February 14, 2021

Seed packing at Karin’s Dreamtime garden

It’s back on!

The Autumn Plant Fair will be happening this March. BSS needs some busy worker bees for seed packing the weekend beforehand. Karin has kindly offered to host again. We were treated to a delightful visit there last winter. Time now to get down to some serious business, with the sharing & packing of seeds grown by our fabulous local community.

There will be good food, good cheer and let’s kick off the new decade of seed saving and sharing with refreshed vigour.

(I’m so excited! ☺)

Please bring any seeds you have saved for sharing. If you have live plants for our plant fair stall, please continue to look after these and deliver them on the Friday prior to the plant fair.

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

January 1, 2021

Garden Visit to Mary’s garden in Emerald Beach

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Mary’s Emerald Beach garden has been transformed from a standard building block (read: rubbish tip) 6 years ago to a homely mix of natives, flowers, fruit and vegies.

Lately, the garden has been rewarding her with enough pawpaws, bananas and greens to share with neighbours and friends.

She invites us to share lunch in the garden that has given her so much pleasure.

December 8, 2020

Garden Visit to Leela’s ‘toy’ farm in Dorrigo

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It’s been 2 years since I’ve had you lot up for a visit. My how the garden has grown! Landscaping and new projects started (finishing is the hard part!), plus more naughty animals to marshal. I’m still trying to push the boundaries of climatic possibilities – gardens & life; the grand experiment.

Come on up the mountain and see what I’ve been busy with…

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

November 22, 2020

CANCELLED: Garden Visit to Leela’s ‘toy’ farm in Dorrigo

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This event has been cancelled due to poor weather.

It has been rescheduled. You can see the new event by clicking here.

November 1, 2020

Garden Visit to Chris’s and Merren’s garden in Fernmount

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Chris and Merren are inviting us over for lunch at their new place the Fernmount. Originally planted by John and Carol Vernon, regular BSS members will be familiar with this very successful food forest garden. Pleasingly, they were able to pass the property onto enthusiastic new custodians.

The property is now being rejuvenated by Chris and Merren. They would like to share the inspiration that is this diverse wonderland of possibilities in our unique climate.

Numbers of course will have to be limited, so RSVP to grab a place, then details and directions will be given to successful respondents. Please keep in mind the concerns of current times for the good of all.

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

October 8, 2020

Garden Visit to Stuart and Emily’s garden in Missabotti

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Description from Emily:

Stuart and myself moved here 25 years ago wanting to escape the city and suburban living. We both loved gardening so we researched locations that appealed to us. The Nambucca Valley seemed ideal and affordable so we bought and settled onto our new venture; a 10 acre property with dreams of establishing gardens and orchards on the empty block. We initially planted an olive grove but ended up removing them as they just struggled to survive the pests and humidity. Now we have pecans and macadamia trees. Busy at the moment shelling the nuts we harvested earlier in the year.
We look forward to showing you around ‘Misthaven’. Incidentally we named our place ‘Misthaven’ due to the magnificent misty mornings that we experience regularly.

After the garden tour, there is the promise of afternoon tea, with home made goodies!

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

September 6, 2020

Garden Visit to David’s food forest in Gleniffer

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Previously, many of us have reveled at David Pepper’s solstice gathings. To mix it up in this mixed-up year, we’re having a spring equinox meet, to spark up a little joy in the warming of the season. Come along and enjoy David’s unique humour and eccentric style in his Glennifer food-forest garden.

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

August 9, 2020

Seed Packing at Susan’s

NewsletterDon Plant Fair, Seed Packing

We have a big September planned!

Bellingen Seed Savers are planning to distribute seeds and plant materials from a stall in the Wednesday Bellingen Farmers and Producers Market (now near the tennis courts), in a yet to be announced week later this September.

Susan in Urunga has offered to host for the seed packing day. Some of us visited her lovely new house and garden last year. We would like to get a busy group packing and chatting, with afternoon tea.

Calling all those comitted to the cause!

Bring donations of saved dried seeds for packing.
Bring donations of seedlings for potting up.

Numbers of course will have to be limited, so rsvp to grab a place, then details and directions will be given to successful respondents.

When you RSVP, an email with directions will be sent automatically to the email address you provided in the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

August 9, 2020

Shambaba Retreat garden visit

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‘Shambaba Retreat’, formerly known as ‘The Old Satyananda Ashram, is now home to a new Bellingen Shire family. They have taken on 12 acres of bushland and established gardens (both ornamental and productive) in beautiful Glennifer. Set up now to operate as a retreat and education centre, they would love to share with us the beauty of the property, and discover more about productive growing in this unique, gorgeous part of the world.

Numbers of course will have to be limited, so rsvp to grab a place, then details and directions will be given to successful respondents. Please keep in mind the concerns of current times for the good of all.

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder. If the event is fully subscribed, you will not receive an email.

June 7, 2020

Dreamtime multiple occupancy gardens

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How are things growing at your place? Reaping the benefits of hard work and saving seeds, I hope!

BSS have had an ‘unprecedented’ demand for seeds and plant materials and there’s been much enthusiasm for homegrown harvests. To keep the momentum growing, we are planning a small meet up; to exchange seeds, surplus and stories. We also plan to tour a section of the Dreamtime multiple occupancy and see the beauty and bounty some of its members have been busy creating.

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.