As the clocks go back. What better way to connect with the changing seasons than getting out in the garden and preparing for winter planting. Paekākāriki Orchard and Gardens host a 'open' community session on the first Sunday of every month. These are free, casual, hands on 1 hour workshops that teach you garden skills while helping care for our community marakai. They are usually followed by sharing produce and socialising over a cuppa. Sometimes (like this month) there are also optional extras e.g. a Koha field trip. We welcome anyone to come along and join in.

Coming up this month!

April workshop: Planting, Pruning and Compost

11am-1pm, Sunday 6th April.

As always we will have our POG Monthly meet-up on the first Sunday of the Month (April 6th), from 11am to 1pm at Miriona Gardens (North end of Tilley Rd , Queen Elizabeth Park).

Hannah our workshop lead says “It is the right time to be pruning our peach trees before it gets too cold. We will also be planting feijoa and walnut trees and preparing for more winter planting.”

Cory our compost expert says “It is also time to turn our compost,” which is a great chance to learn more about PaeCycle and how they make such rich, live and thriving compost from our local food scraps.

FIELD TRIP (Koha)

1pm-4pm, Sunday 6th of April

This month we also have the exciting opportunity to join a field trip to a ‘magical orchard, forest and garden’ in Ōtaki (225 Otaki Gorge Road, Hautere 5582, New Zealand).

Several members of the POG community plan to spend Sunday afternoon learning about, and getting hands-on, making mulch and biochar. If you are keen to join, there will be rides/ a self-drive convoy leaving from Miriona gardens at 1 pm. The trip will be approximately 3.5-4 hours and include a Char-b-que (biochar making BBQ). If you plan to join for kai please bring something for the Char-b-que.

As always, all are welcome. Bring some gardening gloves with you if you can. If you are joining for the Field trip, wearing non-flammable materials will allow you to get closer to the biochar kiln - think natural materials like wool and denim, which are better, versus synthetic fabrics, which are more of a fire risk.

Any questions please email us at pogteam99@gmail.com.