Still Gardening in West Hobart

Hallo West Hobart Environment Networkers, 

You are doing wonderful things in your local community. Below is another opportunity to make a difference to some of your community members.

I work as a Project Officer for Still Gardening, specifically on the Garden Mates program. Still Gardening is an initiative of the Healthy Ageing network, supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) program and administered through Hobart City Council Community Development division. We have our office on the bottom floor of Mather House (formerly 50 and Better Centre) .

The Garden Mates program provides practical help to older people in Hobart and Glenorchy areas. We match Garden Mate volunteers to do regular one-on-one work with older clients in their own garden. Typically a ‘Mate’ might visit a client once a fortnight and work with them for an hour or two. The companionship and confidence that this gives the older person  as well as real help with the heavier work ,  is life changing for many older people who either give up gardening or feel worried and overwhelmed by the garden chores they can no longer do. Garden Mate support can mean the difference between an older person living independently in their own home or moving into care.

Currently we have about 20 clients in Hobart and Glenorchy areas waiting for assistance, some of them in West Hobart or nearby.  We need more volunteers to meet the growing demand. 

Take a look at the Still Gardening website www.stillgardening.com.au  (particularly the video of the Garden Mates program) and contact us on 62369349 or email stillgardening@hobartcity.com.au if you would like to volunteer or to find out more.

Thanks,

Juliet.

Juliet Chapman

Still Gardening Project Officer ( Tuesday Wednesday)

Lower level, Mather House

108 Bathurst St, Hobart

GPO Box 503 Hobart 7001

6236 9349

February's Produce exchange

The Gardening and Food group's latest produce exchange was today, at Ann and Michael's place.  It was fun to take along our surplus and see what others had to exchange!   Ann showed us her luxuriant garden, and Michael showed off his baby chervil and eggplant seedlings.   We compared notes about damage to our vegies from the January heatwave - both Margaret and Helena have found their beans are offering a second crop to replace the first crop which was lost.

The discussion also ranged from homemade wine, through how to reduce use of plastic in the home, to electric bikes.

Gardeners can help the bushfire victims!

Here is an opportunity to help folk whose gardens have been destroyed by the recent bushfires.

There is a need for growing seedlings and cuttings to supply to needy gardeners.  It is also important that the pots we use won't also donate weeds and plant disease!  So there will be a distribution of propagating mix and pots, with suggestions of what to grow, on Sunday 17 February 2-5 pm at the St John's Community Garden in New Town.  This is being coordinated by Lenah Links (9 St John's Ave, New Town). Do come.

You can also donate some of your gardening time to work in the Tasman Peninsula via the Dunalley Tasman Neighbourhood House or you can donate a hardware shop voucher - email Kerrie at reveg@dunalleytasman.org

Margaret Steadman is the WHEN contact for this project.  You can contact her on 0427 355 951.  Full details on how to achieve plant hygiene have been sent out to WHEN members by email.

January's Produce exchange

Just a reminder to keen gardeners in West Hobart that the next  produce exchange will be held tomorrow  Saturday 19 January between 4-5 pm, at 10 Frederick Street.  This week's host is Chantal, and she is looking forward to meeting fellow gardeners.  I wonder who still has produce to spare, given the recent heatwave!

Members of WHEN's Gardening and Food group will have already heard about this get together through the GAF email list.

More bees please

A new guide for gardeners, farmers and everyday Australians to help Australia’s bee population survive has been launched by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC). 

Chairman of the Pollination Program R&D Advisory Committee, Gerald Martin, said that as there was increasing public concern for the wellbeing and survival of global honeybee populations the guide was timely.
 
“... honeybees are coming under increasing pressure from urbanisation, bushfires, changing agricultural practices and changing land management practices,” Mr Martin said.  “Pests and diseases are an ever-increasing threat, including the deadly bee pest Varroa mite which has wreaked havoc across the globe. ....”

“The guide lists herbs, shrubs, trees and other plants, broken up into suggestions for domestic gardens, streetscapes, urban open spaces, rural environments and stationary beekeeping, and further categorised by type of climate,” he said.  “Growing plants that provide food for honeybees can be accomplished at any scale, from a pot of herbs on a balcony to thousands of hectares of revegetation or pastures.    “Many of these plants are also beneficial to a range of other insects, birds and small mammals that live on nectar and pollen.”

Bee Friendly - A planting guide for European honeybees and Australian native pollinators is available at this link:     PS News link.


(Thanks to PS News for this item)