Yandina Community Gardens

41 Farrell street, Yandina

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You are here: Home / Archives for Sustainable Living

Intensive Fruit Orchard at Yandina Community Gardens

16/01/2020 By

Colleen, YCG President, was inspired after researching intensive orchards in small areas, as practiced in Europe and the US, to try this in our gardens. We submitted a grant application to celebrate the Sunshine Coast’s 40th Birthday celebrations, in May 2017, and the Sunshine Coast Council approved $700 to cover the costs of trees, netting and the construction of an espalier.

This is an example of espalier method with a fruit tree in Europe…

We wanted to demonstrate that growing a variety of fruit trees is possible even in an average back yard by planting them very close together and that espaliers usually associated with apples and pears can be applied to sub-tropical fruit trees such as custard apples and mangos.

The design for the intensive orchard followed the recommendations set out by the Dave Wilson Nursery in California (https://www.davewilson.com/home-gardens/backyard-orchard-culture).

Renate, a regular volunteer, researched fruit tree varieties that are suitable for our climate (low-chill) and can be grouped close together. We planted three groups of trees (apples & plums, stone fruit, and sub-tropicals) which will be kept pruned to “head-height” for ease of harvest and to encourage air flow.

Trees were sourced locally from Oasis Fruit Trees, Sunray Nursery, Coles Creek. They included a Sun Snow and Sundowner Nectarine, China Flat and Tropic Beauty Peach, Anna and Dorset Apple, Early Blood Plum, Fuyu Persimmon, Carambola, Bengal Lychee, Longan, and Feijoa. The Nam Doc Mai Mango and African Pride Custard Apple were planted against the post and wire fence.

 

 

Some of our Volunteers with our first harvest in November 2019

Funds were approved late June 2017 after volunteers had already dismantled and removed the old besser-block raised garden beds. We then planted a cover crop in preparation for the fruit trees that were planted during Spring/Summer 2017. West Indian Lemon Grass surrounds the beds.

Renate oversaw tip pruning of the trees and in October 2019 we were able to cover the peaches and nectarines with wildlife-friendly netting to enjoy a prolific and delicious harvest during November.

Nets are now off and when the rain returns trees will be well-pruned (back to head height) and well fertilised with worm juice, compost, and a bit of potassium ready for next year’s crop.

Filed Under: Permaculture Method, Sustainable Living Tagged With: apples, espalier, fruit orchard, Intensive orchard, orchard, plums, stone fruit

Saturday, 15 February 2020, 9-11am, Zero Input Veggies with Shane Simonsen

16/01/2020 By

People have grown vegetables for thousands of years, but how did they do so before the age of irrigation on tap and mulch/manure by the truck load? More recently the process has become even more input intensive with the proliferation of greenhouses, hydroponics, sprays and plastic everywhere.

Cultivation systems exist on a spectrum from intensive (that use many inputs sourced from far away) through to extensive (that use less inputs but rely on more time and space). This workshop explores the rediscovery of these zero input systems for growing autumn vegetables in the sunshine coast hinterland environment that rely on natural rainfall, on farm fertility inputs, hand tools and extensive crop trialing and breeding to find plants suitable for zero input agriculture.

Book here:

About the Presenter:

 

 

 

 

I am a lifelong plant nerd that has grown just about everything I could get my hands on from a very young age. As a child I took over my mother’s flower garden just as drought and water restrictions became a fact of life. I decided to stop all irrigation and only grow species that thrived on natural rainfall. That work was featured on Gardening Australia.

After a career as an academic and science teacher I retired early to a slice of ex-dairy farm in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with a new focus on sustainable agricultural systems. Here I am working steadily to trial, select and breed new plants with a particular focus on hardy staple crops that can supply essential calories. I am also working on integrating food producing trees with my beloved geese and goats.

Filed Under: Recent Workshops, Sustainable Living Tagged With: Grow your own food, natural, organic, veggies, zero input

Community Gardens are vital centres for Positive Change – Morag Gamble

20/12/2019 By

Community Gardens are vital centres for positive change – Morag Gamble

Yandina Community Gardens Ambassador

Permaculture Education Institute (https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org)

I love community gardens and the Yandina Community Gardens community is a particular a gem. Thanks so much to everyone who’s been part of creating, gardening, teaching, supporting in this incredible community hub in all different ways over the years.

Community gardens are such important places of learning, connecting and sharing a way of life that is what the world needs right now.

The impact may not always be easily seen, but the ripples of positive change from community-led projects like Yandina Community Gardens are part of the wave of change around the world. The gardens, the habitat, the programs, the classes, the events, the sharing of ideas and friendships touch people deeply, and change lives, and are a place for urban wildlife. I congratulate all the volunteers and supporters for the positive contribution you are making in the world.

It is so very important because we are in the midst of an ecological and climate emergency and a new way of living and working needs to be made visible. Western society lives way beyond its means – we are experiencing a consumption crisis. If everyone, for example, lived like the typical Australian, we would need 4 earths to meet our ‘needs’ and absorb our wastes – called our ‘ecological footprint’. In fact, everything we’ve been doing from April onwards has been eating into earth’s capacity to regenerate, and taking from nature and future generations. Australia’s overshoot day – when we exceeded our ecological budget – was at the end of March! Global consumption patterns are eroding earth’s capacity to support human activity and life itself.

Regenerative culture and regenerative agriculture is the way forward. We need to live and work quite differently – the way Yandina Community Gardens demonstrates, the way permaculture teaches. Keep learning. Keep sharing your positive message. And keep speaking up for earth care, people care and fair share in whatever way you can – for common-sense and positive, practical and effective change.

Filed Under: Recent Events, Sustainable Living Tagged With: Climate emergency, community gardens, members event, Morag Gamble, Permaculture Education Institute, Permaculture Principles, Yandina community Gardens

Yandina Community Gardens Outreach program with Lissa Evans

16/12/2019 By

Yandina Community Gardens Outreach program with Lissa Evans,

Working with Nambour Community Centre & Deadly Espresso in Eumundi

I’ve been working each week at YCG for over 4 years and I felt the desire to share what we know and practice with other nearby communities, particularly with people struggling to live in our current paradigm of fast and processed food.

A group from Nambour Community Centre came with Ana Greenfield, Community Development & Cultural Connections Program to a YCG Garden Tour. They were such an inspirational group – excited by what we were doing, keen to learn and had so much of their own knowledge to share.

I decided to offer a workshop on planning, planting and preparing permaculture food as a way of exploring these ideas further. The first session was held at YCG and after a short discussion we harvested from the garden and prepared a delicious, simple, healthy lunch which was enjoyed by all. A few weeks later I ran another session at the Nambour Community Centre. From this developed the idea of a regular gardening group at NCC harnessing Ana’s passion and enthusiasm to develop the existing garden and involve anyone who was interested. This has been happening each Monday 9-10 am for the past two months.

I was also aware that Deadly Expresso, run by the amazing Terri Waller, Sevgen, was also creating a garden. Apart from pot plants around the cafe Terri had been offered access to the sloping land behind the cafe and with assistance from Pete, had found many native trees to plant. My husband, Dave helped with cutting furrows on contour. We lined these above with branches to slow down water flow and encourage soil development along the contour, ultimately feeding the plants below. Once the heat passes, we’ll look at developing the “vege patch” further with the compost we’re making, weed teas and cover crops.

Both sites are seeking donations of cardboard, grass clippings, 40 l barrels, worm farms/bathtubs, woodchips and potting mix. If you have any of these items to donate, or you’re wishing to help in some way please contact Lissa 54467373

Filed Under: Organisation, Sustainable Living Tagged With: Deadly Espresso, Grow your own food, healthy eating, Nambour Community Centre, Yandina Community Garden, YCG Outreach

Saturday, 9 November 2019, 9-11am, How to Summer Proof your house with Brett Grimley

17/10/2019 By

Brett Grimley will be presenting ‘How to Summer proof your house’. Brett has a passion for Sustainable Building Design and he will discuss ideas and advice on how to make your home cooler in the summer months. Brett will discuss points such as orientation, shading, ventilation and thermal mass. It is an opportunity to learn, ask questions and be inspired with low cost, sustainable retrofitting ideas that can make your home a much more liveable and comfortable home in our Queensland summer.

Presenter’s Biography:

Brett is a sustainable building designer and has over 28 years of experience in the architectural industry. 13 years ago Brett established Ecolibrium Designs, a multi-award winning design studio specialising in the design of environmentally sensitive buildings. He has a passion for designing buildings that are affordable, sustainable and inspirational.

Filed Under: Recent Workshops, Sustainable Living Tagged With: Permaculture design, Sustainable Building, sustainable living

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41 Farrell street, Yandina, see map
Open to Public Mon, Tue and Sat 8.30am-12pm Closed public holidays

Workshops

  • Saturday 22nd March 2025 - HOW TO GROW AND USE TROPICAL VEGETABLES

    Saturday 22nd March 2025 – HOW TO GROW AND USE TROPICAL VEGETABLES

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    Saturday 5th April 2025 – Artisan Superfood Raw Cracker Workshop

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Elizabeth Fekonia - Permaculture Real Food
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Acknowledgement of country

Yandina Community Gardens acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners of the land, the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) people, past and present and emerging. We recognise and wish to learn from their spiritual and cultural connection to the land.

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