Swapping Saturday!

Every third Saturday at 9 am the Happy Patch Community Garden has a swap. Interested people are encouraged to swap their excess fruit and vegetables or anything else garden related; ideas include seeds, preserves, eggs, cuttings, seedlings, pots, jars, gardening magazines etc.  Goods are set out on the table and people are encouraged to take an equal amount of goods.

This Saturday we took along bunches of parsley and rocket, habanero chillies, perpetual spinach seeds and an aloe vera plant. In return we received a bag of limes, some lemons, eggplants, capsicums and tiny apples just the right size for Miss Ruby!

Ruby loves going to the Patch, especially on Produce Swap day as she gets to play with other kids and the morning tea biscuits that are always provided.

Everyone usually spends some time tidying up the Patch on swap day. Jamie busied himself turning over the last of the green manure. We discovered that last years violas had self seeded in the patch and so he dug up a big spadeful for me to take home and replant.

Sadly, the oncoming rain meant we forgot all about them. I am guessing they are now in the compost heap!

Meanwhile, Ruby and I went on our usual green caterpillar hunt. This time we didn’t squish them, but instead sent them home with a fellow gardener as a treat for their chooks. I was pleased to find lots of parasitic wasp larvae feeding on a green caterpillar. Further evidence that our organic, no-spray approach is actually working, if slowly.

Unfortunately, the photo is not the best. This one, taken by Beck from the Happy Patch, shows a caterpillar before it was completely consumed by the larvae.