July Working Bees

Saturday Working Bee:  Our Planting Blitz of the new central area couldn’t have fallen on a more perfect day.  Working with Northern Beaches Council we were tasked with new plantings across two separate areas – The Fernery and The Mound.

After checking in and collecting tools, our team gathered to watch a demonstration of best practices of planting the various ferns and shrubs.

Three truckloads of plants were waiting for us to be loaded onto wheelbarrows or into waiting arms and taken to the new central area.  The plants were carefully placed ready for us to dig in.  Then the planting began in earnest with our teams working in both The Fernery and on The Mound,  followed by watering and fertilizing.

Mayor Sue Heins came by to watch the transformation.  She chatted to the Gardeners, our President and Working Bee Coordinator, she even joined in the planting and stopped briefly for a cuppa.

In just under five hours, 457 plants – yes they were counted – went into the ground in a longer than normal Working Bee that included smoko breaks for a cuppa and a well-earned sausage sizzle for lunch.  A huge thank you for a huge effort from our Gardeners, administrator/baristas and our BBQ master:  Jozy, Anne, Jane M, Lee, Max, Chris W-S, Chris M, Pat, Toni, Brandon, Jessie, Ishbel, Lois, Paul and of course our NBC team of Scott and Andy (and the Mayor of course).

Wednesday Working Bee:  A substantial rain overnight took care of the watering that was planned for our Wednesday Bee, but there was still clean up to do.

The proposed stone flag feature pathway from the central area through The Fernery to the existing pathway leading up to the old tramway was staked out by Tania.  This was then cleared by Chris M by raking leaf litter and mulch from the route onto the new plantings. 

Next up, Ron cleaned up the messy Strelitzia in The Fernery while Chris M wheelbarrowed the vegetation up to the old tramway ready for Council pickup.​