Beetroot shoots, onions and carrots are starting to grow in a new vegetable and herb garden at the Victoria Park inclusive playspace.
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City of Ballarat’s botanical gardens team has partnered with McCallum Disability Services to create the community garden, offering children a chance to get their hands dirty and to water plants between play.
McCallum chief executive officer Tyrone McCuskey said the project allowed their clients a chance to get more involved in the community by managing the seasonal planting and maintaining planter boxes.
“We’ll probably be here on a weekly basis providing maintenance. It’s great, from our point of view, for the social inclusion we need,” Mr McCuskey said.
“...The education part of it is wonderful in what we can teach our clients about their own environment and transferable skills they could use in their home.”
Ballarat Regional Industries contructed the planter boxes, which feature educational messages about sustainable water harvesting.
There are plans for composting systems and fruit trees in the future.
Mr McCuskey said McCallum used to have a small gardening program, but this garden offered greater community pride with clients able to taste and share the fruit and vegetables they helped cultivate.
The council-led project follows similar community initiatives, like Brown Hill kindergarten children planting fruit trees for all to share last year.
Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh said the Vic Park vegetable and herb gardens exposed more people to a good, healthy activity while having a play or enjoying the park.
“It maintains a positive message we hope will filter through,” Cr McIntosh said.
“We want Ballarat people to be fit and health. The garden promotes nutritional knowledge and we encourage people to help look after it and have a play.”
City of Ballarat parks and nursery curator Peter Marquand hoped all Vic Park visitors would be able to enjoy summer with strawberries, take pride in winter veggies and to enjoy learning as the garden grew.