Community Garden Inaugural Spring Plant Sale.

 This weekend has been on our calendar for 6 months now, as the first of a major plant sale to be held twice a year. One member has been doing her utmost to collect many cuttings, from the garden and members, and potting them all up. The succulents which are always popular have multiplied automatically, and I personally went and took cuttings of geraniums, plus added different plants of mine, and finally now was our big weekend.

Friday night it started to rain and didn't stop till last night. We haven't seen much rain for the past 3 months, so we were a bit disappointed it had to be THIS weekend.

Some of the plants I sent in

Nevertheless two hourly rosters were made up last week, and a call for slices to be sent in, something I thought would sell, as people walked into the garden. I made three, Lemon cake slice, Apricot Jam slice and little loaves of Banana Bread.

Surprisingly people did come and visit despite all the rain. Initially the plants were all going to be placed out the front of the garden near the entrance, in the end they decided to set it up around the archway half way down the block. This meant everyone had to walk past the pavilion and gardens to see them. This also meant that they could set it all up on Thursday and hoped no-one would trash it overnight. 

Plants were spread out either side and down to the Bush House

 

Bush House will be open for customers to pick succulents.

Just to give you an idea of the rain yesterday this is a view of the water out the front of the garden. Luckily with all the new paths, it was wet but walkable. The back half has been a problem all along and much drainage and soil build up is needed.

Area between the front fence and community hall, where initially the sale was to be.

Rain on the new garden pathway.

Water in front of the Bush House

The food with some lemons and 4 large bunches of  Sweet peas I also sent in, were set up in the Pavilion. Very cold day so the "staff" were freezing in the cold wind. 

I was pleased to see other ladies sent in slices and cake.

Today some books were bought out to replace the sold stuff.

What was left of the goods for sale, so a fair bit was sold in this department, and I noticed one bunch left in the sweet peas.

I know Saturday, they sold $200 worth and today so far $70, so I would say it is a success for the very first one, and can only improve.

 Two new families want to join and another signed up yesterday. We are finding a theme of " if I join and help do I get vegetables?" is a question most asked. It seems some want to earn their so called hourly work, paid in vegetables. 

Times are obviously hard but also I think the expectation of a community garden is lost to a few. Members do get excess vegetables if they don't sell, but then the members want soil  and mulch, fertilizers etc so the money has to come from somewhere. Hiring your own bed is the only guaranteed way of obtaining fresh veges. The organization of the Community garden part though is a bit haphazard. I am thinking also of "who" actually gets the excess vegetables, and the committee may have to put in some system for that as well, so that those who come in on Tuesday only, get a chance at Sunday's left overs from the Market stall which might have  had a large pick of snow peas/cabbage/carrots, for instance.

New beds will be built, with  more money needed for wood, and of course the hay bale garden is still to happen, which was to help a Soup Kitchen type charity, but John may have to re think that idea, to allow more food to be shared. First up is getting it going, as all the bales are there, and it  being successful. My one bed  tested here, I have picked beans, coriander and a cucumber is just about ready.

Nearly time to pull it all out. The weather is getting hotter and the glasshouse very hot.

I was surprised today that after stripping the sweet peas Friday, that it is still loaded today. Time to pick more for me.

Till Next Time.