COMMUNITY SPIRIT

When I became a member of the Bateau Bay Community Garden at 70 years young, I found the perfect place to spend time in the fresh air and sunshine, mixing with other garden lovers and working with the community on the Central Coast. I am a retired wedding florist and still love to be creative, so I have almost finished a nine-week Introduction to Permaculture course, at Gosford TAFE, which prompted me to do my assignment on

The Principles of Permaculture. Here are some photos of the project. I thought you might like to see how we are influencing our small community and trying to work towards making our world a little better. The response so far has been very positive. My favourite quote is ‘Reduce Recycle Reuse’, which is exactly what I did. I found some old, discarded fence palings (below left), which we attached to the bare security fence surrounding the garden near the front gates.

I felt we needed to brighten up the entrance, as well as show people where the garden is. My husband made the bird boxes (above) and I painted them. Then I painted the fences using old indoor/outdoor paint that was heading for the dump. I hope you enjoy these photos. Lyndsey Long Behrens,

Bateau Bay, NSW

Q Are there any products I can use to line the bottom of my pots to stop soil escaping through the holes and staining the concrete? Susie Miller, West Ryde, NSW

MARIANNE CANNON SAYS There is no product as such, but there are plenty of good options, including some you may already have at home. Before planting, try covering the drainage hole or holes with a small square of fine mesh, such as the mesh bags that spring bulbs are sold in. You could also place a paper coffee filter or a layer of folded newspaper over the hole. Also, pot saucers under containers are a good way to capture run-off and avoid stains on the surface below.