About Us

 

Our garden started as an idea by Anne van Veen, who believed there was demand for a community garden in Blairgowrie.  Anne asked for local residents to join her to help bring her vision to life. In August 2018 Council granted us a lease over 2 unused tennis courts at Stringer Reserve Blairgowrie. This plot of land was underutilized, and our garden has converted it into a use-able community area. The old tennis courts are asphalt which meant that in order to have veggie beds we had to build raised timber gardens and import all soil, manure and compost onto the site.​

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Community gardens are places where people come together to grow food and learn the skills of fruit and vegetable growing.  Community gardens are natural living, sensory environments. They encourage people to be physically active and they offer a place for people to put down roots. Not only do they connect people with plants, food and culture, most importantly they connect people with other people. Whilst gardening is the focus, community gardens are generally community hubs for a range of activities – learning and education, arts and creative activities, preparing and sharing food, community events, celebrations and social enterprise

 

We are an enthusiastic bunch of local residents and we're all volunteers.

We run fundraising events and have been generously supported by local businesses, community groups and individuals.  We've also benefitted from government grants, local and federal for which we are very grateful.  The local Men's Shed have also helped build some of the structural things in the garden and done a great job.   The garden is thriving and all produce from the garden is shared among members.  We have community garden beds - no private plots.  

We have an enthusiastic Committee. The council and their staff have been very supportive of our new garden. Our local traders and suppliers have been very generous and we thank them all for assisting the garden.

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Fundraising was very important to get The Blairgowrie Community Garden up and running and our fundraising drives have been very successful.  We've had sausage sizzles at Bunnings Rosebud, street stalls at Blairgowrie Village selling plants and wine drives.

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We now have:

• two 21,000 litre water tanks connected to our automated watering system which is being expanded throughout the garden. 

• a tool shed, a potting shed, and a greenhouse with automated ventilation

• Three garden beds set aside to grow produce which is donated to a local charity Southern Peninsula Community Support

• access to the old tennis pavilion to use as our meeting and function room