pepo news It has been an inspirational few months since our winter newsletter. In August we were lucky enough to help an incredibly enthusiastic group of children create an indigenous plant maze for their school. When we heard them coming around the corner it sounded like a stampede of elephants. Thankfully when they arrived they were more like gardening angels. The end result was a great success and the maze will be enjoyed by students and teaches as an outdoor learning space. In September the Pepo ‘girls’ (Nicola, Carolyn, Eve & Sarah) hit the town in Melbourne and then spent Saturday and Sunday at the Australian Landscape Conference. This year’s conference was called ‘Designing the Livable Landscape’. The speakers included Josh Byrne from ABC’s Gardening Australia. Josh spoke about the development of water conservation technologies including rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse and water efficient irrigation systems, his talk has inspired us to develop our skills and contacts in the area. Edmond Snodgrass and his talks on the history and importance of Green Roofs opened our eyes to possibilities. The green roofs he showed us perform valuable services such as storm water control and cooling - they looked fantastic. There were also garden designers who made us want to hurry back and research, design and plant! Nancy Power from Santa Monica, California has a true sense of place; her gardens reflect her love of plants, her sense of humor and the importance of people and children in her life. Stephanie Alexander also expressed the importance of children and the development of her latest project ‘Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation’. For all of you with children at school it is definitely a program worth looking into. The aim of the foundation is to ‘introduce children to the joys of growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing fresh seasonal produce’. To do this the foundation donates money and supports schools that are selected for the program. We hope you have time to cook up the yummy corn fritters and enjoy your gardens this Spring.
in your garden this spring we will... •
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Continue to promote rich, luscious soil as the foundation for healthy gardens. We will add organic materials such as manure, humus and minerals to increase water and nutrient holding capacity. Totally organic, these products will help your plants thrive Fertilise all garden beds to ensure adequate nutrients Check mulch levels and replenish if required Prune and feed Camellias and Hibiscus Feed and aerate lawns Spray Azaleas to control Azalea lace bug Plant salad greens and herbs in vegetable gardens for tasty summer meals Paul Johnston - Maintenance manager
help us help you by... •
Inspired by a recent landscaping conference in Melbourne, we have begun researching ‘MAINS NEUTRAL GARDENING’ which aims to use rainwater and recycled grey water for garden irrigation instead of potable water. Please let us know if you are interested in options available for your house and garden. Carolyn Armstrong - Garden design and maintenance
products
1 Primule 2 | Bisazza | available from Di Lorenzo Ceramics Pyrmont www.dilorenzo.net.au/index.php
2 Seti For 2 | William Dangar | available from Robert Plumb www.robertplumb.com.au
Spring is in the air - Check out the beautiful tiles from Di Lorenzo Pyrmont and the furniture from the Robert Plumb range. If you are planning a party this spring and cannot think of a venue have a look at these stunning Marquees from White Umbrella and live it up in your own garden! Eve Valensise - Landscape Architect
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recipe Corn & Zucchini fritters with Greek yoghurt, mint & cucumber Cook these tasty little buggers on a BBQ hotplate or in a thick bottomed, nonstick fry pan. Try to use peanut oil (which has a high smoking point) and remember that “low and slow (heat) is the go”, this allows the middle to cook through and the flour to puff up. A good tablespoon sized dollop is about the size you’re after. Fritter Ingredients In a mixing bowl combine: 4 fresh cobs of sweet corn (kernels cut off) Half bunch spring onions (finely diced) 2 zucchini grated 2 eggs 3 cups Self Raising flour 600ml milk 200 grams aged Parmesan cheese Mix well to create a nice thick batter that holds onto a tablespoon when scooped out. Spoon out and allow to cook for about 4 minutes, (low and slow). As you’re about to flip, put a pinch of cheese on the top then flip. Cook through for another 4 minutes, until cheese is crispy. Greek yoghurt, mint & cucumber dip In a mixing bowl combine: 2 Lebanese cucumbers (small cube diced) 500g Greek yoghurt Zest of 1 lemon Half bunch of mint (finely diced) 2 good pinches of salt James Perkin - Construction supervisor
Available from White Umbrella Marquees www.whiteumbrella.com.au
planting. perouse. play LA PEROUSE ABORIGINAL HEALTH CENTRE PLAYGROUND Pepo has a very good reason to support the Sydney Children’s Hospital with the littlest team member Archie (3yrs old) spending his fair share of time there, so when the hospital asked if we could help with a garden we did not hesitate. We were asked if we could create a garden for the new play area at the La Perouse Aboriginal Health Centre. With help from many of our suppliers including, ANL, President Turf, Botany Building Recyclers, Skippens and Greenworld Nursery we were able to put together a garden using native plants that softened and cooled the play space as well as making it a fun place for the children who visit the centre. Nicola Cameron - Director