What
an appropriate name for a community garden - the Veg Out Community
Gardens! I came across this unique community activity on a recent visit
to Melbourne. I took the tram to St Kilda to visit the iconic Luna Park
and spent several hours of zipping around on the heritage and modern
rides. I spotted St Kilda Veg Out Community Gardens as I walked
afterwards to the Ackland Street shops.
The
Veg Out Community Gardens are organic, chemical free gardens run by
volunteers. They were established in 1998 on the site of the abandoned
St Kilda bowling club. (That explains the overhead lights!) The 150
garden plots are shared by local residents and community organizations
who pay a nominal rent for their plots. These plots all look
magnificently cared for by people who are passionate about what they do.
What
impressed me most about these community gardens was the immense array
of flowers, vegetables and artworks that I saw as I meandered around the
straight and curving paths. The gardens not only featured plants, but
also rabbits, chickens, budgies and quails.
As
I walked around I noticed several people enjoying their work on their
plots, and several others working on the club house. The artwork
sculptures and artistic letter boxes on some of the plots. I could see
how people shared advice, seedlings and friendship. It was a unique
mingling of gardeners, artists and visitors. It was work intermingled
socializing.
The
Veg Out Farmers’ Market are an opportunity for people to purchase some
of the produce from the Community Gardens. On sale are vegetables,
herbs, juices, cheeses, honey, wine, smoked meat and fish, free range
eggs and more. They are held on the1st Saturday of every month it
operates from 8:30am - 1pm at the Peanut Farm Reserve, which is next
door to Veg Out in Chaucer Street. For more information on market
operations and stalls, email the market manager at market@vegout.asn.au
cnr Shakespeare Grove & Chaucer Street, St Kilda
(behind Acland St, near Luna Park)
Mailing address:
Veg Out Community Gardens St Kilda Inc.
PO Box 1425, St Kilda South, Victoria, 3182, Australia
More Info: contact Veg Out Secretary Judith Birch at hello@vegout.asn.au
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