Well the pictures speak for themselves for this blitz - check out the before and after photos of Brenda and Rod's places in the Gallery.

The day started at Brenda's where the volunteer crew included Paul and Kim, 12 Willow Lodge locals, 2 from Frankston, 1 from Doveton and 2 from Dandenong Community garden - the mean age was about 65.  The team introduced themselves before looking at the task in front of us: to turn a pile of white rocks on black plastic into a beautiful, productive cottage garden. 

The team got to work and within 45 minutes most of the rocks were removed and the black plastic pulled up.  We shaped the keyhole pathway from the remaining rocks, and decorated it with the birdbath before loosening up the compacted soil that we had exposed.  We added 10cm of organic compost to this sandy Dandy mix, and watered in some blood and bone before covering the area in partly composted wood chips.  A beautiful bed was ready for the veges, herbs and flowers that were so generoudly donated by Oasis Floriana, and the plum tree donated by Flemings Nursery.  Before heading to lunch we planted the bare-rooted plum tree while running a related workshop.

 After lunch Graham, Kay, Brenda, Joy, Carol and Kim planted out Brenda's beautiful cottage garden (if you haven't looked at the gallery, please do so!) while the rest of the crew headed to Rod's place.

 The aim at Rod's was to prepare and plant out 2 large no-dig vege, herb and flower gardens near his back door, add a woodchip pathway to the clothesline and plant three fruit trees on a swaled, wood-chip mulched slope.  Mandy and Samm from 'Dirty Girls' did a great job with the fruit tree area while Richard, Rod, Pat, Norma and Paul got started on the no-dig beds.

At about 3pm the group from Brenda's joined us at Rod's place and we were all treated to a devonshire tea that Marj had prepared. YUMMO!  Loaded with energy and tea we finished off the beds and an amazing day was drawing to a close.

A huge thankyou to all for a truly amazing day - like a nice bottle of red wine, the Willow Lodge blend only gets better with age.