Environmentality 17 September 2014, Jodi Jackson, My Everyday Garden

theorchardgarden.blogspot.com.au

It’s that exciting time of year for gardeners when the summer fruit trees start to wake from their winter slumber and the thought of freshly picked home grown apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, figs ….yum yum YUM. But what if you are yet to plant your orchard to receive the fruits of your labour? This week we had a conversation with Jodi about setting up an urban orchard including what to think about when designing and preparing, keeping in mind the users and activities planned for the urban orchard space. Get the 5 top tips for starting an urban orchard by listening to the show.

Urban orchards are not just about planting some trees to produce fresh wholesome food. It’s more about creating a space that brings people together to facilitate the sharing of food, ideas, knowledge and even just a good story or two. “Organic gardeners are swapping homegrown produce, ideas and skills in an expanding community movement known as the Urban Orchard….The concept is simple: local gardeners and cooks meet to share produce and knowledge. They leave their surplus, and take whatever they can use. Some exchanges run workshops on gardening and preparing food to help build the skills of members.”  The above is from an old (2010) article but worth a look if you’re wanting some inspiration.

Melbourne’s own CERES Community Environment Park runs an Urban Orchard which brings people together to swap and share excess produce. Read more at the CERES website.

petitefarmstead.com

thegreenlever.blogspot.com

A brief mention of insect hotels by Jodi this week had me scratching my head as I’d never heard of them before. This no doubt demonstrates my level of gardening experience, however I thought I would show you all what one is, just in case I wasn’t alone on this one.

On next week's show we will be talking to Emily Braham, Editor at Sanctuary Magazine about all things sustainable homes, including Sustainable House Day which has just passed.

This week’s music selection:

These Days by St Vincent

Unforgettable by The Harpoons

The Devil You Know by Split Enz

Lace Skull by Hiatus Kaiyote