Meet the gardeners and their garden

At this high-energy community garden, you may find a welcoming committee playing musical instruments. Jessica is certainly a dab hand on the piano accordion! The Harvest Centre Community Garden is part of Mitchell Community House and is ideally located in the centre of Wonthaggi next to the Rail Trail. Excess produce from the Harvest Centre is donated to the free food boxes outside Mitchell Community House. In 2022 the Harvest Centre won a sustainable gardening award from Community Gardens Australia.

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How does your garden grow?

Most of our food is grown in communally maintained garden beds, some planted directly into the earth and some in raised timber beds. We also encourage creativity with some members taking on new projects, such as building trellising to grow berries and creating a self-seeding forest food and fruit garden.

What are some of your gardening challenges?

Given the heavy rains over the last year, we have been fortunate that our gravel pathways have helped with drainage. Renewing soil is an essential seasonal task as we prepare our garden beds for the next plantings. We have a large three-bay composting system, but our volunteers take time from shovelling compost for a cuppa and a chat!

Be inspired and learn!

The gardeners say: Grow what you like to eat! However, we also enjoy sharing produce with other gardeners. Produce swaps are a good way to share excess produce and taste some less familiar foods. Participating in produce swaps and visiting edible gardens helps you understand what foods can be grown locally.

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Garden extras

Weekly working bees, Wednesday mornings 9.30-12, new members welcome. A produce swap is held on the second Saturday of each month at 10am.

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Address

6 Murray Street, Wonthaggi