Advertisment

General News

20 November, 2023

Community garden looks to put down new roots

On the move after six years, Maryborough’s Community Garden is looking to put down its roots in a new spot — still in the pursuit of an ideal location, the group hopes it can continue sprouting benefits for the town. Growing veggies and plants...

By Prealene Khera

Margaret Parsons, Jim Richardson and Ron Rowe, along with other members, have banded together to preserve the Community Garden.
Margaret Parsons, Jim Richardson and Ron Rowe, along with other members, have banded together to preserve the Community Garden.

On the move after six years, Maryborough’s Community Garden is looking to put down its roots in a new spot — still in the pursuit of an ideal location, the group hopes it can continue sprouting benefits for the town.

Growing veggies and plants at the rear of the Mill House Neighbourhood House since 2017, the town’s community garden relocated to a temporary site in September following a change in direction.

Now, the group says it is stuck in limbo — operating out of a member’s yard as they figure out a more permanent solution with the help of the Central Goldfields Shire Council.

“We were devastated on having to move, I think I’ve been grieving,” Maryborough Community Garden president Margaret Parsons said.

“This would be the second time we’re moving after we first formed the garden in 2015 and I think we’ve all found this one the most difficult.

“It’s essential that we find a new place because we’re all older and we’re running out of energy — we hope this is the last time we move.”

Ms Parsons said despite being uprooted, members of the not-for-profit group had continued to band together and were responsible for keeping the garden flourishing given the circumstances.

“There’s around 25 members and what really surprised me is that even with everything going on, most people still paid their annual membership fee — I mean, we didn’t really even have a garden but they came together in support anyway,” she said.

“All of us are now [collectively], looking for a spot, ideally, somewhere bigger, easily accessible, with access to water and power.

“We want to secure a public space this time around so we’re working with council to do that and we couldn’t do any of that without our members.”

For fellow committee member and secretary of the Community Garden, Anne Jackson, it is important to keep the group thriving because of the benefits it provides the rest of the town.

“If we can’t find a good location, a lot of our resources would just go to waste,” she said.

“There also won’t be a central group that can be relied on to produce food in times of hardship. A majority of our produce goes to the sharing trolley at the Resource Centre so it helps a lot of people.

“Gardens are important in our changing world because we need gardens to counter the heat radiated by more and more buildings and roads so any plant or tree is a benefit for us and for insects, birds and the environment — hopefully we can keep our community garden alive to continue contributing in that way and it’d be great to find a place before the end of this year.”

To join the Maryborough Community Garden or to find out more about the group search for them on Facebook.

Advertisment

Most Popular