Gardening and art combine in new workshops

A NEW business opening in July will give people a chance to learn how to make decorative plant crafts.

Community health worker Elizabeth Knight came up with the idea for Botanical Lane after requests from friends to teach them how to make things like kokedama and terrariums.

“I’ve always had a love of the garden, and I’ve been involved with the garden for a long time, and I’d like to sort of create rather than just put something in a pot,” said Ms Knight.

“I thought I like things that are a bit more stylish suppose, trying to create art with the garden, with the plants.

“I’ve been doing topiaries for about 10 or 12 years, and then I thought I want to have something inside.

After learning how to craft topiary, Ms Knight said she started learning kokedama, an ancient Japanese garden art translating to “moss ball.”

“I thought I’d give that a try and I went to a workshop about five years ago and I loved it, so I’ve been doing lots since then and showing different people,” said Ms Knight.

“Being able to do kokedama, they sort of like it perfectly imperfect, and they’ve got a big style about them.”

Ms Knight said the workshops are a great way to release stress from working in jobs, especially corporate environments.

“I actually work in not-for-profit health, and I find that gardening is quite therapeutic in such a stressful environment, and I feel like that’s something that everyone can do,” she said.

“Working in health, you want to be able to give back to the community, and so having gardening and having your hands in earth is very calming, very therapeutic, it sort of promotes wellbeing and decreases stress.

“I think it would be really good for team-building events, because I think being creative in something with your hands makes you also creative in your workspace.”

Workshops will be advertised on the Botanical Lane website from 14 June, and will offer kokedama, terrarium, macrame and wreath-making to begin with, with other classes to come.

The events will be run at Bendigo Botanic Gardens when weather permits.