A vegetable garden display in Melbourne’s central business district that was created by our Melbourne Parks & Gardens team was given a second lease of life with the donation of 2,000 plants to local community gardens.
After six weeks on show, the vibrant plants that made up the Town Hall display were nearing the end of their public life but remained viable for future use. Following a decent harvest, the produce and plants were gifted to community gardens across the city to be nurtured for future harvests.
More than 2,000 plants were used in the planter boxes including basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, mint, chili, chives, corn, cucumbers, lettuce and snow peas, along with flowers including marigolds, sunflowers and nasturtium.
Our team worked with the City of Melbourne and the Lord Mayor to personally transfer the viable pot stock and produce to six different sites and community groups across Melbourne: Kensington Neighbourhood House, Drill Hall Community Garden, East Melbourne Community Garden Group, Docklands Community Garden, South Bank Sustainability Group, and Carlton North Local Community Group.
Docklands Community Garden held a community day for locals to pick up a free plant, which attracted more than 400 people and led to 40 new volunteers to help with the maintenance of the garden.
Ben Corfee, Serco Melbourne Parks & Gardens Contract Manager, said the team were thrilled to support the donation drive: