By Renee Wood
If you’re a Healesville green thumb looking to share your garden generosity, there’s a new group dedicated to just that running through the Healesville Library.
Garden Gossip has launched offering a place for locals to come together to share their knowledge, seeds and produce while also working in the Healesville Community Garden.
The library has been given a plot in the garden to give group members hands on experience and grow produce to share, while also feeding the Dine and Shine meals.
The meetings run fortnightly from 2pm-3pm in the library for plant, produce and information swapping, then for a further hour from 3pm-4pm participants can head on over to library’s plot.
Senior customer service officer Sharni Steel is leading the meetings and said it’s an opportunity for anyone to join, whether you have large properties or a balcony of pot plants.
“This wasn’t to make another exclusive group, it was more to invite people from all of those groups to come together in a casual setting to share their knowledge and wisdom,” Ms Steel said.
“It’s open to everybody with an interest in gardening or food growing.”
So far, people have brought in excess produce from their own gardens or seeds to swap, but that’s not a requirement.
“There’s no pressure to bring anything but it’s just another way of bringing food security into our awareness, about what we can grow and what we do with what we grow,” she said.
“It’s also an information swap, so it’s where we can come and share what’s going on in our gardens and learn from each other in terms of maybe irrigation systems or fertilisers.”
When heading over to the garden, you’ll be taken through an induction to use the tools available and then the next step is to get digging and growing in the library’s plot.
The produce grown will help to fuel the library’s newly launched ‘Dine and Shine’ monthly meals, which is an extension from last year’s Soup Kitchen.
Ms Steel said they’ve received funding from the Valley Community Recovery Committee to host a monthly meal through to June.
The first was held on Thursday 16 February with special guest Chelsea McNabb from Yarra Ranges Council sustainability team joining for a presentation on food security.
Each monthly meal will be coupled with a social or information session, with some upcoming plans including a family friendly Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and another will have the CFA joining to discuss disaster preparedness.
“We’re trying to offer something for everyone in the community,” she said.
The new funding model has allowed for caterer Susanna Leubbers to come on board, who is using food mostly grown locally.
Students from the Healesville High School will also assist in the cook ups on occasions.
The next Dine and Shine to pop on your calendar is for Thursday 23 March with Suni Red Shoes MCing to guide through an Autumn equinox celebration.
Bookings are essential for the meals, please see the Healesville Library events website for more information.
Upcoming Garden Gossip dates are Monday 6 March and Monday 20 March, starting from 2pm at the Healesville Library.
