Volunteer News

Green Team Volunteer Teresa offers an update on the Cultural Centre’s Edible Rooftop Garden

I have always enjoyed having a vegetable garden, and when the chance came to participate in a project that promotes sustainability, and the great work done by the Cultural Centre, I was really interested. Meeting like minded people was also a drawcard, as was the chance to find out about growing and using bush foods.

There are two parts to the project and eventually they will work together. The first part is the native bush foods garden which is spread throughout the rooftop garden. Plants like Warrigal Greens and pigface will be able to be used very soon, other plants like the fingerlime and Kangaroo Apple will take longer to establish. Our initial planting is really about looking at which plants will thrive in this particular micro climate.

The second part is the more intensive vegetable and herb garden which will supplement and complement the Gallery Café menu. Already the herbs, especially the mint, parsley, perennial basil and rosemary are used extensively. More recent additions such as sage, chives and annual basil are coming along. We have also included versatile vegetables that the Café regularly uses such as spinach, silverbeet, radishes, lettuce varieties and celery. Our tomatoes, cucumbers and beans are coming on but, as you know, we haven’t had the most ideal weather conditions! Of course, being our first season, we have experimented a bit – not all our crops have been 100% successful but many are going very well.

We would love to hear from those home gardeners who could share tips regarding appropriate varieties for planting, seed raising and propagating. If you would like to be involved please contact Public Programs Coodinator, Kartrina Noorbergen: knoorbergen@bmcc.nsw.gov.au