Thursday 30 July 2015

Our Interview on Radio NZ Today

Well done Sam! Our Hero Spokesman, Sam Lees - spreading the word on Radio NZ National.
If you eat - you're in!



Sam's Interview on Radio NZ - starts approx 9.40mins

Kindy Purchases and Plants Incredible Edible Garden!

Geraldine Kindergarten has embraced the concept of Incredible Edible - here's one of their stories..
Geraldine Kindergarten Incredible Edible Story

Max from Geraldine Garden Centre and Geraldine Kindy Kids

Kindy Kids planting their Incredible Edible Bed


Meet Volunteer Shakayla

There's many people behind Incredible Edible Geraldine - a whole town in fact! Here's one story..

Shakayla with the new Raspberry Canes
Shakayla is currently working towards her St Johns community service shield and has been volunteering for Incredible Edible Geraldine.

Yesterday was a busy day! On receiving a message about donated plants Shakayla and Rebecca headed out of town to pick up the goods from the Bolt Family. By the afternoon a heap of Strawberry plants were in the ground, and Raspberry canes standing proud - at the Cox St site (behind Harcourts). These will be ready for the community to enjoy come Christmas.

A large number of remaining plants were given away on our facebook page.

Thanks for your help Shakayla! And to the Bolt Family for their donation. We look forward to teaching you more about gardening Shakayla, and sharing the journey with you.


'I find volunteer work a great learning opportunity. You get to meet lots of great people, and there is often a sense of self satisfaction knowing that you are doing something to help someone. When you join St John volunteering just becomes a part of your life. I love it!'
Shakayla McColl

Tuesday 28 July 2015

The Man Shed

Shed Raising Team
From left: Chris Herbert (new to town), Dave Hendry (wonder compost maker), Blue Forsyth (all round great guy and top builder), Sam Lees (foodie) and Shaun Cleverley (a man at home in a shed).

Absent from photo is Brian Stephens (plant propagation extraordinaire) and Tim Rimmer (brains behind the build).

Our shed - built for the people, by the people.

Our new garden shed has been erected, and takes pride of place next to our public edible beds at 4 Cox St (behind Harcourts). This shed enables us to keep our tools and other garden related paraphernalia onsite and out of the elements. It'll be well utilised.

Cheers for the help with shed raising guys!

Friday 17 July 2015

Scholarship to further the reach of The Orchard of Legends

Brian Stephens (pictured) has accepted a scholarship on behalf of Incredible Edible Geraldine to the Agribusiness Training 'Plant Propagation' course. 

The 10 month part-time course is being taught in Timaru by local gardener Jenny Perano, who has over thirty years horticultural experience in nurseries and orchards. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for Brian, and for Geraldine residents. Brian will be taught all forms of propagation, from understanding planting structures and their functions, to budding and grafting. We hope this knowledge will be put to good use by furthering Incredible Edible Geraldine's mission - the creation of an edible urban landscape with fruit and nut trees planted in and around the township - for everyone to share (The Orchard of Legends).

If you would like to learn more about Incredible Edible Geraldine there is a public talk on Wednesday August 26. Details will announced later this month in the Geraldine News. Look out for the advert. 

Fruit Tree Cuttings Wanted!
Over the past few weeks Incredible Edible has been collecting Scion Wood (1 year old wood) from apple trees from roadsides and orchards around Geraldine. Come spring these will be grafted onto rootstock and be made available next winter for planting out. But, we know there are more wonderful apple trees out there so, if you know of any really healthy robust trees that are naturally disease resistant and top croppers get in touch with Sam Ph: 693 9268, Brian will be keen to put his newly acquired skills to good use. 

Thursday 16 July 2015

What is Incredible Edible?

Sienna Lees and Kath Tunnock (volunteer)

Geraldine Kindergarten Produce Swap Wheelbarrow
Chrissy's edible bucket
Incredible Edible Geraldine is about several things on several levels. At the base level it is about putting gardens (and fruit trees) in public places. That means free food for those who pass by, whether they have tended the plants or not.

The second level is about encouraging people to be involved, passing on knowledge about growing and plants and, it may turn out, anything. There is a fine example of that in Geraldine in the men's shed run by Cyril Guthrie, where all manner of things are shared and passed on.

Three large plots were initially setup in the centre of town, thanks to the generosity of the section owner, and now home owners are being encouraged to put plots outside their homes with the idea of setting up a food trail, whereby locals or visitors would share the joy of walking around the village and helping themselves to fresh produce. Churches are also getting involved and there is talk too of an apothecary garden.

On other levels, the concept will help promote Geraldine, build an unbreakable community bond and, it is likely, enhance the reputation Geraldine already has as a wonderful place to live and visit.

Should it succeed with it's ambitions, as seems likely, it will prove what many gardeners already know: that there is much more to growing than the food produced.


The trick now is to convince people that the veges growing freely in public spaces in Geraldine are there for the picking.


Description courtesy of John Keast, Ashburton Courier Newspaper