Sustainable Macleod

04/06/2026

This Saturday, June 6 we have another Morning Tea at the Sustainable Macleod Community Garden.
We are including a kids' music workshop where they can learn to make and play simple music instruments. A music session for older participants will follow, complete with chord charts and lyrics.

02/06/2026

Tonight's 'HOW TO’ is about providing food for small birds during winter. 🐦 🦅
Pineapple sage which grows to about 2 metres tall in my garden gets scraggy at this time of year but is also a favourite of small birds such as thornbills and larger ones such as wattle birds.
Much as it is tempting to cut it back to ground level, that will have to wait until spring because the bushes provide abundant nectar during winter. It's a treat to see birds, sinking their beaks into the tubular flowers for sustenance. Observe which flowering plants attract birds in winter before pruning away their food sources.
Happy Gardening. 👨‍🌾

01/06/2026

What to do this Winter with Sustainable Macleod…. 🥶 🖥️ 🪴

Coming up in our ONLINE Winter Series are 4 great workshops:

Gardening in small spaces - Thursday, 4 June, 7.30pm, with Angelo Eliades of Deep Green Permaculture

Cyber security - keep yourself safe from fraud - Wednesday, 8 July, 7.30pm, with Jon Hyatt of Bendigo Bank

Building a wicking bed - Wednesday, 22 July, 7.30pm, with Paul Gale-Baker

Insect-repellent herbs - Friday, 7 August, 7.30pm with Robin Gale-Baker

Go to our Event Calendar online (sustainablemacleod.org.au) to enrol for these and in-person events.

30/05/2026

30/05/2026

Our cordial making workshop today was a big success with 15 participants and yummy cordial secured!
Thank you so much for your professionalism Menik. ❤️

26/05/2026

Tonight's 'HOW TO' is about the correct way to plant in tomato cones. 🍅
Tomato cones are used to 'train' not only tomatoes but also any climbing vegetable and to support broad beans which have fragile stems. Seeds or seedlings are planted on the inside of the cone - not outside it. Planting on the inside means that the seedlings will lean toward the frame and attach to it. Conversely, if on the outside, they will lean away from the frame and it will be no use. Planting seedlings at the base of the vertical wires is a good idea as the seedling does not have to crawl along the earth to find something to attach to. Tomato cones are a good investment as they can be used year round and never need to be stored.

23/05/2026

Cordial-making workshop
Saturday, 30 May, 2pm
Sustainable Macleod Community Garden
Join Sustainable Macleod's Secretary, Menik Koralage for a hands-on cordial-making workshop, using fresh-picked citrus from the community garden. Using no artificial flavourings, and every day ingredients, you can make cordial at home for a fraction of the cost of shop-bought and know exactly what is in it. Take a bottle home, join the fun and get to know other people at the same time. The workshop includes afternoon tea with delicious cake made from citrus as well.
Free to members; $15 Non-members.

19/05/2026

In Tonight's 'HOW TO' we look at breaking the Codling Moth cycle and what can be done at this time of year.
To prevent codling moth in quince, apples and pears - you'll see it as a black trail through the flesh of the fruit - you need to take away the places the moth will form its cocoons to pupate over winter.
Good garden hygiene is essential to deter codling moth. When the caterpillars exit the fruit, they look for crevices in the bark of the tree, litter in tree forks, or mulch/leaves on the ground in which to create their cocoons. Clearing out loose bark, litter in the junctions and mulch/leaves in the vicinity of the trees is a good start. Other deterrents are needed in spring and summer.
For details, and what the moth looks like, see the following Sustainable Macleod article: https://sustainablemacleod.org.au/coddle-your-apples-pears-and-quince-trees-against-codling-moth/

The photo is of a larvae in the corrugations of cardboard which was wrapped around the trunk of a quince tree to trap them.

13/05/2026

In Tonight's 'HOW TO’ we will look at aphid infestation on brassica leaves - ie cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kale and other members of the brassica family.
This is a problem right now. The photo shows aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) on my cauliflower leaves today, no doubt proliferating because the weather is warm, and sunny. These aphids are actually green beneath a gray waxy coating and will decimate a plant if not controlled. Sometimes you will find that not all plants are affected - just a few - and these will generally be heavily infested and are best removed.
The best way to control aphids is to blast them with a jet of water from the hose. Blast both top side and underside of leaves and the florets in the centre of the plant. Typically, where there is an infestation, the edge of the leaf will roll over and protect the colony so open up any rolled over leaves. You may need to blast with the hose several times especially when the weather warms. For very heavy infestations, you may need to use an insecticidal soap such as Neem. Natural predators include ladybugs and parasitic wasps but these are only affective where the number of aphids is low.

08/05/2026

Bicycle care and maintenance
Come along to our family-friendly workshop, next Saturday, 16 May, 2pm, at the Sustainable Macleod Community Garden. Bring your bike and your questions with you. Highly experienced riders will show you how to maintain and use your bike, featuring:
Choice of bike for how you like to ride (road/gravel/mountain)

A tour of parts of the bike
How to clean your bike
Adjusting the bike to fit you
Repairs you can easily do at home or on your ride
Riding tips: what to wear, what to bring, finding group rides, riding rules/etiquette

Riders of all ages welcome, from juniors to seniors.

Make sure you register:

Bicycle care and maintenance workshop at Sustainable Macleod Community Garden on Sat May 16 2026, 2:00pm: Come along to our family-friendly Bicycle...