Going native: City grant helps Warralily Community Garden Group

THE Warralily Community Garden Group is getting the right tools for the job thanks to a grant from the City of Greater Geelong.

Based out of Narana, the group grows native plants and carries out planting and maintenance for the Aboriginal cultural centre, and have carried out about 6,000 hours of volunteer time over the past year.

“Narana has kindly invited us to use some of their property to grow native plants and some edible things while we’re still waiting for the council to give us land to actually have a garden,” the group’s treasurer Jane Skelton said.

“But people will still continue with this afterwards, so this has been a good way to get the community together, and we were fortunate to get the grant.”

She said the Ashbury estate, Bunnings, and the Rotary Club of Highton had also provided assistance.

The Warralily Community Garden Group received a $2,000 Community Grant from the city just before Christmas, and will use the funds to buy a variety of gardening tools suitable for adults and children, propagating tables, a four-wheeled cart for moving soil and mulch, a hose and hose caddy, and a first aid kit.

Claire Ziegler said the group’s garden was mostly growing midyim berry, lilly pilly, warrigal greens, river mint, and chocolate lilies, all of which were either edible or had medicinal properties.

“We’ve got all sorts of other things happening as well.

“We do have three women from the CSIRO who are members, and they are really into native plants – they’ve got some in their gardens, so we’re propagating from that stuff as well – but there’s also native nurseries down the Bellarine Peninsula we’re friends with. We’re sistered with Warrnambool Community Nursery through a friend of mine, so it’s getting bigger than Ben-Hur!”

Kardinia Ward councillor Ron Nelson visited Narana last week to congratulate the group on their grant.

“Not only does this group help to maintain and protect our local natural environment, they also provide a fun social outlet for members of the Armstrong Creek community,” he said.

“They’re thoroughly deserving of the grant and I hope they enjoy the new equipment.”

The Warralily Community Garden Group’s long-term goal is to establish an inclusive community garden space in Armstrong Creek to promote health and wellbeing, sustainable living and a way to develop a strong, connected community across all age groups and abilities.

For more information on the group, email [email protected].