The Art of Composting. Food forest open day at Sharda

How can we make our compost piles more interesting? 

Can we use materials on the property to create a compost enclosure that will eventually turn to soil? 

Come and see the latest idea evolving in the Blue Borage biodynamic teaching garden in Tuakau, located in the food forest at Sharda. We'll be weaving lengths of Jasmine into a beautiful cover for the next hot compost pile. 

The day will have two sessions - come along to one, or stay the whole day and wander around the property in the lunch-break, or head into Tuakau village to have a cafe lunch. 

9:30am - 11:30am - Weaving the Compost enclosure

Lunch break 11:30am-2pm (Katrina has a Zoom call from 12pm-1pm)

2pm-4pm - Making the hot compost pile using green waste from the property

Monthly open days in the food forest are a chance to come and see the biodynamic teaching garden without attending a paid workshop. 

You can come and simply spend some time at the Sharda Centre and enjoy the atmosphere. You're welcome to bring a picnic lunch and go for a wander down through the bush walk to see the forest space at the bottom of the hill. 

If we've only met on Zoom calls, then this is a great chance to meet in person and get our hands in the soil together. 

I'd love to show you this special Food Forest - if you'd like to bring herbs, flowers, berries or a tree to contribute, then the Sharda Centre would be so very grateful. 

Any questions? Please email me at katrina@blueborage.co.nz

How the Sharda workshops run: 

You are welcome to book a room at the Sharda Centre on the Thursday evening and create your own mini retreat: bring a yummy dinner, breakfast and lunch, some artwork, a favourite book, good sturdy shoes for walking through the bush... you know best what makes a night away a special time for you.

I recommend an early morning wander around the gardens, and please know that you're welcome to explore the composting systems that are up and running already. 

I'll arrive in the morning, around 9:30 and then we'll get stuck into the workshop.

What to bring: 

- Gumboots, or sturdy shoes suited to gardening on uneven slopes with blackberry and other invasive weeds. 

- Wear suitable clothes for gardening. We will go ahead in light rain. 

- Gardening gloves.

- Sunhat, water bottle, and please remember to put on some sunscreen in the morning. 

- If you are staying overnight, then please contact the office to make your booking and pay Sharda for this separately to the gardening workshop: shardacentrenz@gmail.com. Note there are two prices for overnight stays - it's your choice whether you want to bring your own bedding or not. https://shardacentre.com/