With the coolest winter months now behind us, residents at Highvale in Glen Waverley have been busy preparing the village’s gardening patch for the arrival of Spring.
One of the residents who has been hard at work is avid gardener Ken Walker, who was offered a plot in the communal garden when he moved to Highvale with his wife Val sixteen years ago.
Since then, Ken has played an active role in the ongoing development of the plot.
“When I first came to Highvale a lot of the communal garden wasn’t being used properly so gradually we dug the soil over, put in new soil and proper edging which reinvented the space to make better use of it,” Ken said.
“A number of the residents make great use of their plot – it’s a fantastic space and we’re very lucky to have it.”
Four years ago Ken played an integral role in a total redesign of the area which has enabled more people to have their own plot.
“We now have eight or nine beds and we’ve also raised the area which means people don’t have to bend over so much,” Ken said.
“Some of the keen gardeners have their own plot and we also have some communal plots which anyone can plant in and anyone can take from.”
The garden patch, which is approximately twelve metres by six metres in size, also boasts a fruit orchard and a specialised bed for growing berries which includes a large cage to keep hungry birds out.
“The fruit orchard has been great and any of the village’s residents can enjoy the lovely fruit. We only planted the trees two years ago and last season our orange tree gave us 55 oranges,” Ken said.
“The gardening area also has a shade house on one side which we have converted to a growing house for residents and we’re lucky to have access to plenty of water through a 12,000 litre water tank which was installed about two years ago.”
Highvale Village Manager Joseph Bailouni said the garden patch is a great feature of the village. “The garden has developed into a wonderful resource for the residents. Not only do they enjoy getting out in the garden, but they’re also able to enjoy the wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables that their plots provide,” he said.
For more information about Highvale, please call the village on 9881 2800.
With the coolest winter months now behind us, residents at Highvale in Glen Waverley have been busy preparing the village’s gardening patch for the arrival of Spring.
One of the residents who has been hard at work is avid gardener Ken Walker, who was offered a plot in the communal garden when he moved to Highvale with his wife Val sixteen years ago.
Since then, Ken has played an active role in the ongoing development of the plot.
“When I first came to Highvale a lot of the communal garden wasn’t being used properly so gradually we dug the soil over, put in new soil and proper edging which reinvented the space to make better use of it,” Ken said.
“A number of the residents make great use of their plot – it’s a fantastic space and we’re very lucky to have it.”
Four years ago Ken played an integral role in a total redesign of the area which has enabled more people to have their own plot.
“We now have eight or nine beds and we’ve also raised the area which means people don’t have to bend over so much,” Ken said.
“Some of the keen gardeners have their own plot and we also have some communal plots which anyone can plant in and anyone can take from.”
The garden patch, which is approximately twelve metres by six metres in size, also boasts a fruit orchard and a specialised bed for growing berries which includes a large cage to keep hungry birds out.
“The fruit orchard has been great and any of the village’s residents can enjoy the lovely fruit. We only planted the trees two years ago and last season our orange tree gave us 55 oranges,” Ken said.
“The gardening area also has a shade house on one side which we have converted to a growing house for residents and we’re lucky to have access to plenty of water through a 12,000 litre water tank which was installed about two years ago.”
Highvale Village Manager Joseph Bailouni said the garden patch is a great feature of the village. “The garden has developed into a wonderful resource for the residents. Not only do they enjoy getting out in the garden, but they’re also able to enjoy the wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables that their plots provide,” he said.
For more information about Highvale, please call the village on 9881 2800.