Newsletter #49 | May 2026
- Kaarin Wilkinson
- 2d
- 7 min read
Turn off the news and go into the garden
What’s been happening in May
May has been a busy time for us. The workshop, Making furniture from Recycled Pallets was a great success Saturday May 2nd. We used our diverse skills, some of us novices and constructed a bench seat for two and a table. These are now located under the pergola near the native garden. A big thank you to Bill Barrie of Willunga, who donated his time to teach us. Most of us now have the skill to know what to do, though some of us will need to build a bit more muscle or find others to help us.
Apart from a bit of paving repair and touch up painting the pergola is the raised garden area was completed. Monday 26th. This will provide a space for us to gather under shelter in the coming months and shade in the summer. This construction has been made possible by a Social Inclusion grant we received from the Federal Department of Social Services.
Saturday May 23rd we had another fantastic presentation and free workshop with Hannah Jones from Habitat Connection. Hannah took us through the five areas to focus on when creating a habitat for native birds, butterflies and bees.
Thanks again to Atco Australia whose grant has supported our free workshops for children and adults. This grant is now expended.
Thursday May 28th we collected 76 native plants grown by friends of Trees for Life from the Trees for Life plant sale at Brooklyn Park. These plants will be added to our native edible garden, a native flower garden and a few other areas.
Native Habitat Gardening
Hannah Shared her extensive knowledge of creating native habitat at home. She told us that there are five principles to follow for attracting birds, butterflies and bees to your garden.
We need to mimic nature and create a habitat that provides 1. Food, 2. Shelter, 3. Water,
4. Nesting/resting places and 5. Safety.
Plant a diversity of plants to provide different food sources for different native species. Plants that provide nectar, pollen, fruit, and foliage and year-round flowering. Native butterflies have very specific plants for laying their eggs and as a food source. Shelter and nesting/resting places come from having a diversity of vegetation that includes trees, large shrubs, small shrubs, strappy foliage, ground covers and climbers. This includes prickly bushes which provide a haven for small birds to escape predators and grasses for native butterflies. Hollow logs and other logs and rotting wood provide a haven for insects that attract birds. Stones and logs also provide a place for bees and butterflies to sit and warm as well as blue tongues and sleepy lizards. Water is essential and needs to be close to the ground with and angles resting logs for our native bees.
When looking for what to plant there is a wealth of resources. SA Natureteers, Plant Selector Botanic Gardens and Onkaparinga Native Plant Selector are all good places to start. If you are serious about a habitat garden you could buy, Attracting Butterflies to your Garden by Hunt, Grund, Keane and Forrest or Planting for Native Birds, Bees and Butterflies by Jackln Crupi. Visit your local library to see hat resources you can find.
Growing potatoes
Growing Potatoes
Potatoes can be grown in all areas around Australia.
In Adelaide potatoes are best planted in late winter and spring through to December.
Potatoes need to be grown in a sunny spot that receives at least six hours of sunshine a day and the soil needs to be loose well drained. Prior to planting seed Potatoes, improve and enrich the soil
People have tried growing potatoes in many different containers ( eg pots and bags), but they are best grown in garden beds or raised beds. Like all vegetable success is dependent on all the best conditions being achieved. Like tomatoes there are determinate and indeterminate potatoes.
For indeterminate varieties, you need to cover the shoots with soil from either side of the hole or trench and water well or cover stems with layers of pea straw. You should continue to cover new shoots with soil or mulch as they emerge to prevent light from reaching the tubers. This will stop them turning green and encourage more potatoes to develop up the stem.
For determinate varieties, ongoing coverage of the stems is not required, as the tubers will develop in one layer.
Potatoes will be ready to harvest three to five months after planting. Plants will be starting to flower or leaves begin to yellow. You can feel under the soils and test the size of the potatoes. If still small leave for a few more weeks.
Seed Potatoes whet we usually think of as 'seeds', but rather small to medium-sized Potatoes that are grown specially for planting. Seed Potatoes from garden centres and online suppliers are certified disease-free Growing potatoes from store or supermarket potatoes is not recommended. They may carry plant diseases, which could infect your soil and other susceptible plants for many years.
Crop Rotation
Like all things we grow potatoes do get pests and diseases so checking you plants and looking under leaves regularly. There are also various pests and diseases that can be present in the soil after growing. Practicing crop rotation is important. This means planting plants from a different family each year.
Chequered Copper
Hannah’s workshop reminded me of a workshop I went to over ten years ago with the Butterfly Conservation SA Inc. I thought others might also be fascinated by this story of an Adelaide butterfly.
Chequered Coppers ( lucia limbaria) are now very scarce near Adelaide though once would have been regularly seen on open grasslands. These metallic copper butterflies have a strong relationship with ants. Eggs are laid on Native Sorrel (oxalis perennans) in small batches on the underside of the leaves. The baby caterpillars are collected by ants where they live except when feeding and are constantly attended by ants. The chrysalis forms within the ant nest and this is where the butterfly emerges after about 12 days.
If you live near an area of open grassland, you can try growing Native Sorrel and you might see these colourful butterflies. Note : Native Sorrel is a small herb with yellow flowers, creeping fibrous rootstock, woody taproot and prostrate stems. It is often confused with other oxalis, especially the weed creeping oxalis.
Ref: Attracting Butterflies to your Garden by Hunt, Grund, Keane and Forrest
Maintaining your raised bed
· It has been wonderful to receive some great rainfall in the past weeks. While this is good for the plants that we want to grow it also promotes weed growth. Each bed holder is responsible for removing any weeds from within their bed and around their raised bed regularly. Please ensure you do this and keep weeds from seeding. Remember one year of seeds equals seven years of weeds. We all want this annual and ongoing to task to reduce. Weed management is everyone’s responsibility.
· Bed holders please also ensure that you keep your plants within your bed and install trellising over your bed if you have climbers. There is rio mesh available for this. The areas around the beds need to be kept free of vines and other plants that may create a tripping hazard.
· There are a few plants which due to their prolific seeding are causing some issues, and becoming weeds in the raised bed area. If you have Nasturtium growing in your raised bed, please remove and place in one of the green bins for removal to commercial composting.
· We would also discourage people from planting parsley as this is usually available in the herb garden. If you have this growing and/or really wish to grow some as you eat it a lot please ensure that you keep the plant well maintained and do not let it go to seed. We have significant work to do keeping down the soursob and other weeds and we are finding parsley also sprouting prolifically along pathways where it is not needed.
Coming events
Bunnings barbecue -see below
National Tree Day Sunday July 26th 10.30am-1pm. This is our community event where we welcome anyone from the local community to come and plant. Our project ‘Rewilding our Community Space’ is registered on Planet Ark’s National Tree day events. Keep this date free and let your friends and family know.
Bunnings BBQs
Next Barbeque is Saturday June 20th.
No barbecue for us in May.
Regular events
Fridays garden group is now weekly 9.30-am -12.00 pm approximately.
Every Friday gardeners and volunteers meet at the garden to do a few of the regular maintenance tasks, in the orchard, market garden, native garden, children’s area or green house; tend their own beds and then share gardening stories together over morning tea. Now is the perfect weather to join us.
These mornings are a great way to spend time tending your own bed, meet other community gardeners, including your committee members and learn more about our planned activities. Friends and family are welcome to join us so bring them along.
Now is the perfect weather to join us our gatherings are always weather dependent. We will not usually meet if it is raining heavily.
Driving and Parking cars at the Garden
Please do not drive vehicles on to the garden lease area unless you have express permission from one of the committee to deliver materials or equipment. Please also do not park in the Ambulance/CFS car parks and in Grange and Somerton Courts.
This project was seeded by
Our Committee
Our committee is Jennie Simon, Kaarin Wilkinson, Jan Brown and Roger Whiteman. If you have any questions or ideas please contact us via Facebook , on our website, on the Seaford Wetlands Gardeners WhatsApp chat or on the garden email seafordcg@gmail.com.
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