Growing food at home

Growing food at home is great not just for the environment, but also for you.  Not only are you re-using resources such as your own compost, but you are also saving money and getting great health benefits, as well as the satisfaction of creating your own food.

Grow It Partnership

To support you and make food growing easy, Nelson City Council is part of a partnership called Grow It.  The mission of Grow It is to make it easy to create gardens, compost and grow food. Download the Grow It guide that include a growing calendar for Nelson, as well as handy pictures showing you how to plant, how to choose the right spot for your veggie patch, and lots of other useful information. 

Download the Grow It Guide: Making it easy to create gardens, grow food and compost in Nelson (2.8MB PDF).

Growing Fruits and Nuts in the South

Another Grow It initiative is the new guide Growing Fruit & Nuts in the South which is available free by download.

Go to the Nelson Environment Centre's website to download the Growing Fruit and Nuts in the South guides.

Community gardens

Nelson's community gardens are a great resource to inspire and teach you how to grow food.  Go along and have a look –

Open Orchards

Did you know that there are fruit and nut trees out in the public all around our region just waiting for you? Go to Google maps to see where they are. Or visit the Top of the South Maps website for another view of their locations.

Grow it

Create your own Eden ( funded by Nelson City Council)

CYOE provides an introduction to great composting and food growing techniques through local roadshows and workshops. Click here visit the Create your own Eden page.

Growing Food at Home - Victory Community Centre (funded by Nelson Marlborough District Health Board). Visit the Victory Community website for more information.

To register, or for further information, please contact Jocelyn Winters, Garden Coordinator by email or phone +64 3 546 8389.

Growing Food at Home - Nayland College Community Education

Go here for information on Grow It courses  or phone +64 3 547 9769

For more information

For further information on any of these programmes, contact the Sustainability Adviser by email or phone +64 3 546 0339.

Go here for more information and contact details about Nayland College Community Education or phone +64 3 547 9769

Grow It partner Victory Community Gardens has the following courses on offer:

Grow Food @ Home

Victory Community Garden

2 Hour Workshops - “How to” & Hands-on.

We are excited to be able to offer a series of 2 hour workshops presented by Joc’ Winters, Community Garden Coordinator & other experts.  
Join us at the Victory Community Centre & Garden for one, more or all of these dates:

When

Workshop Outline

What to bring
18/02/12
9.30am - 11.30am		 Growing Food by Design: What do you have to work with & how can you maximize the potential… thinking outside the square you live on. A drawing of the land you live on (to scale if possible). Pencil & eraser.
25/02/12
9.30am - 11.30am		 Creating Places to Grow Food: Types of space to grow in & their pros & cons A plant pot, gardening gloves.
03/03/12
9.30am – 11.30 am		 Fundamentals  =  Soil & Water: Assessing & increasing soil fertility.  Water wisdom & management. Soil samples of the place/s you want to create you garden. Gardening footwear, gloves etc.
10/03/12
9.30am – 11.30 am		 Growing Vegetables: Free & cheap sources, planting systems, companions, planning, harvesting. Seeds, plants or cuttings to share, gardening gloves.
24/03/12
9.30am – 11.30 am		 Trouble in Paradise: ‘Pests’ animal & vegetable…. Strategies for management Nothing.
31/03/12
9.30am – 11.30 am		 Herbs: Plants for that cuppa, to add zing to every meal & improve our health. Starter pack & where to put them. Gardening gloves.
28/04/12
9.30am – 11.30 am		 Seed-saving: Saving seed creates strong local varieties of our favourites, What can be saved & how & where to begin.  Other ways of propagating to grow more vegetables & herbs Seeds, seedlings or plant material you could share.
05/05/12
9.30am – 11.30 am		 Food Does Grow in Trees: Plan where & what to grow & how to plant it.  How to care for fruit trees; mulching, pruning & keep them healthy Drawing of the land you live on.  Pruning tools & gardening gloves.

Cost = gold coin per workshop plus photocopying.

For more information please contact Jocelyn Winters or the Victory Community Centre Receptionist or call 546 8389.

There are also Volunteer sessions on Thursday mornings, 9:00 to 11:00 am.

Waimarama Community Gardens, Brook Valley (access from Tantragee Road)
Work & Learn compost sessions

EVERY 3rd Wednesday (10am-12.30pm).  Free, no need to register, come in strong footwear and working clothes.  You are welcome to bring lunch and stay on for a cuppa. Dates: 10 & 24 February, 10 & 24 March, 14 & 21 April

Work & Learn propagating plants session - semi-ripe cuttings

Saturday 28 January, 2-4pm. Learn how to take Semi-ripe cuttings - e.g. goosberries, olives. Tutor - Bruce McConnell. Free. Check the Waimarama Community Gardens website if the weather is doubtful.

Work & Learn propagating plants session - winter seed sowing

Sunday 29 January, 2-4pm. Learn about winter seed sowing, including making potting mix - celery, broccoli, snowpeas. Tutor - Biddy Myers. Free. Check the Waimarama Community Gardens website if the weather is doubtful.

Work & Learn propagating plants session - green manure and carbon crops

Sunday 15 April, 2-4pm. Learn about planting green manure and carbon crops (including grain mix for chicken feed). Tutor - Adrian Myers. Free. Check the Waimarama Community Gardens website if the weather is doubtful.

Work & Learn propagating plants session - green manure and carbon crops

Sunday 13 May, 2-4pm. Learn about planting green manure and carbon crops for building your soil. Tutor - Penny Olsen. Free. Check the Waimarama Community Gardens website if the weather is doubtful.

Working bee to maintain the gardens

EVERY Friday afternoon during daylight saving, 4 – 6 pm, all-comers working bee to maintain the Gardens and ask all those gardening questions!  You are welcome to bring shared food and enjoy a cuppa afterwards.  Free, no need to register, come for the whole session, or drop by.

Partners

Nelson City Council is joined by other partners in the Grow It Partnership: Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, Victory Community Centre, Nayland College Community Education, Nelson Environment Centre, NZCU South and Waimarama Community Gardens.