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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