Coniston Public School

Telephone02 4229 1117

Emailconiston-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Ganugan: Permaculture Garden

GANUGAN GARDEN (edible vegetable in Dharawal) is the name of our  Permaculture garden at Coniston Public School NSW.

We have begun to harvest and cook with our winter crop of a variety of vegetables. The no-dig garden beds provide a rich soil to grow vegetables. As the materials break down they replenish the soil with spectacular results.We are building soil to enhance our lives, the planet and provide food for our school community.

We have also been raising our own seedlings in the classrooms to add more vegetables and legumes to our garden. We would like to at some stage build a small nursery to be able to raise our own seedlings successfully.

1/2J have been planting out a "Butterfly Garden" with specific edible plants (mostly native) that host butterflies and caterpillars. Some of these plants are Sunrise Lime which is a lime native to Australia pictured below and tastes a bit like a kumquat. Also the Native Mulberry Tree, Emu Apple and Midyiam Berries.... all native to Australia and delicious!

TERM 3 NEWS 2017

The Ganugan Garden is growing!! It’s a slow time of year for produce but after much work in getting our beds prepared and planting, the students’ patience and efforts are starting to pay off with superb produce from the garden. Lettuces, carrots, spinach, pumpkin and beetroot will be used as ingredients for lunch from the canteen. Students have also been doing their own cooking with fresh produce including spinach and silverbeet (spinach & cheese triangles), roasted herbed swede chips, pumpkin soup, bruschetta, homemade lemonade and chocolate beetroot cake. 

We have 6 large no-dig garden beds which include the following: 

  • Legumes. Including sweet peas, snow peas and broad beans.
  • Root vegetables. Including carrots, beetroots and swedes. 
  • Brassica vegetables. Including broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage 
  • Leafy Green including lettuces, spinach, silverbeet and puk choy. 
  • Alliums (onions & leeks)
  • A variety of herbs including curry plant, native basil, sweet basil, lemon thyme, coriander, Vietnamese min, French Sorrel and lemon balm. 

Plus a potato cage (potatoes which have been planted in a "Potato Cage" as pictured above - a cylindrical cage that allows the potatoes to grow upwards. As the tubers grow more compost and straw is placed on top).

"Butterfly Garden" outside 3/4B

Here is a list of plants that have or will be planted in our butterfly garden to attract butterflies and caterpillars which will enhance biodiversity and create wonder and learning. Most of them but not all are native to Australia and are bush tucker foods.

  • Native Mulberry (edible berries)
  • Nasturtiuns (edible flowers and leaves for salads)
  • Emu Apple (Muntrie) edible berries
  • Native Raspberry (edible berries)
  • Sunrise Lime (edible fruit)
  • Midyiam Berry (edible berries)
  • Native Hibiscus (edible flowers)

We are still waiting for some of these plants to arrive from interstates.