For nigh on a decade now, residents have been clamouring for this council to establish neighbourhood vegie gardens. Of course, all has fallen on deaf ears and nothing has been done. Well now we wish to introduce Council’s ‘accidental vegie patch’.
Following the desecration of the Elster Creek Trail, where vast stretches of green open space were turned into a stinking mess via the insane application of “commercial mulch”, locals have been having a grand time. Even with the regular poisoning of everything in sight, nature refuses to give up the ghost and insists on sticking her head up time and time again. But with new additions! Glen Eira is suddenly home to tomatoes, roses, pumpkins, zucchini, and other assorted vegies and plants. For this we have to thank the so called “commercial” mulch that was undoubtedly put down at great expense. So in spite of all its efforts to resist the start of a community vegie garden, nature has taken the matter out of council’s hands.
The tomatoes taste great!
Glen Eira Debates 
January 30, 2013 at 11:49 AM
What’s the bet that come this time tomorrow Council’s poison brigade will have visited!!!!. Shame really since these plants have flourished in spite of the extremely low January rainfall and such persistence should be rewarded. But alas such an embarassment to Council will not be allowed to remain.
By the way, I have used commerical mulch on my garden for years (it’s regularly topped up) and have never had uninvited vegies, or any other plants, grow. Nor has any of it stunk like this lot did.
Who claims it was “commercial” grade? I know some Councillors checked it out and, although they too were concerned with the quality of the mulch, we residents are still awaiting the results of the Councillors investigation.
January 30, 2013 at 12:06 PM
which reminds me what happened to the mulch at the facility at Neerim Road Park. It just disappeared swept totally clean ??? Ros
January 31, 2013 at 4:41 PM
That’s great we need more of this
January 31, 2013 at 8:15 PM
What a joke this mulch idea really is? Isn’t it supposd to be completely neutral as far as plant germination and propogation goes? I’m sure there will be many nasty weeds come up too if the good Glen Eira householders include scraps of noxious weeds or lemon branches with the gaull wasp as examples, noit to mention the very seriouss lung diseases which can be contracted from mulch.
January 31, 2013 at 9:18 PM
Got any authentic science to support your contention about the serious lung diseases? Or are you being ironic?
February 1, 2013 at 12:35 AM
Yes Cr Magee in chamber one evening pulled out his puffer and explained that as a timber mill worker early in his career that he, like most of the boys/men he had worked with, had become asthmatics. He went on to say that there is a poisonous resin between the bark and I think xylem, of all trees. Also from general knowledge there are many fungi which are saprophytic and poisonous. Many fungi are only visible under a microscope.
I personally know of a Caulfield resident who has a very serious pulmonary disease which is commonly known as being contracted by nursery workers… and this maybe why these days all mulch which is commercially sold is packed in bags warning users that they should follow the precautionary notice as appears on the bagged product. There must be some reason for this!
The disease is extremely hard to diagnose and it took the meeting of about 20 pulmonary spacialists at the Alfred to positively identify the problem so as this man could receive appropriate treatment for this disease and they told him landscape gardeners were frequently effected by the disease.
February 1, 2013 at 11:49 AM
amazing another mulch worry I betcha you get in your car every day. much greater risk of a traffic accident. you dont worry about that do you?
February 1, 2013 at 9:53 PM
Don’t think ‘Amw’ knows the difference between anecdote and peer reviewed science.