Adventures in and Around Docklands

When I first bought my flat I joined both the building's and the building garden's Facebook groups.  There isn't a rooftop garden so I wasn't sure where the garden was. I did know that there was an "urban forest" outside the building on the stadium concourse, but that didn't seem to be what they were talking about. Then I noticed a fenced off area behind the urban forest, which had garden tubs and a large central fixed bed. Some of the tubs had herbs in them. Everything else was empty.

Then a meeting was called on the garden Facebook page to plan the spring planting. I decided to go, although I wasn't registered with the group and they weren't expecting me. There were about 10 people there and I was warmly welcomed.  I think there are around 30 or 40 people registered with the group. The garden is exclusively for edible or medicinal plants and the very large central bed is intended for edible native plants. The group has a grant from the city council to set it up and I think they are intending to get someone who knows about growing native edible plants to come and do some educating.

I went down on Saturday morning to help with the vegetable planting. It was a glorious morning for planting summer veg. I have done the garden induction and my fob has been activated so I can get into the garden, which has a locked gate for access. I appear to have joined a local club!

I planted green beans at the back, spring onions at the front
and sowed carrot seeds in the middle

I also planted the passionfruit

We had LOTS of tomato and basil seedlings
so we planted several tubs of them.

Our youngest gardener makes up in enthusiasm
what he lacks in experience 😀

After The Planting, I went over to The District to lay in supplies for an unexpected Sunday lunch on the following day. It was very busy. Somebody needs to remind people that Docklands is supposed to be a deserted wilderness occupied only by howling winds and a very few miserable locals. I can't say this has been my experience, so far. Even the trams were packed. (I will acknowledge the howling winds, though)

City Circle tram heading towards The District

Sunday was the day for the monthly Docklands farmers' market, which is still on the stadium concourse. I wandered over for a look around and got some microbrewery beer, some sweet peas, fish, pies, bread. There still isn't a vegetable stall. Then I came home and prepared lunch for three omnivores, one vegetarian and a vegan. I made chicken stew and "chicken" stew, with roast potatoes. My brother Matthew has been to the flat before but Belinda and William didn't make it to the family Sunday Lunch in the pub a few weeks ago so were visiting for the first time. Freyja, of course, has been several times. It was a good afternoon. I showed them the stadium concourse and the vegetable garden. They inspected the flat. We watched the boats. We had lunch, drank wine or beer, then all the visitors went home.

I was pottering around on Monday morning, clearing up after the lunch, pondering doing a proper clean of the flat and maybe starting to re-organise the cupboards and shelves - when I got a message from Lindsey. Did I fancy going to the Bunnings in Port Melbourne? She couldn't go and they had Bluey garden gnomes in stock. The Bluey garden gnomes are highly prized and tend to sell out very quickly when they come into stock.

How do I get to Bunnings from here by public transport? Ah. By bus. I don't use buses very much. Challenge #1 - find the bus stop! ✅  Challenge #2 - get off at the right stop ✅

Challenge #3 Find the Bluey Gnomes. Uh oh! The woman at the front says they've sold out. They were all sold over the weekend  😢. Sent the bad news to Lindsey then decided that while I was there I might as well buy the strip light I wanted for the bathroom and have a look at new toilets (Mine is very cracked inside the bowl. So far it's not leaking but it will need replacing fairly soon).  Wandered off in the direction of the lights - and walked past a table with six Bluey garden gnomes and a pile of Bluey doormats. Grabbed two of the gnomes and one of the doormats. Challenge #3 ✅

Challenge #4 find the return bus stop ✅ and come home ✅

Mission accomplished.

I hadn't realised quite how close the Port Melbourne Bunnings is. I think I waited longer for the buses to arrive than I actually spent on them.

They don't know it yet,
but they will soon be off to a new
life in Canada

I looked out the window this morning when I first got up and saw this:

I wasn't expecting to see
two full moons!

And Brandy and Whiskey have a new bed:

It might be a bit small for Whiskey. And it's definitely too small for both of them. There are other beds and anyway they have commandeered my comfy chair so I'm not particularly worried.  So far they haven't argued over it.

That is supposed to be
*my* TV watching chair!