By: Rosie Peddle
For a real gardener’s antidote to the Christmas frenzy, get to grips with wiggly worms and worm composting plus an afternoon of visits to two private gardens. Join us and you might even get your hands dirty!
It will be a grand day out on Tuesday, December 18, starting at 10.30am, with a visit to a Messines-based company to learn about how to turn your waste into compost.
There will be special offers on worm compost, wormeries and worms. Nelson Lourenço from the company will take us through the science and the skilled art of chopping, mixing and making worm compost and worm tea from our own kitchen and garden waste.
Nelson supplied some advice on the world of worms in his article ‘Vermicomposting: how to produce your own organic fertiliser’ in the July 13 2012 edition of the Algarve Resident (search it on our website).
We will meet at Futuramb, Unidade de Valorização Orgânica, in Messines de Cima. Directions are available on request and some Mediterranean Garden Society (MGS) signs will be out on the day.
Please bring coffee/hot drink for a mid-morning break. Lunch can be taken at any of the local restaurants in Messines and directions for the garden visits will be supplied on the day. Please car share if at all possible!
From 2pm, we will visit two private gardens of MGS members between Messines and Silves. Both gardens have had lawns removed and in their place is drought-tolerant planting.
The first garden is owned by enthusiastic vegetable and fruit growers, Tamsin and Chris; they also have a worm composter.
Nelson will be with us for this visit and will discuss the application of worm compost on organic crops and home vegetable production and will answer any questions about gardening with worm compost.
The second garden is owned by Lou and Brenda and is a holiday home where they have removed large lawn areas and used many plants from the nursery of Olivier Filippi of France. This is a great example of how to make a garden when the owners are not permanently resident.
Both of these gardens have featured in the Resident gardening series of articles on ‘Life without a lawn’ (editions June 29 2012 and October 19 2012)
The cost will be €20 per person for the workshop payable on the day. There will be the opportunity to buy worm compost, worms and wormeries. Nelson also makes local deliveries for any larger purchases.
We are very grateful to Tamsin and Chris and Lou and Brenda for agreeing to our visits.
|| features@algarveresident.com
www.gardeninginportugal.com | 289 791 869
rosie@thebtf.net (bookings) | www.futuramb.com
