Our first wicking garden - in a raised bed.

Well in week three of the Links to Learning relationship with Narrandera Food Garden the students built a wicking garden. A wicking garden is a system in which water is retained in the gravel at the base of the bed, and only moves up as the earth above dries out. It's a simple permaculture principle and reduces water use by reducing evaporation and reduces the frequency with which watering is required by retaining water within the loop until it's needed by the plants.

TAFE teacher Karen Lenehan demonstrated the way a wicking bed works first using a small one made using a polystyrene box, gravel, shade cloth, soil and a poly pipe. It's simple, anyone can do it. Karen has built 5 larger beds at home and she only needs to water weekly or less.

The students laying the shade cloth (you can use weed mat in the base of the garden.

With pond liner in on top of weed mat - the gravel layer goes in.

More from the Men's Shed team

Well we needed some picnic tables - two for the Community GArdens at the Sandhills Aboriginal Advancement Foundation in Audley Street (which by the way looks fantastic!) and one for the NFG/ the Men's Shed took on the project and with the generosity of Grants Sawmilling created some low cost and very solid tables. I've since heard we have several umbrellas coming out way, thank you to Tammy Galvin and Jim Knagge for these.

We're making great progress. Actually the Men's Shed members are keeping their eyes out for anything that may be useful to us re landscaping or decorating. We have wood blocks and antenae towers already which we can certainly use.

Julie

Pretty good work, I think you'll agree.

Infrastructure away!

The news now is that we have our space fenced and we have negotiated a further 10m  x 17m of the cattle yeards to be fenced after April 2014.

The men from the men's shed have erected our garden shed on the slab, so now we have a place to put our gear.

I've started purchasing our tools, and also some basic materials in bags (so that they are easily moved as we landscape the garden).

A job well done.

Let's Get Started

Hi all, Narrandera's Food Garden is coming to Narrandera Showgrounds soon!

We've made a great start with a fabulous workshop on Saturday 3 August led by Permaculture expert Cecelia Macaulay. (Special thanks to Tammy Galvin and family for looking after Cecilia for the weekend) Cecilia unwrapped before our eyes gift after gift. The gifts were insights into just how Permaculture works and how its principles, derived from nature can transform our gardens, our homes and our lives.

We learned practical things we can do, create, and dream-up that will make our garden sustainable, productive and fun.

There'll be loads of waus you can be involved.
You can

• help create the basic structure, yes a little bit of landscaping to be done
• create garden art
• donate garden features and materials (we are working on a wish list) to make the garden funky as well as plant and people friendly
• sponsor the gardens
• contribute gardening tips or great recipes to this blog
• serve on the Food Garden Committee - we only need a small group
• mentor new gardeners
• make friends - not compulsory, but it will happen, watch out!
• share in the creation of the shady sunny, cool, warm, green, worm friendly, people friendly garden

...and garden - compost, plant, water, pick!

We've a great plot of land at the Showgrounds thanks to the Narrandera Showground Trust and we are hot to trot. The area will be fenced in a week or so. The Narrandera Shed for Men has built some raised garden beds from re-cycled corrugated iron for us and they will construct our garden shed as well. Thanks gentlement! I think we'll be great neighbours.

Enough for now. Call me, the Live Well Narrandera Project Officer, Julie Briggs at Narrandera Shire on 02 6959 5510 to get involved.