Community Gardening

[WIC Garden Project]

A community garden is a single piece of land gardened by a group of people.  The garden may consist of individual plots (sometimes called allotments) and/or areas that are gardened communally. 

Many WIC members are interested in participating in community gardens, or at least finding out more.  Such gardens provide an opportunity to share gardening knowledge and work in a sociable environment.  It often leads to sharing seeds, produce and recipes - made all the more exciting when so many different ethnicities with our traditional plants and cuisines are working together!

We are most likely to maintain involvement in a community garden if it is close to where we live.  There are a number of community gardens with membership open to the general public already in existence in Hamilton and many would welcome more members.  There are also a number of groups considering starting community gardens in the area. 

So that you can find out about the gardens already running that you may want to join and also to learn from their experiences, we are organising a Waikato Community Garden Network Meeting on the afternoon of Thursday 22 September in Frankton, Hamilton.  More details will follow - watch this discussion page... 

Some of the groups that joined WIC have their own land, and we are working one by one to help them develop their gardens. The first is in Tokoroa.

Most WIC members live in the Nawton area of Hamilton, where there is no existing community garden.  The Salvation Army in nearby Grandview (where some of our Grow Your Own Vegetables From Seed workshops were held) was thinking about starting a community garden when we approached them about their land: we are now looking to work together on a joint community garden project - watch this space!

Photo: Katherine Hay of the Waikato Environment Centre talking about community gardens at our first WIC meeting. (Jovi, HMS)

 

[Clare Jackson]

Waikato Show  sunday april 29th

Come along and see the garden shed being built and have a go at these fun woodwork activities 

[Clare Jackson]

Seed Sowing at Grandview Community Garden

Rain is on the way! A great time to sow silverbeet, parsley, carrots, pak choi and peas

[Clare Jackson]

[Clare Jackson]

Garden Tools at the Hamilton Refuse Transfer Station and Recycling Centre Lincoln Rd, Hamilton

We bought  20m of garden hose for the Grandview Community Garden from the shop at the Refuse Transfer Station. Cost: $8.00. There is a range of garden tools for sale at the Recycling Centre which is open Monday to Saturday 7.30am to 4.30pm, Sunday and public holidays 10am to 3pm

[Clare Jackson]

Grandview Community Garden

 

Come and see the new garden shed at Grandview Community Garden!

 

When: Thursday May 3rd from 10am to 12pm  

What: We will be there to help get your garden started. Do you want to grow spinach, pak choi, spring onions, cabbage, carrots, silverbeet, broccoli, parsley and peas? There is plenty of space for your garden. 

Where: Look for the WIC sign opposite 183 Grandview Rd and walk across the grass.

Wear: Shoes or boots and old clothes

Bring: Seeds and tools, if you have them

Clare and Tim  WIC Community Garden Mentors  ph 021 0387623   021 2243109

 

 

 

[Clare Jackson]

Lettuce seedlings growing well at Grandview Community Garden

These lettuces were planted on april the 19th. We are keeping the weeds under control by lightly cultivating the soil surface once a week.

[Clare Jackson]

new garden shed arrives safely at Grandview Community Garden

[Clare Jackson]

[Clare Jackson]

Thanks to Geoff Foster of Thomsons ITM Hamilton  http://www.thomsonsitm.co.nz/  for delivering the shed to Grandview Community Garden.

[Clare Jackson]

The peas are flowering!

The peas which were planted on Neighbours Day (march 24th 2012)  at Grandview Community Garden have started to flower.

[Clare Jackson]

Grandview Community Garden 

 When: Saturday May 5th from 10am to 12pm  

What: We will be there to help get your garden started. Do you want to grow spinach, pak choi, spring onions, cabbage, carrots, silverbeet, broccoli, parsley and peas? There is plenty of space for your garden. 

Where: Look for the WIC sign opposite 183 Grandview Rd and walk across the grass.

Wear: Shoes or boots and old clothes

Bring: Seeds and tools, if you have them

Clare and Tim  WIC Community Garden Mentors  ph 021 0387623   021 2243109

 

 

 

 

[Clare Jackson]

water wise

At Grandview Community Garden we are keeping the seed beds moist by spreading a layer of well rotted woodchippings over the soil, and by watering only in the early morning or evening.