 If you want a non-toxic garden, especially if you are growing your food, then you should use alternatives to toxic chemicals to keep the weeds down.
Mandurah Community Gardens was contacted by Ella from Consumer Notice to let us know about an article they published regarding alternatives to Round Up. After checking out their article with useful information, we're sure you will agree that this topic is very important if you want to maintain an organic, healthy garden. We have added the Herbicide topic to the information section on our website, and we welcome any suggestions, feedback or ideas that you have to share. Read our information page on herbicides here
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 In the News - 2012 to 2022 As a part of our 10th anniversary celebration, we look back at past articles in the local media about Mandurah Community Gardens and community gardens in general. Enjoy!
OTHER MENTIONS
 I LOVE Bamboo. Yes, the best stuff will grow runners and spread quickly, however, it's also great for homemade garden stakes, making trellis and lots of other crafty projects. It also looks good.
I happened to mention this to my new neighbour who "found" a piece of bamboo for me to grow as a screen along my fence. It's the type of bamboo that grows very tall and produces bamboo about 1 inch thick. PERFECT! Bamboo needs a trench 40cm deep, that is full of good soil, and no obstacles such as roots that will hinder the growing path. Problem 1. I have a half dead tree right in the spot where I want to grow the bamboo. Son number 2 removed all the branches leaving me with a huge pile to get rid of. How to get rid of the mess? Son number 2 came to the rescue by giving me his mulcher. It's the same electric mulcher that was mentioned in earlier emails. The same as the one my other neighbour loaned me when we removed the trees from the front yard. I am in love with it. Son number 2 said he considered it as a fair exchange for all the food he will get later. How good is that? Problem 2. I removed several concrete slabs and started digging before discovering just how many roots were hindering my bamboo garden bed. Some are huge. and I had barely scratched the surface - reaching 40cm of root free soil was looking impossible. I also still had large branches left over - too big for my mulcher. I needed a chainsaw but I don't want one. They are too heavy for me, too expensive to buy and too expensive to run. A small bottle of chainsaw oil costs about $17, and you need lots of it. Then I would need to buy the tools to sharpen it etc. Plan 2 - I discovered that there exists an electric hand held cutting tool that is perfect for all the cutting jobs around the garden. It's called a Reciprocating Saw. After doing my homework and reading the reviews I found one for $70 at Bunnings. It's the XU1 710W Reciprocating Saw. - Yea Yea - you probably all know about these things but this was news for me. Enter my beloved Mother who has offered to buy this for me. I will be picking it up today! How exciting! All those tough branches and roots here I come! Problem 3. I now have a small pile of concrete slabs that need to be relocated. You guessed it - the spot where I want them is overgrown and will take me days of digging and probably some help to move them. I can move one about 4 feet before I need to sit and breathe. If that damned bamboo dies I will SCREAM! LOL! A story from a very happy gardener. Lana 
Thomas Wood from the City of Mandurah with MCG President Jennifer Boivin
Things got started for Neighbour Day on the 27th March with Jenny doing the neighbourly gesture of giving vegetables to Tom. Sharing produce over the fence, gifting a potted plant, or dropping off a bunch of flowers from your garden are all random acts of kindness and ways to say thank you for being a good neighbour to people in your street.
Neighbour Day is an initiative of Relationships Australia and supported by the City of Mandurah and community groups like Mandurah Community Gardens. We are spending more time at home and in our neighbourhood, so it is great to wave, smile and ask people how they are going. You never know you might appreciate the help from your neighbour one day.
The video below was created by the City of Mandurah to promote Neighbour Day. MCG President Jenny Boivin and Garden Coordinator Cheryl Ivey give some neighbourly advice on how to participate, and an invitation to get involved with your local community gardens.
Thanks to Tom and Emma from the City of Mandurah for enlisting our help to promote and celebrate how gardening can bring neighbours together.
 Local business and refund point for the Containers For Change scheme, Containers For Cash Mandurah added Mandurah Community Gardens to their website and Facebook page in support of the organisation.
Your recycable containers can be dropped off at Mandurah Community Gardens, where they are collected by Containers For Cash Mandurah on a regular basis. You can also drop off your containers direct to Containers For Change Mandurah, and by giving our scheme number, you will ensure that Mandurah Community Gardens receives much needed funds from your donation. Mandurah Community Gardens' Containers For Change participation No. is C-1027-1362 As MCG is a non-profit organisation that is exists through member's fees, generous donations and grants, the money earned from this helps MCG to keep going, providing a wonderful place for community involvement and healthy activity in our local area.  The flower Epiphyllum Oxypetalum flowers only once a year at night, taking approximately 2 hours to fully open, then wilting before the sun comes up. The flower has an outer mane of petals, with lotus-like nest of petals in front, and a brush of stamins in the centre defined by the bright white filaments and butter yellow anthers at their tips. The flower can be up to 25cm (about 9 inches) across when in full bloom. The fragrant scent of this flower can travel quite far in the night, up to half a kilometre away. The scent could be described as a delicate floral perfume with a hint of sweetness like that of the mango fruit. This video is of the flowering at Paul & Roz's home on the 7th March 2022. It was taken with a mobile phone on a tripod using a time-lapse setting of 30 second intervals, and then increased in speed when producing the video. Why not try grow these yourself? They can be easily propogated from cuttings and they grow well in a small pot with little fertiliser or water needed. The majesty of this flower and the smell of its perfume is worth waiting a year for! Enjoy!  The next event on the Mandurah Community Gardens calendar is a workshop Growing Veggies 101 presented by John Draper from local business Harvest Me. Enjoy your own fresh, organic homegrown veggies grown yourself. This presentation will give you all the facts, tips and tricks to successfully start growing your very own veggies! The workshop is on Saturday 5th March 2022 from 10pm to 12 noon. Booking is essential as places are limited. Please contact Cheryl on 0414 348 404 or email info@mandurahcommunitygardens.com.au. If you will be coming to this workshop, please arrive 15 minutes early to start at 10am sharp. Everyone is welcome to stick around after the workshop to have a chat and a cuppa, check out the garden and our plants and worm products for sale. Following the workshop there will also be a Working Bee in the community garden from 12 to 2pm and everyone is welcome to join in. Hope to see you there! Click on the link below to download the flyer for the event. 
 Free workshop with John Draper from local business Harvest Me at Mandurah Community Gardens Saturday 5th February 2022 — 10am to 12pm A PRESENTATION ON HOW TO SAVE SEEDS FOR GROWING YOUR OWN HEALTHY FOOD Topics covered: Methods of pollination, heirloom + open pollination, when to collect seed and how to correctly store saved seeds. Booking is required to attend. Please contact Cheryl events@mandurahcommunitygardens.com.au or phone 0414 348 404 to secure your place. Click on the link below to download the flyer
 Four Meditation Workshops 3 Wish Water Meditation: Sunday 6th February 2022 ⋅ 9:30am to 11am Gentle Breath Work Sound Meditation: Sunday 11th February 2022 ⋅ 12:30pm to 2pm Transform Mindset - Create Your Own Affirmation Card: Sunday 20th February 2022 ⋅ 9:30am to 11am Chant & Be Happy - Join in Song & Gentle Movement Together: Friday 25th February ⋅ 12:30 – 2pm Please arrive 15 minutes early to prepare for sitting.
You can book all four sessions in advance. A $10.00 booking fee is required, refundable after attendance of sessions booked. Strictly limited places available. Contact the Garden Coordinator Cheryl to make your booking: events@mandurahcommunitygardens.com.au Mobile: 0414 348 404 Click on the link below to download the flyer
 Whether you're at a bbq, staff party or Christmas brunch, make sure you grab those containers, bring them in and help your Mandurah Community Gardens!
A letter from David Templeman Wed, 12 Jan 2022 Hi folks
The McGowan Labor Government is serious about reducing the impact of plastics on our planet – that’s why we’ve fast-tracked our Plan for Plastics by four years. 1 January 2022 marked an important date in our fight against single-use plastics, with plastic plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, stirrers, straws, thick plastic bags, polystyrene food containers, and helium balloon releases to be phased out. There will be transition period with a focus on educating community and businesses. As a group that does fantastic work protecting our local community, I wanted to let you know about this fantastic milestone in rolling out our plan. Stage Two of the plan, now to be completed by the end of 2022, includes the phasing out of plastic barrier/produce bags, cotton buds with plastic shafts, polystyrene packaging, microbeads and oxo-degradable plastics. Takeaway coffee cups and lids with single-use plastic materials have also been added to the Plan for Plastics and will be phased out in stage two. Consumers and businesses will be able to use alternative environmentally friendly takeaway cups and lids. Our Plan for Plastics builds on other important initiatives in this space, including Containers for Change, WA’s new container deposit scheme. If you’ve not yet investigated how Containers for Change might help your group to fundraise, I’d encourage you to visit www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/fundraising To find out more about our Plan for Plastics, please visit www.wa.gov.au/service/environment/business-and-community-assistance/western-australias-plan-plastics I am so proud that the McGowan Labor Government is setting WA on a path to becoming a plastic-free leader in Australia. Thank you again for the important role you play in protecting and preserving our environment and all the best for 2022. Yours sincerely David Templeman MLA Member for Mandurah A: 4 Sutton Street, Mandurah WA 6210 PA: PO Box 1509, Mandurah WA 6210 T: (08) 9581 3944 | E: David.Templeman@mp.wa.gov.au FB: davidtemplemanmla | W: davidtempleman.com.au  Christmas songs will be sung in the garden SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2021 5:00pm - 5:35pm Arrive 4.15pm to 4.30pm for 5pm sharp performance start at Mandurah Community Gardens Performed by the Musical Kite String Choir All are welcome!. Bring a plate of finger food to share and your own drinks and glasses. Mosquitos are around so please come prepared! We look forward to seeing MCG members, their families and friends at the concert. EVENT IS FREE BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL RSVP Cheryl: events@mandurahcommunitygardens.com.au Mobile: 0414 348 404 
 UPDATE 5 January 2022: Currently no plots are available. Come back to our website to check on updates or contact the Garden Coordinator at events@mandurahcommunitygardens.com.au for plot availability. A rare opportunity exists to rent a plot at Mandurah Community Gardens!
Contact our Garden Coordinator Cheryl to find out more: events@mandurahcommunitygardens.com.au or phone 0414 348 404 ...or come down and visit us on a public open day to learn more - see our Events Calendar page for the next open days and hours.  Mandurah Community Gardens is having a stall at the Pinjarra Garden Day on Sunday 17th October 9am to 3pm, located at the Edenvale Heritage Precinct, 1 George St in Pinjarra.
 We had the pleasure of 40 children from 4 Big Kids OSHC visiting Mandurah Community Gardens as part of their school holiday program. The children who were aged from 6 to 12, rotated in groups through 3 activities. MCG President Jenny showed how to add soil and different flower seeds to a cut down egg carton then add sticks for feelers to make it look like a caterpillar. MCG Secretary Lana explained how to create a dinosaur garden in a clean recycled pot using succulents and stones. And Cheryl the Garden Coordinator talked about compost worms and worm farms. Worms don't like skin so the children used a stick to find baby worms and big worms and worm eggs. The group took their creations home and plan to install a worm farm at their centre soon. They will have plenty of children to look after these special creatures. A fantastic day had by all and an opportunity to reuse, repurpose and recycle made it even better. A big THANKS to Jenny and Lana - I couldn't have managed it without your help! ~ Cheryl 
Cheryl recounts the day: It was a great day with 26 other like-minded gardening enthusiasts from all over the metro area. We shared nasturtium pesto, a yummy pumpkin cake and some roasted pumpkin seeds for afternoon tea. A delightful way to spend the afternoon. We heard all about the history of tomatoes and how soil can be improved to suit growing vegetables, etc. We planted a couple of different varieties of tomato seeds and will plant them in the communal beds at the garden.
We had a tour of the garden and loved all the clever ideas. There were 2 Hills Hoist clothes lines being used for a passionfruit trellis, which provided shade as well. Re-use and repurpose was a common theme with 2 fridges used as worm farms as well. Lots of sheep manure was used as mulch and everything was looking green and lovely. Thanks to all those who organised this event and hosted us. |
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