How lovely to see the autumn rains

By Rahul Sujan & Seema Misra Thakur

Our garden beds have been refreshed ready for autumn and winter planting. Rocket and garlic chives have been very popular, while the chillies and eggplants have struggled in the wind.

At our first meeting on April 13, we held an Australian Native Edibles Workshop at Boyd Community Hub. The workshop was conducted by Melissa – a qualified horticulturist and Gardens for Wildlife gardening guide.

The workshop was completely booked out and attended by enthusiastic gardeners and budding green thumbs alike. The participants learnt about the native species planting rules and how Victorian native edibles could add new flavours to their recipes in the kitchen.

A lemon myrtle tree (check our socials for our lemon myrtle cookie recipe) was planted in our garden tree tub along with sea celery, native mint, appleberry, muntries and native violets. All participants went home with a new potted native edible plant to add to their balcony gardens.

The Southbank Sustainability Group (SSG) hosted Lorraine, a visiting US exchange student studying community gardens in Australia. Volunteers introduced her to Australian native plant species and gardening practices in Melbourne.

As we go into autumn, there are opportunities to integrate sustainability into daily routines through simple, seasonal adjustments. Here are some tips to get started:

• Energy sealing: seal drafts and install thermal curtains to minimise heat loss.
• Autumn gardening: plant seasonal vegetables and herbs like spinach, kale, and broccoli.
• Local produce: buy seasonal fruits and vegetables like apples and pumpkins from local farmers markets, such as South Melbourne Market.
• Eco-transport: as it’s cooler, it’s perfect to bike or walk and cut down on motor vehicle use.
• Composting: compost autumn leaves and kitchen scraps to enrich your garden soil.
• Layering up: wear extra layers indoors to avoid excessive heating.
• Efficient lighting: utilise natural daylight; switch to energy-efficient bulbs as days shorten.
• Heating maintenance: regularly service heating systems for winter efficiency.
• Cash-in your containers: as a more general tip, for container recycling (including aluminium cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles, paperboard cartons, steel bottles/cans, etc.), Southbank residents can use the over-the-counter plastic bottle collection point at Great Asia World (located at 200 City Rd), or the South Melbourne Collection Depot at 30 Thistlethwaite St. For the most up-to-date information on this, please visit cdsvic.org.au/locations.
• Medicine Blister Pack Recycling: blister pack foils are also recyclable at Chemist Warehouse.

Upcoming events in May

Food Sustainability Workshop/Empower “Give Hunger The Boot!” at Boyd Community Hub – May 25. Admission is free and registration is required via Eventbrite.

Festival at Boyd – May 19. Come for pre-loved treasures, live music, table tennis, and children’s activities. Look out for interactive and informative activities, games, and food!

About the group

SSG is a solution-focused community group of Southbank residents, working to bring positive change in sustainability practices. Article Input by Rahul Sujan and Seema Misra Thakur. •

For more information:

facebook.com/southbanksustainabilitygroup or email [email protected]