Meet the gardeners and their garden

In only two and a half years Soetkin, a connection and rewilding coach, and EJ, a handyman, have transformed their front garden into a highly productive food forest using permaculture principles.  Almost all green waste stays on the property, no soil is exposed and there is a focus on growing their own mulch.  Bare lawns have been replaced with a variety of edibles, natives and bushfoods, blended happily together with flowering plants.  There is no wasted space on this quarter acre block – the side and back gardens include vegetable beds, a greenhouse and space for chickens and ducks.  Of course, the ducks think the whole garden is for their enjoyment!  

​

Come to see, learn and be inspired!

• In summer pumpkins and trombocinos sprawl across the garden, while a bumper crop of many different tomatoes is testimony to the productive hothouse used for seed raising and the rich chocolate soil, nourished with horse manure, coffee grounds and mulch.  

• The garden is also designed as a sensory and therapeutic space, which includes growing medicinal herbs – let your nose guide you around as you brush against the plants.  Soetkin prepares herbs in a variety of ways including dried herbs, herbal salts and herb mixtures.  She also makes medicinals (creams, tinctures, dried plants and teas).

• Soetkin practices polyculture, interplantings various species, types and uses.  An example is that some of the front nature strip has been reclaimed, with a pretty verge garden now nurturing edibles, medicinals and pollinator-attracting plants.  

• Fruits, nuts and berries include banana palms, pomegranate, passionfruit, olives, mulberries, guavas, pepinos, tamarillos, loquats, nashi pears and a dwarf almond tree.

• Soetkin enjoys growing rare and unusual edibles – see if you can spot the gorgeous pink edible fuschia with small, blue berries, and the Irish strawberry tree.  There will be plants, seedlings, and other homemade plant-based products for sale at this garden.

 

Parking and accessibility

Parking in street.  This is a relatively flat garden, but there are some narrow pathways and steps up to a deck.

 

Address

64 Merrin Street, Wonthaggi

instagram.com/orenda_permaculture and Bass Coast Permaculture Facebook Group with regular events and blitzes: Bass Coast Permaculture | Facebook