Happy New Year 2026! Welcome to Coastal Community Garden’s third year of Watermelon & Waves newsletter.
The Noongar calendar has six seasons including two summers and two springs. As we move into the hottest part of the year, we enter the Second Summer or Bunuru Season which covers from February to March. Bunuru is typically a season with very little rain, very hot easterly winds and welcoming cool afternoon sea breezes. The local indigenous people know it for the abundance of white flowers which can be seen on the Jarrah, Marri and Ghost Gums.
As the warmer weather ramps up, the rains diminish and the waterways begin to dry up, tadpoles are completing their metamorphosis to frogs while fledglings leave their nests as they learn to fend for themselves and reptiles shed their old skin making room for new growth. Summer has arrived!
What to expect in this issue:
- What’s Happening in Our Garden
- Up and Coming Events
- Gardening Jobs During this Season: February – March
- What to Plant Now
- This Issue’s Native Plant – Melaleuca huegelii – Chenille Honey Myrtle
What’s Happening in Our Garden
As the weather ramps up we continue with our fortnightly Gardening Day. It is a great way to get involved and meet other members. Due to the heat we have put on hold the manual work for the larger projects, concentrating on watering and keeping the garden alive and productive.
The windbreaks are doing a great job of protecting the trees from the fierce hot winds. There have been measurements and more discussion on the ‘Amphitheatre’ area. This area will be levelled before covering with cardboard, to extend our chip wood covering needed to suppress the weeds before semi-circular bench seats and a paved platform area are installed. Then in late autumn we will plant Australian natives under the existing native trees along the eastern wall.
A big thank you to Liam Staltari MLA for his funding which will help with stage 2 of our garden. Thank you also to all our committed gardeners who have and are assisting with watering the non-irrigated areas, planting and rearranging our garden beds. It’s wonderful being able to partake of the abundant vegie crops.
We have had some wonderful crops in our new in-ground garden but unfortunately we have not been the only ones harvesting them as we have had all our carrots taken from the beds before they were mature. We have been able to harvest the parsnips and sweetcorn although the soil is not quite right yet for good results. Other garden beds have produced lovely products including eggplants, basil and silverbeet.
Have you checked out all our wonderful progress through the photos on our GALLERY page?
Please let us know if you are wanting to be involved in the Coastal Community Garden in any way through our Facebook page and please come on down to the patch on our Gardening Days.
Up and Coming Events:
Please check out our Facebook page for any up and coming events and where you might like to get involved and enjoy the produce as well as a cup of tea and a snack. Please remember to bring sun protection, gloves and water.
Mark your calendars for these up and coming events:
- We are looking for volunteers to help us out in two hour sessions (longer if you are available) on Saturday 28th February at Bunnings Balcatta for our fundraising Sausage Sizzle.
- Fortnightly gardening days – don’t worry if you don’t have gloves or gardening tools; there are plenty in our shed.
- We also have a gardening watering roster, if you are available please let us know. Those who help will reap the benefits.
In the meantime, stay safe and have a wonderful summer season.
Gardening Jobs During Bunuru Season:
Learn about what jobs we have suggested for this season on our new Seasonal Jobs page which can be accessed through the GROW page.
What to Plant Now:
This too can be accessed through our GROW page, under the heading Grow in Season then look for KAMBARANG SEASON – AUGUST – SEPTEMBER.
This Issue’s Native Plant:
This month’s native plant is the Melaleuca huegelii – Chenille Honey Myrtle. Information can be found on our GROW page under Grow Natives. This page also covers information on other native plants we have looked at since starting our newsletters.
I do hope you enjoy reading through our new pages.
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Yours in the garden,
The Coastal Community Garden team
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