Programs
Ways to get your hands dirty
Regular things that happen at the commons. Pick one, or drift between them.
Every season
What runs here
Open a card to see how each one works and what to bring.
Working bees
The garden’s main event: three hours of jobs, tea at half time and soup when the beds allow.
- When
- Every second Saturday morning
- Who
- Anyone, any experience
- Where
- Meet at the shed
How it works
Jobs go up on the chalkboard. Pick one, find the person who has done it before and get started.
There are always seated jobs too, such as potting up, labelling and sorting seed.
Bring
- A hat and water
- Closed shoes
- Gloves if you have them
Seed library
Borrow seed, grow it, save some and bring it back for the next person.
- When
- Open whenever the gate is
- Who
- Anyone who grows things
- Where
- Drawers in the shed
How it works
The drawers are sorted by season. Write what you take in the book, and label anything you return.
Bring
- A pencil
- A paper envelope for returns
Compost club
Three bays, a thermometer and a small group who like turning heaps.
- When
- Saturday mornings, after the working bee
- Who
- Anyone curious about rot
- Where
- The compost bays
How it works
Learn to balance greens and browns, check moisture and move a heap from one bay to the next.
Neighbours can drop off sorted kitchen scraps at the bays during opening times.
Bring
- Gloves
- Closed shoes
Kids’ patch
Three beds for small gardeners: sunflowers, a worm farm and one bed just for digging.
- When
- Sunday mornings in school terms
- Who
- Ages 4 to 10, with a grown-up
- Where
- The kids’ patch
How it works
Each session has one small job, like sowing beans or feeding the worms, and plenty of time to explore.
Bring
- A hat and sunscreen
- Clothes that can get muddy
Twilight gardeners
A calmer session with fewer people, built around the raised beds at seated height.
- When
- Wednesday evenings
- Who
- Anyone who prefers it quiet
- Where
- Raised beds by the shed
How it works
Good for people who find Saturdays too busy, and for anyone who gardens from a chair. In summer, this group also keeps the watering roster.
Bring
- Nothing in particular
Pollinator patch
A corner left a bit wild for bees and other insects, and a small group who look after it.
- When
- First Saturday of the month
- Who
- Anyone, especially the patient
- Where
- Orchard edge
How it works
Plant flowering herbs, leave seed heads standing and count what visits. It’s slow, quiet work.
Bring
- A notebook if you like counting
Harvest table
Spare produce from the shared beds and household plots, laid out for anyone to take.
- When
- Last Sunday of the month
- Who
- Everyone
- Where
- The long table
How it works
Bring what you have too much of. Take what you’ll actually cook. In winter it’s often soup instead.
Bring
- A bag or basket
Made for everyone
Easy to get to, easy to join
How a real garden would describe its access. In this concept, these are the features the site is designed around.
Find a date
Programs show up on the calendar as working bees, workshops and harvest tables.