Collecting a group of like-minded and enthusiastic people, having a chat with the Creative Harvest brains trust, winning a grant from the Bass Coast Shire Council and voila! The inaugural Bass Coast Edible Gardens Open Weekend was born. Coordinated and curated by Bass Coast Adult Learning and hosted by local gardeners, the 19th and 20th of February 2022 will see some of Bass Coast’s finest Edible Gardens open to visitors between 10am and 4pm on each of the days. These gardens provide a rich variety of inspiration – different sizes, different approaches, but what they all share is that they are run by keen gardeners who are happy to impart their passion and expertise in growing food. This exciting weekend of open gardens features a selection of some of the most interesting and productive edible gardens from across the Bass Coast Shire. You will be able to visit a diverse selection of gardens including community and backyard gardens as well as acreage properties; all producing a range of foods and using a variety of approaches. To assist visitors to navigate the 2-day event, we have divided the shire into 3 clusters: Phillip Island/San Remo; Waterline and adjacent areas; Wonthaggi/Inverloch and surrounds; – this will help with navigating the event and scheduling your visits so that you can visit as many gardens as possible. This event is designed to give you access to experts, to provide insight and to show what’s possible. Whether you are a beginner, an experienced gardener or just looking for a bit of inspiration, come along and have a chat with those who are cultivating their own edible gardens. A small sample of what’s on offer includes…
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INVERLOCH
a well-planned, suburban, garden where you will find 5-6 timber-edged vegetable beds, herbs grown in pots on the deck and 2-3 fruit trees. There is some intermixing of vegetables and natives and a recent innovation has been growing flowers for bees, often at the end of the vegetable beds. These gardeners have tried different approaches to easy-management composting including collecting leaf litter in a wire tunnel to use for mulching and placing small black plastic bins and tubs directly on garden beds over winter – they drill holes in the tubs which allows worms to enter and leave as they please. Extra touches such as narrow garden beds with paved areas between make for easy planting and harvesting. This is a well organised and simple to maintain garden that is a joy to visit.
WOOLAMAI
acreage with an established, garden at which you are sure to be inspired by the gardener’s passion for growing food organically, improving soil health, and for the use of closed-loop, permaculture principles. You will find raised brick-edged vegetable beds, an orchard plus seed planted no-dig beds with very rich soil - evidenced by the abundance of worms. Helping these beds to thrive are two chicken coops ably guarded by 2 kelpies and a Bernese mountain dog. This all seasons garden produces crops over winter of garlic, kale, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, broad beans and even strawberries. There are separate beds being planted with seedlings for summer – ready just in time for the 19th and 20th of February 2022.
