Organic NZ – September 2019

Promote • Educate
30 September/October 2019

Gardening

/alembicsnz

New season stock

has arrived!

Get ready for spring and summer

distilling, by purchasing from our

expanded collection.

http://www.alembics.co.nz

T

he Old School Reserve Teaching

Garden in Māngere is one of seven

gardens under the umbrella of the

Auckland Teaching Gardens Trust. The

other gardens are in Otahuhu, Middlemore,

Papatoetoe, East Tamaki, Clover Park and

Manurewa.

As ‘teaching gardens’ they differ from

other community gardens. They’re fenced

for protection and have two mentors

present per site (a lead mentor and support

mentor).

“We have people from all walks of life

through the gardens, from ECEs to college

and university groups, and Corrections,”

says mentor Yvonne Thomas.

Gardeners can rent plots for $60 a year,

growing for their families and to share with

others. The mentors also grow produce to sell

in the community for garden fundraising.

The Auckland Teaching Gardens

Trust is supported and funded by the

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, Ōtara-Papatoetoe and

Manurewa community boards, to help

people have opportunities to learn to grow

healthy food.

OLD SCHOOL RESERVE

Teaching Garden

Auckland Teaching Gardens

Trust calls for mentors

&RXOG\RXEHDJDUGHQPHQWRU"

&RQWDFWDWJWLQF#[WUDFRQ]SKRQH

<YRQQHDQGÀQG$XFNODQG

7HDFKLQJ*DUGHQV7UXVW,QFRQ)DFHERRN

&RQWULEXWHG E\ Adrienne Grace

Yvonne Thomas Denise Balmain,

Kerry ReadDQGPhilippa Jamieson.

Above: Garden mentor Metua Aerenga shows off his

NŻPDUDFURSWRIURPOHIW<XURQJ.DQJ<DQJ]KHQ&KHQ

DQG4X6KDRVKDQ7KHOHDÀQJNXPDUDZLOOEHSODQWHGLQWKH

ground to provide tips (tipu) for growing seedling plants.

&RUUHFWLRQVZRUNHUVHQMR\HGWKHVHUHGNŻPDUDIRUOXQFK

when on an eight-week ‘Home Grow and Eat’ course at the

gardens. Photo: Denise Balmain

Above: Soil & Health Association Auckland branch members are guided around the

Old School gardens by mentor Denise Balmain (at right). The visitors are in front of a

taro patch. Photo: Kerry Read