Green thumbs: Vivian Kershaw and Peter Gumley at work in Ocean Grove’s community garden.
By Michelle Herbison
MEMBERS of Ocean Grove’s new community garden hope to be planting by spring, according to their chairman.
Peter Gumley said the committed group had been working toward building the garden for two years.
Seven people had joined the group’s committee and about 80 had expressed interest in the group, he said.
Mr Gumley said the garden would act as a “public park” comprising vegetable plots, demonstration gardens, fruit trees, rainwater tanks, storage sheds and a covered kitchen area.
“I’ve always been a very keen veggie gardener and this land was available.
“This is something that has been quite successfully established in Barwon Heads but there was nothing in Ocean Grove,” Mr Gumley said.
The garden would be on a house-size block of land at 108 The Parade near the town’s neighbourhood centre.
Mr Gumley attributed the rise in enthusiasm for community gardens to factors including smaller backyard space, financial pressures on households and increasing interest in organic gardening and health.
The group was working on grant applications to secure funding for infrastructure, he said.
A $3000 Ocean Grove Community Enterprise grant would pay for rainwater tanks.
Mr Gumley said the group would run a ballot for allocating plots to members, with membership to cost $30.
