Helping out in the Community Garden

Every Monday, Angie and I go to the community gardens in Darfield to help out with the weeding and planting.

Last Monday we had a lovely surprise when Julie arrived as she told us that Waimea Nurseries had donated some fruit trees. Julie said we could help Dave Askin to plant them.Whilst we were waiting for Dave we started to tidy up the herbGarden. After about half an hour we saw Dave walking through the gardens, he had delivered then trees and was ready to show us how to plant them.

Firstly we dug a hole making sure we didn’t cut through theirrigation pipe, then we had to spend the roots out and carefully lower the tree into the big hole making sure the roots were spread out. We then carefully covered the roots with soil. We had to hold the trees upright so that they grow up straight, We had to flatten the soil around the tree with the heel of our shoe. Dave then showed us how to prune it so that it didn’t grow too tall. We then made sure the irrigation was working so that the trees were watered.

We planted apricot, plum, cherry and nectarine trees.Everyone was really pleased that Waimea Nurseries had donated such great trees to the community garden.Kailash