blog.
And what is a great garden if you can’t share it with your friends … around 50 people attended the celebrations, and here are some memories from the day:
I asked some members what it was about the Food Garden Group they loved the most, and here are a few of the responses:
“Being inspired by the gardens”
“The opportunity to learn new things”
“Everything! It’s the best thing I do all month!”
“The company of like-minded people”
“Sharing and sustainability”
“Picking up free things on the produce table”
And my personal favourite …
“You can talk about gardens all morning without your friends’ eyes glazing over!” (Love it!!)
A massive thank you Max and Gaye for making the Food Garden Group possible – it is a wonderful gift you have given the community.
And thanks also to the many contributors who support Max and Gaye in their endeavours – including Laura, Pauline, Elizabeth and Mandy – and of course, not forgetting the scores of generous garden visit hosts, as without them, there would be no gardens to visit 😊
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