Winter 2026 Newsletter

Hello Gardeners,

As the crisp winter chill sets in and the growing pace has slowed, our community is doing anything but hibernating! We have an exciting lineup of winter activities to keep us warm, connected, and active over the coming months.

Rug up and join us for our upcoming working bees, a hands-on community planting day, and a cozy winter cooking demonstration to celebrate the seasonal harvest.

Read on to see our recent harvest highlights and the exciting seasonal events we have planned for the coming months!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Winter Cooking Demonstration

27 June 2026 - 12:00pm-1:00pm

The garden is once again hosting a member-led cooking demonstration, which will be followed by a shared meal. The focus will be on using produce from the community garden.

We held a similar event last year which was met with great enthusiasm and was very popular among our members.

Please reach out to us via email if you are interested in demonstrating a dish or if you would like to attend as a guest.

This event is free for all garden members and community planting volunteers.

Working Bee & Morning Tea

5 July 2026 & 2 August 2026 - 10:00am

Working Bees are a great way to get involved in the garden and to get to know your fellow community gardeners.

We’ll begin with a morning tea, allowing garden members and participants to mingle and get to know each other. After enjoying a chat and cuppa, we will discuss the various tasks that need attention in the garden and offer guidance for those eager to contribute to its care. Then, it will be time to roll up our sleeves and get gardening!

What to bring: Gardening gloves, secateurs, water bottle, sunscreen & hat

COMMUNITY PLANTING DAY

Join the North Brighton Community Garden volunteers for some planting and lunch!

The North Brighton Community Garden volunteers, in collaboration with City of Holdfast Bay, have been working to increase local native plant species and diversity in this beautiful urban pocket park behind the garden. We would like to invite you to join us for a fun morning of planting on Saturday 27 June, 2026, followed by a shared and prepared lunch in the Community Garden, sourcing produce from the garden.

Registration is required due to equipment constraints. Please do so HERE

SENSORY GARDEN UPGRADE

Work is progressing well on the sensory garden upgrade. We are currently focusing our efforts on transforming this space by:

  • Replanting the herb spiral with delicious edible varieties and aromatic tea herbs.

  • Refreshing the sensory plants, removing those past their best and introducing new textures, scents, and colours.

  • Upgrading the pathways, replacing damaged timber sleepers with fresh, clean gravel.

  • Building a beautiful entry arbour to support a new climbing plant and welcome visitors.

  • Installing community artworks and vibrant new signage.

  • Adding a water feature to bring soothing sound and life to the space.

  • Sourcing a curved concrete bench – please let us know if you know of one looking for a new home!

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATIONS

New Member Orientations are held on the 1st Sunday of each month at 10.30am. If you have recently joined as a garden member or want to learn about what we do and how you can be involved in the garden, come along to a new member orientation session. No booking required.

WEDNESDAY MORNING TEA

Morning Tea is held every Wednesday at 10:00am. Have a world-famous brownie recipe? Bring it along to our regular social event where everyone is welcome to come along for a cuppa, chat and share a bite to eat. We’ll often stay back to do a few jobs as well.

What to bring: Gardening gloves, drink bottle, plate of food to share (encouraged but not compulsory)

WHAT HAS BEEN GROWING IN THE GARDEN?

Despite the cold wintry weather, our tropical fruit and monarch butterflies are still thriving. We’ve got a bunch of bananas ripening nicely, and a pineapple top growing a baby pineapple.

WHAT TO PLANT AND JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN THIS SEASON

Now is time to plant a second round of winter vegetables. It’s also a good idea to start thinking about your spring garden, and begin sourcing seeds to sow for the warmer months!

Ensure that you keep folier (leaf) feeding your citrus and evergreens through winter.

Strawberry plants are perennial and can survive the winter in South Australia. Here are some tips to look after your strawberry plants during the cold season:

  • Remove any dead or diseased leaves and stems to prevent fungal infections and pest infestations. 

  • Apply a large hand full of organic pellets beneath the plants and cover this with a layer of straw mulch.

  • Water the plants only when the soil is dry to avoid root rot and fungal diseases.

  • Replace strawberry plants with fresh plants every second or third year.

If anything in your garden needs building, do it now while it’s cool and easy digging.

And lastly, now is a good time to establish a worm farm (except in frost prone districts) as it gives the worms plenty of time to settle in before the main breeding season in spring.

North Brighton Community Garden