Gardening notes for January 2015

Dear Gardening Friends

Well here we are again, at January.

My garden is yielding the best crop of boysenberries ever; the rain has made them larger and juicier than ever - my favourite berry.

Here are the January notes. Happy gardening:

JANUARY Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

French Bush Beans (last chance) x

Swedes (last chance) x

Turnips x x x

Shallots/Spring Onions x x

Lettuce (last chance to grow to decent size) x x x

Cauliflower   P to G x

Cabbage  P to G x

Brocolli  P to G x

Cabbage (direct seedlings small style cabbages) x x x

Punnets

Cauliflower x

Lettuce - last chance before winter                   x x

With an eye to the rest of summer and potential bushfires, remember to clean up around your house - such as creepers and bushes under your eaves and give some thought to your bushfire plan. There is a lot of information at this website:

http://www.bushfirereadyneighbourhoods.tas.gov.au/

Best wishes for a fulfilling 2015.

Margaret

The Hobart Symposium - for all those who love gardens and gardening

The Lenah Valley Garden Club has arranged the Hobart Symposium for Sunday 15th February 2015 at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre (Bell Street, Cornelian Bay).

It is a whole day of thinking, talking and learning about gardens and gardening, with lots of interesting presentations from experts like Tino Carnevale and Jennifer Stackhouse.  

 

 

Click here to download the program.

Sustainable Living Festival, 8-9 November, PW1

Come and celebrate and GET CONNECTED.

Now in its 16th year, the Sustainable Living Festival has long been the highlight of the Tasmanian event calendar.  At SLF 14 we proudly present our first ever Saturday Night Party (in cooperation with friends MONA and Cygnet Folk Festival). 

At the festival we’ll have informative talks and hands-on workshops, cooking demonstrations, expert advice, live music, delicious food & drink stalls and art installations. We also have a number of fun kids activities lined up for our youngest festival visitors. The aim of this event is to provide inspiration and practical solutions to living sustainably and help nurture connections between individuals, organisations, ideas and the ecosystems which allow us to flourish.

So Get Connected and join us on 8th-9th November to get inspired and celebrate! 

10am - 4pm each day.

Why don't you ride down there?  Free, secure bike parking will be available, provided by Bicycle Network Tasmania.

For more information check out www.slt.org.au/festival.

For further information please contact: Michele Matthews, Marketing and Promotions  

03 6234 5566 or email michele@slt.org.au

Vote for the Council you want

Just a reminder to get your vote into the mail so that it is received before 10am on 28 October.

If you haven’t received your ballot, contact the Tasmanian Electoral Commission on 1800 801 701.

All the Hobart Aldermanic positions are being thrown open this election which reduces the quota a candidate needs to be elected, improving the chances for new blood on the Council.


Local councils are at the forefront of the issues we care about: climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy and energy efficiency, sustainable transport, waste minimisation, our native plants and wildlife, transparent financial management, the arts, social equality and caring for others.

If you are interested in sustainable transport, Bicycle Tasmania has conducted a candidate survey on this topic, and their assessment is here.

Vote for people who represent your views!

Thanks to Suzy Cooper for this brilliant graphic!

Ride 2 Work Day, Wednesday 15 October

Ride2Work Day is fast approaching.  Ride2Work Day is Australia's Biggest National Riding Program,  encouraging people to contemplate, prepare for and try out riding to work, then to maintain that behaviour after the event. 

Ride2Work has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people choosing to ride to work, with an amazing 60 percent of new riders registered in 2013 still riding to work when they were surveyed five months after Ride2Work Day.

To get you motivated there will be a community bicycle breakfast before work with a spread of little breakfast tasters, tea and coffee and newspapers.

Hobart: The free Ride2Work Day Community Breakfast will be held at Mawsons Place between 6:30am-8:30am, with food provided by Bakers Delight, Australian Bananas, and cafe coffee by Shoebox Cafe. 

To register for Ride2Work Day via Bicycle Network (registering will help you prepare for your ride and put you in the draw to win a great selection of prizes), click here: https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/programs/178/ 

Here is the Facebook event if you would like to "join" there and see if any of your friends are going: Hobart event.

If you would like some tips on how to get started, visit: www.startriding.com.au, or if you have a specific enquiry, drop a line to Bicycle Tasmania on info@biketas.org.au.

October's gardening notes

Sorry, hope these notes are not too late for your early October gardening energies!

And don't forget that Eve's Garden is open every Sunday now.  Her vegie and flower seedlings are just beautiful.  14 Petty St, West Hobart.

OCTOBER	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Beetroot - large direct sowing for winter Feb to Oct.				x
Carrot - large direct sowing for winter Feb to Oct.				x
Shallots/Spring onions	x	x	x	x
Sweetcorn - pregerminate then sow direct	x	x	x	x
Lettuce - Direct seeding and punnet to ground.	x	x	x	x
Runner Beans		x	x	x
French Bush Beans				x
Kohlrabi	x	x	x	x
Tomatoes - outdoors punnet to ground				x
Zucchini- pots to ground. Put juice bottle over plants		x	x	x
Cucumbers				x
- pregerminate then plant in glasshouse in protected area
Radish	x	x	x	x
Punnets
Lettuce	x	x	x	x
Basil	x	x
Leeks - for harvesting Feb to October. Plant a lot.	x	x	x
Zucchini - pregerminate and plant in pots in propagator.	x	x	x	x

Natureland in West Hobart!

Goulburn Street Primary School is inviting interested residents to the opening of the outdoor learning area:

                                                    NATURELAND

                         A place to learn and a place to explore for the whole community.

                          Saturday, 1^st November at 10 am.    RSVP:  Friday 17^th October

                                                       

                           to 62341884 or Goulburn.street.primary@education.tas.gov.au

The opening will be followed by a Village Green FAIR,    all welcome,   from 10.30 am till 2.30 pm.

Sounds fantastic!

WHEN's new Gardening Friends Group

A gardening group is a great way to connect with others in the community, improve your gardening skills and knowledge and perhaps even grow more food at home!

Those interested in the possibility of starting up a new gardening group are invited for coffee and tea to meet each other and discuss the idea at 3.30pm on Saturday 11th October.  Please contact trinehooper@live.com for address details if you are interested in attending.  

All welcome.

Reclaiming Your Power, 5 October

Climate Action Hobart is running a workshop on 'Reclaiming your power' for everyone who feels dudded by government turning back the climate action clock, 5 October, 1-5 pm in the Philip Smith Centre, The Glebe. 

The program is available through the link below. 

Register by emailing your name and email address to climateactionhobart@gmail.com

View attachments on the web

Rally for Renewables, this Friday 26 Sept, 12pm

We've been contacted by Amanda Sully & Jack Gilding, with this message:

I’m writing today with urgent news. As you know, the very future of solar and renewable energy in Australia is at risk. 

The Renewable Energy Target (RET), a hugely successful policy which says that at least 20% of Australia’s energy should come from renewable sources by 2020, has helped over 1.3 million Australians go solar. But next week Cabinet ministers will decide the fate of the Target and all signs suggest they want it gone. This is despite more than 80% of Australians being in favour of the Target.

Tasmania has enormous potential for economic development through future renewable energy projects and has the most to lose if the RET is reduced. Crucial decisions will be made in the next few weeks and the votes of Tasmanian Senators will be vital to a successful outcome.
The National Rally for Renewables will be held across Australia at key Cabinet Ministers’ electorate offices.  In Hobart it is:

DATE: Friday, September 26

TIME: 12 midday

LOCATION: Office of Senator Eric Abetz, 136 Davey St, Hobart

Will you join us? RSVP to take part in the national Rally for Renewables on Friday September 26?

For further information or to assist contact Amanda Sully sully.amanda@gmail.com (0402) 570-788

Want to get into some Citizen Science?

A University of Tasmania Zoology researcher’s citizen science project wants to see how the public and scientists can work together to locate and provide wildlife refuges to prevent any further loss of species in Australia.

Dr Anke Frank said that, globally, Australia has the worst record for extinction of native mammals.

“In Australia and elsewhere, the natural environment is under threat from increasing urbanisation and people’s companion animals, primarily cats and dogs, which can cause additional stress and predation pressure on native species.”

Residents can participate in this citizen science project to help understand how important urban backyards are to wildlife, and the impacts of dogs and cats on backyard wildlife.

To participate, click here (it takes a max of 15 minutes).

For more information click here  or email anke.frank@utas.edu.au.

Update to Rally at MONA on 21 September

Our earlier post about this important climate change rally has been updated.
The important changes are:
- Meet at 1pm on the tennis court (near the museum entrance)
- If you want food, please buy at one of MONA's eateries.

Here are the revised details, hope you can come along!

An invitation from Goulburn St Primary School

The Goulburn St Primary School Association has extended an invitation to WHEN gardeners to join them at a gardening workshop on 21st Sept.  

They would also love to have community members help the children with the school vegie patch occasionally during the school week - so if you might be interested let the school know (or just make that known on Sunday 21st).

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GARDENING BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK …

Wish you could grow more in your garden, but not sure how to start? Ready to reclaim your garden for spring and beyond?

The Goulburn St Primary School Association is delighted to have Christina Giuduci from FIMBY (Food in My Backyard, http://www.fimby.com.au) visiting the school to enthuse about growing food in the suburbs and give us parents lots of useful tips. Be at the vegie beds at the edge of the oval  1pm - 3pm on Sunday 21 Sept. to be inspired and skilled-up.

We'll move inside if the weather is challenging. Bring your friends (and surplus seeds, seedlings, cuttings etc). It's a great chance to meet other parents and community members, spend some time in the sun and (re)discover your inner Costa amongst friends. Kids welcome!

Come and picnic at MONA on 21 September to support action on climate change

Come along to picnic on the lawns of MONA on Sunday 21 September

 to support the New York People’s Climate Rally.

Join the millions of people world-wide

 demanding real action on climate change.

In September, world leaders are heading to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN Secretary­ General Ban Ki-­moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. 

The biggest climate rally ever will happen in New York, on Sunday 21 September, to demand: a world with an economy that works for people and the planet; a world safe from the ravages of climate change; a world with good jobs, clean air and water, and healthy communities.

• Bring your family and friends to MONA - 1pm, Sunday 21 September
• Meet at the tennis court at 1pm
• Wear yellow (for renewable energy) or black (for climate grief) – or just come!
• Bring your placards to support NY and the Australian Renewable Energy Target. 
• Buy your picnic food and drinks at MONA.
• Picnic on the lawns, visit the galleries, talk to people about climate change. 

Want to help? 

Email climateactionhobart@gmail.com or phone Heidi on 0401 295 970.

Send the flyer to your networks.

Sign up for the event here.

Sustainable House Day, Sunday 14 September 2014

Great news!  There are seven houses around Hobart demonstrating aspects of living sustainably open to the public on Sunday 14 September.  Here's a list of them. Check out the houses available to look at, and use the map provided to locate them.

Here's one example:

This house is supported by the Tasmanian Chapter of the Australian Solar Council. It will be open on the 14th of September from 10am-4pm.

An example of an energy-efficient home design which can be achieved for any new house build on a modest budget.

This three-bedroom, single level home uses solar passive design – delivering a comfortable year-round ambient temperature that requires only occasional heating, even during the cold winter months. Features include:

- North-facing glass “wall” in the living area with polished concrete slab for thermal mass

- Dark tiles along north-facing bedroom windows

-Fully insulated slab, thermally-separated from footings

- Extensive insulation (under slab R2.4; slab edge R2.5; walls R4; ceiling R6/R7)

- Argon-filled, low-e double glazing with composite window frames

- Full-length opening windows and ceiling fans for ventilation

Energy Star rating 8.5

A happy gardeners' group for West Hobart?

Resident Wendy has this great idea:  

For some time I have been interested in the idea of something that happens in New Zealand.
The idea that is a group of people get together and garden at someone's place once a month. A set monthly time is chosen for 2 hours. It is a roster system.
The person's place that the gardening is being done at only has to give tea/coffee.
The idea helps people like me who have a garden but know very little and also makes me go out at least once a month gardening with others and who in turn gets help from people who have a little more knowledge but would like help with their garden once in a while.
Happy to be part of a group to discuss this more.

What a good way to meet neighbours, learn more about plants and growing techniques, and have fun!  Anyone else interested in getting together with Wendy to talk about this idea and perhaps get it going in West Hobart?  

Respond to: whenvnet@gmail.com.

Pruning skills shared, what's next?

Thanks so much to Greg for sharing his pruning expertise and tips at the recent WHEN pruning workshop.  After watching and listening to Greg,  the participants will never look at a fruit tree the same way again!  We pruned a cherry tree and a peach / nectarine tree that were both in dire need of attention.  We also took a look at a grapevine and some other trees in the garden including a lemon and an apple tree.

Those of us at the workshop who haven't previously seen Greg's productive garden are interested to see it!  Greg has kindly agreed to have an open garden on a date to be negotiated for anyone interested in coming along.

Do you have skills in an area such as food growing, worm farming,  seed saving, tool sharpening, home repairs, building things, sewing, knitting, clothing repairs, food preservation, green cleaning or any other skills that help make our community more self-reliant that you would be willing to share with WHEN members?  Is there a particular skill that you would like to learn? 

We'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback for planning future WHEN events.  Please drop us a line any time at whenvnet@gmail.com.

Pruning workshop 26 July

Hi all!

The WHEN Gardening and Food group has organised a fruit tree pruning workshop for Saturday 26th July at 1pm.  If you are not confident with the pruning shears, why not come along and pick up a few tips?
Contact Trine on trinehooper@live.com to RSVP and get the address of the garden.

And here's a great idea from a recent ABCTV Gardening Australia show which solved a couple of problems in another West Hobart garden:

Di was sick of the blackbirds digging into the mulch on her sloping block and continually flicking the mulch onto her pretty gravel paths.  And it is time to prune the hazelnuts.  How's that for a bit of basket weaving?  She was careful to plant the sticks "upside down" to avoid growing a forest of hazelnuts!

Wanted: coloured tiles, mirrors and glass beads

Goulburn St Primary School are developing their outdoor classroom (a new and exciting addition), and want to add Mosaics to one of the outside concrete walls. To do this they need a variety of coloured tiles, thin mirrors and glass beads. If you have any of these hiding away in your garage and are willing to donate please contact Krista on ph. 6234 5972. It would be hugely appreciated. 

All community members welcome to the opening of this new space on November 1st at 10 am.
 

A change of name!? - Let's hear from our creative friends

At the recent solstice afternoon tea we took the opportunity to indulge in a bit of navel gazing.

Over our history (i.e. since 2008), WHEN has run a number of important and valued projects in the community. We are very proud of what we have achieved (just check out the history in this blog to see what we've been up to).  We've been active around Gardens & Food, Sustainable Homes, Sustainable Transport,  etc, and the ideas keep coming...   Of course there is much to be done if we want to succeed in building and maintaining a liveable, vibrant and optimistic community in West Hobart in the face of the environmental, energy, societal and financial challenges that are coming our way.

We agreed that we have a problem with our current name. (Indeed, some people have been saying this for a long time).  Our current name came out of an early workshop and was adopted largely because of its catchy acronym.  But as George Monbiot said recently, " “environment” is a cold and distancing word, which creates no pictures".    

We want to reflect through our name the positive vision that our supporters have at heart when they think about the future community they want their children to live in.   We want our name to contain the seeds to inspire our neighbours to bring their enthusiasm to the group and to take it forward with new ideas and projects.   So - we started brainstorming some key words and  ideas, such as :

Community,   Future,   Liveable Community,  Resilience...

Living West Hobart

Living Well in West Hobart

Growing West Hobart

Transition West Hobart (implies a commitment to joining the international Transition Towns movement)

Sustainable Living in West Hobart

Building a resilient West Hobart

Westies for the Future

West Hobart in Transition

in fact any of these could be followed by a tagline 

(such as ...a new leaf / local solutions to global problems / building a strongly connected community / growing the things we love / building a resilient community / .....)

Another idea being discussed is joining together with likeminded groups in the foothills of Mt Wellington to create a stronger group.  So the name may move beyond the confines of West Hobart... 

There are lots of creative people out there, can you take a few minutes to think about a better name for our group?  Or let us know if you like one of the ideas suggested above.   We're looking forward to hearing from you!!!  Leave a comment below, or drop a line to whenvnet@gmail.com.  Thanks!!!!