Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, February 10, to Sunday, February 16.
š» Are you a fan of folk music? Newham Hall has been included as a venue for this year’s Festival of Small Halls. Hat Fitz and Cara and Lucy Farrell will perform in Newham on March 27.
š Changemakers Macedon Ranges, a free, week-long festival with workshops on sustainability, gardening, zero-waste cooking, energy efficiency, and more will be held from March 15-23. The festival will start with Riddells Creek Enviro-Energy Expo.
šļø The first town garage sale of the year will take place in Tylden on February 23. A live music event, Sounds of Tylden, will be held on the same day. Click here for details of whole-town garage sales that are coming soon.
š„¦ Do you grow your own veg? Duncan Cocking is about to plant his main crops of cabbages, cauliflowers, and broccoli. If you’d like to know how you can harvest brassicas from March to November, check out his latest gardening article (below the event guide). Duncan’s fruit tree pruning workshop this month has sold out, but a few spots are still available for his Grow Great Berries workshop on May 2.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info š
Monday, February 10
Photography Macedon Ranges Photographic Society: Club meeting at new venue. Presentation of images for a Victorian Association of Photographic Societies competition. Jubliee Hall, Smith St, Macedon. 7pm.
Tuesday, February 11
Craft A Curious Circle: Create things in a friendly and inclusive setting. Romsey Library, Main St, Romsey. 5.30pm-7.30pm. Free.
Wednesday, February 12
Film Death on the Nile: While on holiday on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress. Starring Kenneth Branagh. Romsey Library, Main St, Romsey. 10.30am-12.45pm. Free.
Game Canasta Club: Join a friendly group to play the card game Canasta. Beginners welcome. Macedon & Mount Macedon Community House, 47 Victoria St, Macedon. 2pm-5pm.
Sport Summer Shorts Orienteering – Malmsbury: Beginner-friendly orienteering event. 2.5km and 3.5km courses. All welcome. Malmsbury Botanic Gardens, Ellesmere Pl, Malmsbury. 6pm-8pm. $5.
Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 7pm. $12 (first session free).
Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7pm. Free.
Friday, February 14
Environment Memorial Cross Group Hike: Join Parks Victoria volunteers on an 8km moderate-level walk. Learn about plants and animals as well as the history of the Macedon Regional Park. McGregor’s Picnic Ground, Cameron Dr, Mount Macedon. 9.30am-1pm. Free.
Food & Drink That’s Amore! A Love Affair with Naples: Enjoy a five-course Naples-inspired set menu, complemented by optional Campanian wines. The Kyneton Hotel, Mollison St, Kyneton. Sittings 12.30pm-10.30pm. $80.
Food & Drink Valentine’s Day at Dusk: Live jazz with So Saxy. Picnic dinner boxes for two can be pre-ordered, or local produce platters can be bought on the day. Also chocolates from Sisko Chocolates of Kyneton. Hanging Rock Winery, 88 Jim Rd, Newham. 5pm-8.30pm. $20.
Food & FIlm Valentineās Day Moonlight Cinema: Enjoy a two-course dinner followed by an outdoor screening of Crazy, Stupid, Love. Glen Erin at Lancefield, 200 Rochford Rd, Lancefield. 6.30pm-11.45pm. Adult $85, Child (under 12) $30.
Music Valentine’s Prom ’25: Valentine’s Day rock ānā roll dance. Live music from The Bad Cats, featuring Tylden local Jeff Tynan. Bar and food truck. Tylden Hall, Tylden-Woodend Rd, Tylden. 7pm-11pm. Adult $10, Child (5-16 years) $5, Child (under 5) free.
Saturday, February 15
Exercise Parkruns: 5km fun runs/walks in Gisborne (Dixon Field), Lancefield (Lancefield Park) and Woodend (Campaspe Dr). All abilities welcome. 8am. Free.
Market Riddells Creek Farmers’ and Makers’ Markets: Memorial Dr, Riddells Creek. 9am-1pm.
Market Trentham Farmers’ Market: Town Square, High St, Trentham. 9am-1pm.
Market Glenlyon Village Market: Shire Hall, Barkly St, Glenlyon. 9am-1pm.
Community Pink Stumps Ladies’ Day: High tea, guest speakers, and live music. Plus raffle and silent auction. In support of the McGrath Foundation. Gilbert Gordon Oval, Davy St, Woodend. 2pm-7pm. $40.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm. $25.
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Sunday, February 16
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St, Daylesford. 8am-3pm.
Market Malmsbury Farmers’ and Artists’ Market: Mollison St, Malmsbury. 9am-1pm.
Food & Music Music in the Vines: Live music from Fifth Layer Music. Glen Erin at Lancefield, 200 Rochford Rd, Lancefield. 12pm-4pm.
Music Summer Tunes: Live music in the beer garden. Covers of songs by artists including The Eagles, Dire Straits, Neil Diamond, and The Doobie Brothers as well as classic Aussie rock songs. Baringo Food & Wine Co, 283 Station Rd, New Gisborne. 1pm-4pm.
Art Paint & Sip Sundays: Unleash your creativity and unwind. The Studio @ No.4, Factory 4, Sauer Rd, New Gisborne. 2pm-4pm. $44.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm. $25.
Beekeeping Woodend Bee-Friendly Society: Monthly meeting. Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm.
Singing Rainbow Voices Community Choir: LGBTQIA+ and allies choir. For anyone aged 13 and over. Kyneton Community House Good Food Hub, 35 High St, Kyneton. 4pm-6pm.
Ghost Hunt Victoria Hotel Paranormal Investigation and Dinner: Meet spirits Gwendolyn, Isabella, the two-up players, and Wild George drinking at the bar. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7.30pm-9.30pm. $65.
Exhibitions
Kyneton The Old Auction House: Exhibitions: Dan Butterworth, Framings of Wombat Forest (audio-visual). Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper: Exhibitions: Donna Crebbin, Recycle Repurpose Reart. Every day 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom: Exhibitions: Anthea Kemp, Madeleine Minack, Steph Wallace. Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Cusack & Cusack: Fri-Sun 10am-3pm.
Kyneton Kyneton Museum: Exhibition: Nurses, Medicine and Caring. Fri-Sun. 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Kyneton Ridge Artspace: Exhibition: Callan Skimin. Fri-Sun 11am-5pm.
Mount Macedon The Gallery: Exhibition: Summer. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Hanging Rock Winery: Exhibition: Art in the Vines (sculptures). Every day 10am-5pm.
Trentham Trentham District Story: Outdoor display telling the story of Trentham from its earliest Indigenous inhabitants to the present day. Open every day in the grounds of the Old Police Station, 3-5 Camp St, Trentham.
Trentham Little Gallery: Thu-Mon 10am-4pm.
Woodend The Back Shed Gallery: 33 Urquhart St, Woodend. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
Coming up
Gardening Michael McCoy – Design and Planting for Irrigation-Free Gardens: Having spent 25 years developing his own ādryā garden in the Macedon Ranges, garden designer, writer, and broadcaster Michael McCoy will talk about creating sustainable, low-water gardens. The Elm Room, Kyneton Racecourse, Campaspe Pl, Kyneton. 7pm-9pm. $10. February 17.
Food & Drink Paddock to Plate – A Celebration of Deep Creek Valley Produce: Five-course lunch menu created by MasterChef Australia semi-finalist Elise Pulbrook and showcasing Deep Creek Valley producers. Live music plus a producer market. DV Cider House, Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12.30pm-9.30pm. $120. February 23.
Community Lancefield/Macedon Ranges Relay for Life: First held in 2003, the annual walk/run has raised more than $1 million for Cancer Council Victoria. Lancefield Park, Chauncey St, Lancefield. 11am-9pm. March 1.
Have a great week!
Richard
P.S. I’ve tried my best to ensure accuracy, but please follow the links above to confirm details before attending events.
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Time to plant brassicas
GARDENING
Horticulturalist Duncan Cocking, who runs Kyneton-based Leaf, Root & Fruit, discusses the benefits of succession planting.
With the cold winters here in the Macedon Ranges, our brassica crops need to be established much earlier in the year than in, say, Melbourne. In late December, I planted my first crop of brassicas. I sowed the seeds directly into the soil and then covered them immediately with insect netting to prevent attack by the dreaded Cabbage White Butterfly. Crop one is now up and racing. Itās only a small crop of four carefully selected varieties (two of cabbage, one of broccoli and one of cauliflower), just enough productivity to give some variety to our vegetable diet in autumn.
This week, Iāll plant my main crop of brassicas. There will be eight varieties this time and twice as many plants in total as crop one. Iāll plant a final third crop in early March. This small crop will only include three varieties (one broccoli and two kinds of cauliflower).
I useĀ succession plantingĀ to spread the brassica harvest period from March through to November:
- early-maturing varieties in the first crop
- a mix of early, mid and late varieties in the main crop
- late-maturing varieties in the last crop.
Good record keeping enables to me to continue to fine tune my succession planting and even out the peaks and troughs in my harvests.
š„¬ Want to know more?Ā This paid article on succession plantingĀ explains how you can avoid gluts in your vegetable garden.
Happy gardening!
Duncan
š For more gardening tips, see my February planting guide and garden update.
šļø Love a good garage sale? Then youāre in luck, because several towns in the Macedon Ranges will be hosting whole-town garage sales soon. Click here to find out when and where these garage sales will be taking place.
In the news
š” MALMSBURY: A Melbourne woman has decided to relocate her 99-year-old house to Malmsbury rather than leave it to face the bulldozer. “I just couldn’t bear that happening, so I’m being a snail and taking my house with me,” said Kaye Powell.
š MACEDON RANGES: The median house price increased in four Macedon Ranges towns during the final quarter of last year but fell in five others, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
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