Apples

Do you have an apple tree growing near you?

If you live in Banyule then a wonderful day trip is to head out to Petty’s orchard. If you keep an eye out on their social media page you may even be notified when they are open to the public for taste testing their extensive range of apples. They also have a small organic greengrocer and café. Volunteer opportunities are also available. Access to Petty’s orchard is relatively easy from most of Banyule by bike. From Watsonia we took the Plenty river trail to Viewbank, then turned left onto the main Yarra trail and followed it until we reached the orchard.  Our 7yr old was able to ride there and back easily from Watsonia, although we did put the most part of the day aside so that we could take it slow and easy. This is so much fun and a wonderful outing around March/April (Treading lightly Easter celebration alternative).

Image: A photo of an adult and 2 children holding up apples over their faces. They are standing next to an apple orchard.

Contribution by Che

Autumn Leaves

Autumn is a great time of year to get out into your local neighbourhood to collect leaves for your garden. Fallen leaves can be used as either mulch or brown/dry matter in your compost.

Collecting leaves from the street gutter helps the stormwater drains do their work & you get free compost – everyone wins.

Image: leaf rake and pile of autumn leaves on a lawn, viewed through branches of an apple tree

If you’ve got kids, perhaps they could earn a few $ raking up some leaves.

CAUTION!
By collecting leaves in these spaces you may be (unintentionally) disturbing the ecosystem within the space.

Council (and some local residents) will use pesticide sprays. If you are unsure if the leaves you are wanting to collect have pesticides on them, it’s best to leave them out of your compost.

Do you know a great local spot to collect leaves? Share your tips on our Facebook page