June delights in North East Victoria

I recently joined the Australian Plants Society and the Victorian quarterly weekend program, hosted by the Wangaratta group, was my first foray into their activities.

In a nutshell, the weekend saw APS members from across Victoria converge on Wangaratta and surrounds. As the event's name suggested, we were indeed treated to the many delights on offer across seven gardens brimming with Australian plants of seemingly all types over the two days (June 4th and 5th). As well as private gardens, we also visited Goulburn Ovens TAFE's campus, took a stroll into the Warby Ranges National Park and drove through the Killawarra Forest.

While Australian plants were obviously the focus, it was wonderful to note the diversity of plants, garden designs and approaches between and within the gardens. Apart from the plants, it was also a privilege to spend time in the company of people who are so well-versed in Australian plants. The garden owners told us about their gardens, and as we explored, fellow visitors were also willing to help novices (like me) understand more about what we were looking at and clarify those scientific names that very rarely manage to stick in my brain.

Another bonus was that Mary Anderson's garden was one of those featured. Mary has opened her rammed earth home to the public in the past, but I had missed it. Her three year old garden benefits from a rendered straw bale wall that creates a microclimate as well as a visual break between the garden and house and the surrounding landscape.  

I admit I got a little distracted from the plants by the gorgeous paths made from reclaimed materials and other features made from cast-off items.

Check out the gate - if I didn't know better, I'd say Build-It Bloke had a hand in that. What a ripper! 

You can read more about Mary's place (including an array of fantastic sustainability features she has incorporated) here. Also keep an eye on the Sustainable House Day website for listings of homes opening this September. Mary's will open again as part of that event, along with other homes in the Wang area. I'd certainly recommend going to see it for yourself.

As for the APS, I can't wait for more of their offerings. And there's a wealth of information on the APS website, including years of newsletters, all available electronically. What's more there are plant guides, garden design tips and extensive plant photo gallery. I might learn a few more of those scientific names yet!

Permi8 at Julie's

Another autumn, another delightful brunch on the balcony at Julie's with the Permi8 crew! This is our third visit to Julie's in as many years, and Talgarno looked quite different to the previous years. (Something about the water that fell out of the sky?!).

We had a tour of Julie's garden, including the various improvements she has made to her vegetable beds. She's built several styles of raised beds, they range in size and materials used, which made for an interesting discussion comparing the pros and cons of each. The latest efforts are wicking beds, which Julie hopes will see her vegetable harvest increase during long, hot summers. Not that she's had a chance to compare their performance. Ever since she finished them, there's been enough rain to keep even the non-wicking beds producing strongly. Perhaps by our next visit she'll have an update for us.

A few of us also took up Lea's offer to make an unscheduled visit to her place. Has she been keeping that a secret from us all?? We were all in awe of her 20 year old mudbrick home (which they built). It features lots of reclaimed and re-used materials, looks great and inside it is light, yet warm and earthy, for want of better words. It was very cosy despite the wintery weather. There are productive and habitat gardens around the house and the rest of the property is bushland, adjoining the state park. The view, down the picturesque valley to the (currently full!) Lake Hume, makes me wonder why Lea ever comes into town at all. I think I could happily sit there and look at it for a very, very long time!

 

  

For those Permi8 people who missed out on this treat, fear not. Lea suggested we might have a gathering at her place later in the year. Let's lock that in soon - you won't want to miss it!  

Leaving honey for the bees

Our hive inspection in late autumn revealed two fairly full supers (boxes) and a top super with little in it at all. For those honey affectionardos waiting to sample our bees' efforts, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until at least next season.

While there was quite a lot of capped honey in the lower boxes, to raid those could mean there's not enough left for the bees to get through winter.

Put yourself in the bees' shoes, so to speak. It's a pretty big challenge for bees to keep warm over winter. As with everything else they do, they achieve this by working together and sharing 'jobs' that ensure the survival of the colony. They form a tight huddle (cluster), move their wing muscles to keep warm and take turns at the outside of the huddle, which is the coldest place to be. Bees that aren't actively 'heating' provide insulation for those that are. Impressively, the bees maintain their brood temperature at about 35 degrees celcius, not just here (where we get a few frosts and what we think are chilly days) but even in locations that see snow, sometimes for months. They don't forage if it's too cold, so all their energy needs have to be able to be met from within the hive. Hence, their stores of honey and pollen.

So we removed the top box and left the bees with their honey stores. As the weather cooled and the foraging decreased, we also reduced the entrance, which helps keep the warmth in and the cold out.

On mild autumn days we've still seen plenty of action around the hive entrance. But when the temperatures are low, or it's raining, the bees stay inside and work at keeping warm.

Local Open Gardens April 2-3

This weekend of Open Gardens is going to be a real treat with heaps on offer at both Wodonga West Primary School’s Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden, and the private garden of Jacky Cronin – the school’s kitchen specialist.

Together these two gardens illustrate how sustainability can work at both a community and an individual level - and be fun for all ages.

As well as the two fantastic gardens, there will also be lots of supporting activities all weekend.

Wodonga West Primary School garden
A Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation school since 2009, the kitchen gardens now feed 300 students fortnightly and incorporate garden beds, an orchard, outdoor learning area, water tanks and composting facilities. A community wood-fired pizza oven and parterre garden allow wider community involvement.  

• Scarecrow competition, entries by the students
• Photo board display of students describing their favourite things in the garden
• Garden-inspired art by the students
• No-dig garden demonstrations
• Check out the school’s kitchen
• Garden produce stall with vegies/plants grown by the students, plus preserves and dried herbs made in the kitchen
• Preserve sampling
• Raffle of a picnic basket filled with garden produce and preserves

Jacky’s garden
A happy integration of flourishing vegetables in decorative flower beds, ensuring something to see all year round in an attractive garden catering for the whole family. Herbs and dedicated vegetable areas including heirloom varieties. Salvia collection. Chooks and water tank.  

• Fruit fly information, organic prevention demonstrations and advice
• Seed cleaning demonstrations and seed saving information by Seed Savers Albury Wodonga
• Seeds and plants for sale
• Info on growing potatoes in no-dig beds
• History of the garden
• Inspiration from Jacky about the seasonal changes in her ‘a year in my garden’ notes

There will be information sheets available for each garden and you can talk to those involved. Students will help visitors tour the school garden and be available to answer questions.

When:       Sat 2^nd and Sun 3^rd of April, 10am to 4:30pm each day
Where:      Lawrence St, Wodonga and Bownds St, Lavington (directional signs will be out nearby)
Cost:         $8 for entry to both gardens, under 18s free – proceeds support local community groups