We Need Your Trees

Recent fires have damaged much of the native plantings on Southshore Spit. The Southshore Residents Association and the City Council’s Coast Care Rangers need your help to continue the ecological restoration of the Southshore Spit Reseve.

Interested people are invited by the residents association to contribute ‘self propagated’ seedlings of local native species which may be self seeding and growing ‘wild’ in their gardens, often beneath power lines and tall trees etc.

Plants may be potted up and transferred to a nursery area at Tim Sintes property in Tern St, where they will be watered and cared for, or they can be potted up and cared for at peoples homes and brought along to a community planting day planned for the autumn. Empty pots can be supplied by the council by contacting Pete Neal on 3884706

The plant species sought are N.Z. coastal natives (capable of surviving in this tough environment) such as N.Z. Ngaio, Coprosma, Broadleaf, Five finger, Kowhai, Karaka, Akeake, and Cabbage tree, etc.

Please ring project co-ordinator Peter Neal on 388 4706 for more information or e-mail him on PANEAL@xtra.co.nz

Rodney Chambers
Coastal Area Head Ranger
Christchurch City Council

Peter Neal
SSRA

Southshore Self-Sufficiency

You wouldn’t expect to find an edible garden paradise at the end of Southshore Spit, but that is exactly what Pete and Marion Neal have created, albeit with some help from willing neighbours. “At the moment five neighbours give us all their garden waste and kitchen scraps, unfortunately one is leaving, so hopefully we will be able to train up somebody new,” says Pete. Pete has even modified his fence to make it easier for neighbours to deposit their waste into his compost bins.

Compost Secret to Success
Each year Pete and Marion produce about 1.5 cubic metres of compost; after living on their property for 38 years they have managed to build the soil up 30cms in places. ‘We’ve never brought in any top soil, when you do that you end up with other people’s problems,’ says Pete. Apart from compost, the only other fertilisers they are use are sheep manure, blood and bone, and lime. Looking at the rich layer of organic matter its hard to believe that a couple of spade widths down its pure sand.

Two Bin System
To make their compost the couple use a two bin system, each bin measuring approximately 1 metre x 1.5 metres. When the first bin reaches capacity, the contents are turned over into a second bin. If the compost appears dry, water is added during the turning process. “You need enough water to keep the process going, but not so much that you put out the fire,” says Pete. After turning, the compost is covered with an insulating lid, which helps to keep the compost hot and prevents the rain from getting in. Pete uses a piece of metal coated polystyrene as a lid, but you could use two pieces of 6mm plywood separated by a 20mm gap.

Food in Abundance
Marion and Pete grow more vegetables than they need, which means they always have surplus to give away. ‘The neighbours give us their garden waste, and we give them vegetables,’ says Marion. The couple grow enough potatoes, pumpkins and onions to last them the whole year. A small orchard also supplies them with peaches, pears and apples.

Although Pete is quick to point out that he isn’t a ‘greenie’ because he doesn’t ‘have a beard or wear jandals,’ the couple’s self-sufficient lifestyle tells a very different story.

Posted by Charlotte McHaffie

Gardening at the Beach

It was great to see such an awesome turnout on Saturday, when thirty people turned up to North Beach to hear Charlotte talk about her coastal garden.

Establishing the Vegetable Beds
When Charlotte and Scott first moved into their place eighteen months ago, the property already had a lot of established native trees and shrubs. However, to get their vegetable garden started a little more effort was required. Knowing just how hungry sandy soil can be, they decided to kick start their garden with a few cubic metres of top soil. A layer of topsoil (10-15cm deep) was laid onto the grass and edged with bricks from the old chimney. Before planting they lightly forked a layer of composted chicken manure into the new beds. ‘It is always a good idea to dig in some compost first, as topsoil often contains silt and clay, which can bake hard and crack in the sun’, says Charlotte. Compost is a wonderful substance that improves all types of soil; while compost helps light, sandy soils retain moisture and nutrients, it also improves aeration and drainage of heavy soils.

Green Manure and Seaweed
The best vegetable bed — seen above — was enriched with seaweed and green manure over the winter. Seaweed was laid in shallow trenches and covered with soil. Oats, lupins and broad beans were sown over the top in April, and the green manure was dug-in during August. The soil in the green manured area is noticeably better than the soil in other beds. The organic matter has broken down to create sticky humus, which binds the sand particles together, enabling the soil to hold water and nutrients.

Nothing Wasted
Scott and Charlotte don’t like to take any organic matter off their property. A huge pile of tree prunings sits in the middle of the garden as testament to this philosophy. ‘One day we will get a mulcher’ says Charlotte, ‘in the meantime the pile is home to many invertebrate species, and is fondly known as the “spider cave”’. Weeds, grass clippings and old vegetable plants are mixed with straw and composted; all the household’s kitchen waste is recycled using bokashi buckets. Occasionally the pair source enough manure and straw to make a large compost heap, but most of the time they just use rotted down seaweed, or buy in composted chicken manure. ‘If you are using manure make sure it isn’t contaminated with herbicides. Sometimes farmers spray herbicides on their fields to kill broadleaf weeds and these contaminants can get into the manure’ says Charlotte.

Hardy Coastal Plants
Although most of Saturday’s talk was devoted to the hows and whys of vegetable gardening, Charlotte found some time near the end to recommend some hardy coastal plants. ‘It is a good idea to plant wind and salt tolerant trees on your NE boundary ’, says Charlotte, ‘once you have established your first line of defence it is possible to plant more tender plants on the leeward side’. The plants Charlotte recommends for coastal gardens are listed below:


Trees
Ngaio Myporum laetum
Coprosma lucida, C. robusta, C. repens
Pittosporum tenuifolium, P. eugenioides, P. crassifolium
Broadleaf Griselinia littoralis
Kowhai Sophora microphylla, S. prostrata
Olearia paniculata, O. ilicifolia, O. avicenafolia, O. traversii
Akeake Dodonea viscosa
Kanuka Kunzea ericoides
Cabbage tree Cordyline australis
Corokia x virgata, C. cotoneaster
Coast banksia Banksia integrifolia*
Olive Olea europaea*

Shrubs
NZ lilac Heliohebe hulkeana
Hebe species (especially H. odora, H. salicifolia, H lewissii, H. speciosa, H ballensii)
Marlborough rock daisy Pachystegia insignis
Kaka beak Clianthus puniceus
Brachyglottis greyii
Muehlenbekia astonii
Coprosma propinqua C. virescens
Rock rose Cistus sp*
Coast rosemary Westringia rosmarinifolius*
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis*
Lavender Lavandula sp*
Wax flower Eriostemon myoporoides*
Grevillea sp (choose frost tolerant species)

Herbaceous
Rengarenga lily Arthropodium cirratum
NZ Iris Libertia peregrinans
Dianella sp.
Gazania hybrids*
African daisy Arctotis hybrids*

Ground cover
Native daphne Pimelea prostrata
Pratia angulata
Fuchsia procumbens

Ferns
Shield fern Polystichum vestitum, P. richardii
Hen-and-chickens fern Asplenium bulbiferum
Hound’s tongue fern Phymatasorus diversifolius

All plants are native to New Zealand, except those marked by an asterix* .

Posted by Charlotte McHaffie

Tuscan Kale Recipe

The Tuscan kale (also known as black cabbage, cavolo nero and black kale) generated a lot of interest at Saturday’s gathering. For those of you who were keen to try Scott and Charlotte’s favourite kale and potato dish ­- here it is. This recipe is from Faith Willinger’s book Red, White and Greens – The Italian Way with Vegetables (1999).

Massimo’s Penne with Tuscan Kale and Potatoes

Serves 4-6

1/4 -1/2 pound of Tuscan kale, or curly kale
5-6 quarts water
2-3 Tbsp coarse sea salt
1 large yellow-fleshed potato, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
14-16 ounces penne
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated pepper

1. Carefully clean the kale, removing tough central ribs and washing carefully to remove all dirt. Cut the kale into thin strips.
   


2. Bring 5-6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add the kale and 2-3 tablespoons of salt and cook at a rolling boil for 5 minutes.
   


3. Add the potato to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until it offers considerable resistance to the tooth, around three quarters of the cooking time.
   


4. While the pasta is cooking put the garlic in a large non-stick skillet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Place the skillet over moderate heat and when garlic beings to sizzle remove from heat.
   


5. Drain pasta and vegetables. Reserving 2 cups of the cooking water.
   


6. Put the drained pasta and vegetables in the skillet with the garlic and add 1 cup pasta cooking water. Cook over highest heat until the pasta is cooked, surrounded by a creamy sauce. Add more cooking water if sauce dries out.
   


7. Serve pasta in bowls, topped with a drizzle of the remaining extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated pepper.
   

Posted by Charlotte McHaffie

Organic Groups Show Off

Show weekend traditionally marks the beginning of summer in Canterbury. If you weren’t outside planting your tomatoes and cucumbers, you might have been one of the thousands of Cantabrians who headed along to the show grounds to check out this year’s events.

Somewhere hidden amongst the woodchoppers, candy floss and blue-ribbon winning roosters, was the organics stand. Jam packed with yummy organic products, and featuring its very own steaming compost heap, the display was quite a hit.

Lots of organics groups came together to promote organic growing and sustainability: Organics Aotearoa NZ, Organic Garden City Trust, Soil and Health, and Canterbury Organics to name but a few. A big thanks to Ceres, Fresh Direct, Breadman, Simply Squeezed, Functional Wholefoods and many other companies for the free giveaways — what better way to give people a taste of organics.

Overall the stand generated a lot of interest and lively discussion. The organic products and ‘green’ ideas were positively received by all. A big thanks to everyone involved; it was great to see so many organisations and businesses working together to promote organics.

Open Home Discussion – Sat 29 November

Growing Vegetables at the Beach

Sandy soils and salt spray can make growing vegetables a challenge. For Soil and Health member Charlotte McHaffie, living 200 metres from the beach is a mixed blessing. Visit Charlotte and Scott at their house in North Beach to learn how they have created an edible garden on the sand dunes. Accompany them on a guided walk to discover which plants grow best on the coast.

If you’re interested in learning more about beach gardens, or would like to meet other Soil and Health members, make sure you come along to our November talk.

When: 2.00pm on Saturday 29 November
Where: 50 Cygnet St, North Beach (just north of the North Beach Surf Club)
Cost: Members free, Non-members $2.00

So the speaker has an idea of numbers please R.S.V.P.
Ph 388-7353 or 021 037-5716
email: organicschch@gmail.com

Donn's Champagne Recipes

Celebrate the beginning of summer, with a glass of fruity fizz.

There is more than a subtle hint of rhubarb in this rosé. Dare to abandon those delicate fruity overtones for a wild blast of sherbety sweetness.

Donn’s sparkling bubbles lit up many winter committee meetings (along with Linda’s wonderful cake).

Rhubarb Champagne
2 lbs chopped rhubarb stalks (2-3cm pieces)
1 ½ lbs of white sugar
1 ½ Tbs of white vinegar
2 lemons sliced
4 ½ litres of water

Elder Flower Champagne
5 – 7 elder flower heads
The more flowers the stronger the flavour; Donn and Linda generally use five average sized heads. Shake the flower heads to dislodge dust and beetles etc but do not wash.

4 litres of water
2 1/2 cups of sugar
2 lemons sliced
2 Tbs white vinegar
4 Tbs citric acid (optional extra for those who prefer a tarter beverage)

Method
Put the sugar and boiling water into a large clean bucket (not metal) and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the sugar solution. Mix thoroughly and cover with a clean cloth. Let stand for 48 hours.

Strain the solution through muslin cloth and pour into bottles. Plastic soft drink bottles work well. Do not fill the bottles to the top as the drink becomes very fizzy. Make sure the tops are screwed tight as loss of pressure will cause the drink to go flat.
To check progress lightly squeeze the bottles, they will go tight as the brew matures.

In warm weather the champagne is ready in 1-2 weeks, but it is best left for at least a month to let the flavours fully develop.

When making rhubarb champagne, you can use the strained rhubarb pieces to make a tasty desert.