Local garden provides place of purpose

Garden president Vin McKay, speaking with the Bellarine Times on National Community Gardens Day, said the club is currently operating with approximately 40 paying members, numbers reminiscent of pre-pandemic levels.

“We’re quite active in the community and we’ve got quite a long history here in Ocean Grove,” Mr McKay said.

“We’ve had some good help from council and the state government with the local infrastructure here, but we’re a garden that caters to anyone, whether it be kids, families or adults of any age.

“It’s a good mix of people, and while we remained open during the pandemic, there were some tough times on the social side of things, but that’s all in the rear view mirror now and we’re excited to see new faces joining us each month.”

In addition to providing an abundance of the Bellarine Community Farmers Market’s produce and coordinating environmental events, the garden hosts monthly working bees where new members are encouraged to attend.

Garden vice-president Jeff Harwood joined the garden when he wanted to expand his growing skills into a larger space than his apartment, stating it has offered various benefits to his lifestyle.

“Personally, I’ve been into gardening for a very long time and the community garden allowed me to grow in a larger space than my apartment,” Mr Harwood said.

“The working bees are as much as you want it to be. You could be sweating out a big task, or you could just pull a few weeds out and enjoy some tea.

“We’ve also got some plots available at the moment, which is quite nominal, with our largest spots just $65 a year and regular plots just $15.”

Any interested growers or residents looking to join the garden community can either reach out to the group via [email protected] or by attending a working bee on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to noon.