Meet the gardeners and their garden

The cottage garden in this heritage-listed precinct may be only 15 years old, but the surrounding buildings and ‘outhouse’ transport you back to another place and time!  The garden is lovingly tended by a small band of enthusiastic volunteers.  Once you visit this very pretty garden, you may be tempted to join them and you would be welcomed with open arms.  Volunteering at community and public gardens is a great way to learn from experienced gardeners and to meet new friends.

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Come to see, learn and be inspired!

• Known somewhat ruefully as Fort Knox, the two-storey chicken coop was fortified at both ground and roof level after a fox attack several years ago.  It is now home to three roosters and a happy flock of chickens.  During volunteer hours, the chooks are allowed to roam freely in the veggie garden, with chicken guards installed to protect young seedlings.

• Potatoes, which grow well in containers, have an unusual home - large black pipes that originally came from the Desalination Plant.  However, most of the vegetables are grown directly into the soil, giving this garden a timeless look, similar perhaps to our grandparents’ gardens.  This is definitely true of Kevin’s garden, which is near an historical timber cottage and a cage of canaries (which were previously used to detect poisonous gases in the coal mine).

• Broad beans, which put nitrogen back into the soil, will be followed by summer plantings of pumpkin, corn and tomatoes.  The corn, beans and pumpkin combination, known as ‘Three Sisters’ planting, allows these vegetables to nurture each other and the soil.

• The fruit trees, some of which are 15 years old, have been beautifully pruned and are well labelled.  Fruit trees and berries include: apples, plums, peaches, nectarines, pears, figs, cumquats, loquats, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, pomegranate and raspberries.

• A small nursery sells plants mostly grown from onsite cuttings (all proceeds go towards garden maintenance and food for the chickens).  Visitors are also welcome to bring their own secateurs to take some cuttings of succulents or other cottage plants.

 

Parking and accessibility

There is parking near the State Coal Mine café.  Walk through the café and the historical cottage is to the left.  The garden is flat and accessible.  Before visiting some of the other edible gardens, visitors may want to take advantage of the recently re-opened State Coal Mine café for lunch or a coffee break.  There are publicly accessible toilets available. 

 

Address

​19-37 Garden Street, Wonthaggi (follow signs to State Coal Mine)