January has been a month of weather extremes - a challenge for a nursery that relies on rainwater!
January is probably the busiest month of the year in the nursery. Still pricking out seedlings, potting on, weeding and watering are all full-on jobs that need to be done by our volunteers.
It was difficult to find a shady spot sometimes for morning tea! The backdrop to this location is the start of the Community Nursery Education Centre Building - watch this space for progress!
Storm clouds gather over the nursery just in time. Watering every couple of days through January has been a very time-consuming but necessary task. When the rain does come it is a welcome relief!
Posted: 4 February 2013
What we will be doing in February
Potting, weeding, moving plants around, watering, taking plants away to plant out! (and the start of seed collecting)
Despite feeling that the season has just got into full swing with warmer temperatures, the plants know that the summer is rushing past and seeding time comes soon enough. Red tussock seed is ready for collection in late January and thus starts the seed collecting year.
Posted: 4 February 2013
December is a month of high activity in the nursery. The main month for potting up of seedlings, weeding and watering. Every Friday morning was well attended by volunteers and the nursery is full of native plants waiting for a new home. December/January are good planting months but prepare your ground first - blanket spray areas first and definately fence off from stock.
On 21 December 2012 we had our Nursery Break Up with our usual fine selection of food delights!
Posted: 2 January 2013
November has been a month for visits to the Nursery - Waverley Kindy and Makarewa PreSchool were enthusiastic helpers, with Waverley helping to make a new track to the bush as well as potting up plants and Makarewa also potting up native plants and exploring the bush tracks.
Posted: 13 November 2012
While I have been away in the UK, Linda and Ray have been keeping the Nursery running with the help of regular volunteers.
Seeds have been sown, cuttings taken and potting up and weeding have been regular activities over winter.
Meanwhile, in the UK we had the wettest June and August since records began and much flooding! I did manage to catch up with Maggie and Stephen though and we spent a gorgeous day at Tatton Park, one of the many National Trust properties in the north west of England. The walled vegetable garden and sculpture exhibition were features of this famous place - www.tattonpark.org.uk
National Trust properties all over England are embracing a concept of “Cotton-wool kids or free-range children”
Evidence of a long-term and dramatic decline in children’s relationship with the outdoors is ‘overwhelming’ and urgent action is needed to bridge this growing gap before it’s too late, according our new report published today.
In his Natural Childhood report naturalist, author and TV producer Stephen Moss charts years of academic research and a steady stream of surveys on the subject, highlighting how a generation of children is finally losing touch with the natural world.
The report outlines a clear need to tackle the rise of ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’, a term coined by the US based writer Richard Louv, to describe a growing dislocation between children and nature. Follow the link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/news/view-page/item788564
Most Trust properties were encouraging lots of children’s outdoor activities – “50 things to do before you are 11 ¾ ‘s” see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/news/view-page/item804841
Posted: 2 October 2012
