"We live near Mitcham Community Orchard and Gardens and thought it would be a good way to get in some outdoor activity during the pandemic whilst giving back to the local community. However, having minimal gardening knowledge when joining the volunteer group, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to gain some new skills with the support of some of the more experienced members of the team. This has included preparing the ground around the bottom of fruit trees, and most recently pruning the roses. This involved: using the right tools depending on the size of the stems, such as secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw; and then cutting back the roses to just above where a bud was due to sprouting (noticeable by the thin white horizontal line on the stems), it was also important to cut here to not encourage any die-back on the plant. Furthermore, to aid future pruning of the plants we were encouraged to reduce the amount of stems which crossed, such as those growing close together, each limiting the amount of the new growth of the stems which they crossed with. It was enjoyable to be learning a new skill, whilst working in the sunshine and feeling productive at the same time."
Elaine & Sam
Community Gardening Volunteers
Find out more about our community gardening activities and how you can get involved HERE.