"Trish Brown" <pmcbrown@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:yMCdnZ7Aj5xBnafVnZ2dnUVZ_g2dnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> > Some general hints
> >
> > 1) In one small volume a great starting book:
> > The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden - Clive Blazey & Jane
Varkulevicius
> > (Digger Club)
> >
> > 2) Join Hunter Organic Growers Society (HOGS) The next meeting (free)
is
> > Saturday 14th June on Kooragang Island. I will give you details if
you
are
> > interested.
> >
> > David
> >
> >
> >
>
> Ooo! Is this group in any way connected to the community garden on Ash
> Island? That's what got me thinking I could do this. What an effort! I
> was especially taken by the pyramidal garden built up with railway
> sleepers. We were going to try that at first, but soon realised the cost
> would be far more than the benefits (to us, at least). Also, after many
> heated arguments about whether to build up a square or triangular plot,
> we finally realised the end result would give the same growable area in
> the end. Hence, we agreed on a flat rectangle. But the built-up pyramid
> is *great* to look at!
>
> For those who haven't seen it: a square plot was laid out with old
> railway sleepers. Next, another square, offset to form a diamond, was
> laid on top. Two more squares, each graduated in size, were laid atop
> the first two, forming triangular pockets in which the various veggies
> grow. The tallest plants (eg. sweet corn) are in the bottom beds while
> herbs are in the topmost ones. The whole area would only be about two
> metres square!
>
> What sorts of things happen at HOGS meetings, David? I've never belonged
> to a gardening group, but would be interested to hear about it. I'm
> feeling very much a novice, despite having been a keen pot-gardener for
> most of my life. (Hm. That read funny. I meant 'gardener of potted
> plants', not the other...)
>
> --
> Trish {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia
HOGS meetings are at organic growing establishments all around the Hunter.
Some are private homes on a small block, some are mixed farms, orchards,
worm
farms, deer farms etc. The Island is a kind of home base where we go to
do
things appropriate to most gardens, like make compost, prune fruit trees,
make
new gardens.
We assemble at noon and have lunch together (BYO). The meeting starts at
1PM,
we have afternoon tea about 3 and it breaks up about 4-4:30. Bring
surplus
produce, if you have any, to share or swap.
To get the next meeting at the City Farm, turn on to Ash island bridge on
the
Hunter, from the New England Highway at Sandgate (near MacDonalds).
Follow a
twisty road across the island for a few kms, there will be "HOGS" signs to
guide you.
They are a friendly bunch who don't mind beginners and they will answer
all
your questions. Anybody can turn up at meetings but if you join you also
get
a quarterly magazine, the use of the library etc.
David
|
