The front of Romsey Neighbourhood House (RNH) will soon be abundant with produce grown for residents, with new community garden beds installed and planted.
Funded by Healthy Loddon Campaspe and installed in partnership with Macedon Ranges council, the beds have been filled with a variety of greens and herbs, and will one day help to supply the house’s community meals program.
RNH manager Michelle Balthazar said the beds, and the new bike maintenance station next to them, were part of promoting healthy, sustainability living.
“People can come and use the station, have a seat and pick some fresh veggies,” she said.
Around the corner from the beds is the house’s car park garden, and the community is welcome to and take what they need when they need.
“We’re trying to be a living example of what the community can do to produce things and share to reduce the cost of living,” she said.
The house also offers a range of programs for learning more about how to patch garden, and in the future intends to partner with sustainability movement Transition Streets to activate a few more community gardens around Romsey.
“We’ll be running a community consultation session early on this year to get feedback on what we can do to promote it further within the community,” she said.
The gardens are maintained by green thumbed volunteers, and since they were planted in December have “really taken off”.
“It’s been a real community effort,” she said.
“If people would like to be involved in community gardens, we’d love to hear from them.”
Elsie Lange
