This coming weekend, February 10 and 11, sees the return of the third annual Bass Coast Edible Gardens event.
Organised as a fund-raiser for Bass Coast Adult Learning (BCAL), the event includes a record 17 gardens, opening for visitors to be inspired and learn how to grow food.
During the open gardens weekend, two local community gardens, the Phillip Island Community Orchard and the Coronet Bay Community Garden, will be offering tasty treats including preserves, pickles and fresh produce.
Visitors can learn about permaculture at Bhavani and David Rook’s Ventnor farm and at the Chill House mini farm in Cowes.
In Cape Woolamai Marg and Pete will be opening their quirky, art-filled garden for the first time.
And for visitors wanting a drive through the hills or along the coast, there are three fabulous food gardens in Glen Forbes, Kilcunda and Glen Alvie.
In Kilcunda, Kris and her late husband Philip, have been farming and growing food for more than 50 years. Sharon Willcox, Gardens Coordinator, said that there was a surprise around every corner at the sprawling Kilcunda garden.
The 17 participating gardens will be open from 10am until 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Gardeners will be easy to spot this year, as they will be wearing red ‘Edible Garden’ t-shirts, thanks to sponsorship from Westernport Water.
And as that historical steak-knives ad goes, wait, there’s more!
Maddy Harford, the secretary of BCAL, said she was delighted to have recently opened a complementary exhibition at ArtSpace in Wonthaggi.
The Edible Gardens exhibition which is on until early March features artwork celebrating the creativity of growing food.
“Some of our gardeners are also artists, and many local artists also garden, so it was a natural next step to have an art exhibition about growing food,” said Maddy.
Bass Coast Shire Council has also come to the party in spades.
As well as providing a community grant to help with organising the annual edible gardens event, the Council has just announced that it will be funding free gardening workshops for Bass Coast residents to be delivered at community gardens across the shire later in 2024.
Attendees at the Edible Garden weekend can pick up a postcard with more information about these gardening workshops, known as the Bass Coast Garden Gems program.
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