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| Keen holiday garden helpers, ( left) James Bayer, 11, Isabelle Bayer, 8 and Adam Bayer, 10, enjoying harvesting some of the bountiful produce. |
The emphasis is on nutritious, spray free fruit and vegetables, produced along organic principles, at the Lumsden Community garden organised under garden co-ordinator, Adele Woodford through Northern Southland Community Resource Centre Charitable Trust ( NSCRCCT).
"The garden is about supporting families in the community by giving them the opportunity to learn how to garden, how to meet family budgets and a place for new people to gather and get to know others," Woodford said. " The tunnel house provides more opportunities for new vegetables to be trialled."
It has a mixture of vegetables including courgettes, tomatoes and cucumber, with the first crop of lettuces already harvested.
"We even have a water melon plant in there and I wonder if I am dreaming wanting it to produce water melons down here, but we are hopeful," she said. " The strawberry plot is very popular with the children who have been watering for us over the holidays."
"We meet regularly on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 3pm for working bees, to weed and plant," she said. "The raised garden beds have a mixture of plants and are very productive with us leaving the plants to seed so we have continuous cropping."
This year saw a good crop of rhubarb off two rows but even more could have been planted to meet the big demand as it was very popular. A lot of potatoes were planted last spring with them being a good staple crop for families.
"We do companion planting and vary and mix up the crops to confuse the bugs as well as leave plants to flower so they attract beneficial insects, before going to seed," she said. "The bug free vegetables are amazing."
"All our helpers are against sprays as we recognise their negative effect on bees and other beneficial insects, " Woodford said. "As we harvest, the regular helpers take some vegetables home and the rest are given to people who live alone, some families or Lumsden Senior citizens who appreciate the fresh produce."
The big compost bin is being used constantly but there never seems to be enough to keep the soil fertility replenished. There are four people who are regular helpers as they do not have a garden at home and more people seem to come in the winter to help when they are not so busy.
"We plant continuously, putting in new plants as spaces come available," Woodford said. " People are very generous with donating seeds and plants which we appreciate."
