NCGardens Tote bags now available at Red Bubble!

You can now choose your favourite photos (or upload new ones) to put on tote bags on our Red Bubble site! Still working on transferring the tshirt designs to totes, the files aren't big enough yet.
Let us know if you have a particular image you'd like to upload!

INDIGENOUS PLANTING 1ST JUNE 2014

This event was sponsored by Darebin Council's Community Grant.

Our day dawned, a beautiful rainy day..and it kept raining till we were actually planting. Thanks to Alistair using his 'scary' hole digging machine, prior to the day, we had 50 or so holes, so the initial planting went very smoothly and quickly. We still had loads more plants and as enthusuiasm was high, small mattocks came to the fore and a lot of digging was done, more plants nestled into potting mix and watered and mulched.

Afternoon tea was served and the displays, of photos of the last 15 years or so, looked at.

We had roughly 30 people participating, 5 children, 2 doggies.

Photo Display of Indigenous Plants, Books, Publications on Indigenous Plants and Weeds, 15 years of photos of Northcote Community Gardens Members and events, working bees etc.

 

These videos only display well in a small version.

Alistair deep in conversation with Darebin Council worker Russell.

 

Russell.

 

The rain didn't deter anyone.

 

Ros having a good time.

  

Steve and Luke.

Rebecca 'The Younger', Jill and Councillor Bo Li.

 

Mollie and Gaby ready for more mulch delivery.

Planting on the hill.

 

Water Carrier Rebecca in action..

Hooded Angie who already had been at the planting at Edgars Creek in the morning.. 

Lily, neighbour from across the road and Chris.

Maureen Chris's hard working mum.

Curly tops, aka Rebecca the Younger.

 

Tanya.

  

Luke.

 

Afternoon Tea Party.

It's all in the gestures, Alistair and Jill.

Marietta and Larysa deep in conversation..

Elizabeth going home with Georgina.

 

The return of the prodigal..gal. Pauline.

 Storybook picture.  Kye and Chester, deep in communication.

 

The beautiful persimmon tree.

It's all over, time for a a cup of tea, a Lebanese custard slice and a chin wag. Star Wars the first movie, Harry Potter and 'who I will be when I grow up' comes to  mind.

Kye, Marijka and Mali.

Photo curtesy of Nanny Bint..

Photography Marijka.

Published by Marijka

JUNE 1st PLANTING DAY

We received a Darebin Council Grant to continue our revegetation of the Northcote Community Gardens Park area. We have on order 150 indigenous plants from  the Victorian Indigenous Nursery Cooperative.
 
This poster will be in the Northcote Library, there will be an add in the Northcote Leader as well as the Darebin Food Harvest Network.

March 2014 Working Bee

We had a great working bee yesterday, Sunday 2nd March. The weather was beautiful. The afternoon meal was amazing. Excellent.

Thinning plants in the lower pond, March 2014 Working Bee

Bees and bees

Well despite being a hideous day for it (forecasted to get to 43), Alistair, Christine, Ben and I went to the gardens this morning while it was still and relatively cool to tackle the bee hive for the first time. Our bees have been so industrious that they had used up all the bars that were in there from when we got them from Martin, and they needed the false back moved and more bars put in. Also the hive was on a bit of a lean and needed straightening up so that the combs will be nice and straight.

It was with more than a little trepidation that we approached the hive kitted out in our new hats and some painting overalls and gloves, and when we first took the roof off- the bees did take quite an interest in us, but after a few calming breaths and some explanations to them about what we were doing they settled down quite nicely. Then they very politely let us fiddle around in their hive adding bars and spacers.

So now they have quite a bit more room to expand and a nice level hive- so lets hope they don't suddenly decide to pick up and leave after our interference... we really are just winging it right now!

In other bee news there is a huge wild hive built in a tree down Hartington St towards Westgarth on the railway side. Hopefully the hot windy weather won't cause them any trouble.
With our bees and this hive our gardens should have plenty of pollinators around.

Posted by Rebecca.

Northcote Community Garden Orchard Map

This is a map of our Orchard (November 2013). (Sorry you may need a magnifying glass to read the names of the trees - I will put a bigger version of the map in the Orchard folder shortly) All trees planted seem to be thriving. The beehive will be placed in the orchard shortly - as soon as the bees have settled into their/our new hive.

Alistair

November 2013 Working Bee

We had a great afternoon tea at the working bee today. Some of the great food included pikelets and NCG tree-ripened mulberry jam made by Dianne, cous cous by Christine, a broad bean salad by Heather, a broad bean salad by Elizabeth, (Tanya's) olives by Heather and olives by Rebecca.

Lots of much-needed mulching and weeding was accomplished around the perimeter of the gardens. We managed to neatly put back to the outside of the fence all the logs and wood that were carelessly thrown into the gardens by the mysterious mowing monsters.

We also discussed and walked around the proposed area for an extension of the gardens to the south. And we discussed the mowing along the outside of the gardens (along the east side next to railway lines).

Here are some photos taken today:

 

                                                                      afternoon tea

                                                                     

                                                                       

                                                                    

 Pierre de Ronsard rose (named in reference to Ronsard's (1524 -1585) poem "Ode to Cassandra")

Here's the poem:

À CASSANDRE

Mignonne, allons voir si la rose

Qui ce matin avoit desclose

Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,

A point perdu, ceste vesprée,

Les plis de sa robe pourprée,

Et son teint au votre pareil.

Las ! voyez comme en peu d’espace,

Mignonne, elle a dessus la place

Las, las, ses beautés laissé choir !

O vraiment marâtre Nature,

Puis qu’une telle fleur ne dure

Que du matin jusques au soir !

Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,

Tandis que votre âge fleuronne

En sa plus verte nouveauté,

Cueillez, cueillez votre jeunesse :

Comme à cette fleur la vieillesse

Fera ternir votre beauté.

and in English:

TO CASSANDRE

Darling, let's see if the rose

Who this morning had desclose

His purple robe Sun,

A lost point, cestus vespers,

The folds of her purple dress,

And your complexion like.

Alas! see as little space

Cute, she has over the place

Weary, weary, let fall its beauties!

O really stepmother Nature

Can such a flower lasts

That the morning even to the evening!

So if you believe me, cute,

While your age blossomed

As greener novelty,

Pick, pick your youth:

As this flower old age

Will tarnish your beauty.

Alistair