Food and friendship blossom in Glenhaven’s veggie garden

The residents at Living Choice Glenhaven are very proud of their veggie garden and citrus orchard – and justifiably so.

The garden is bursting with a wide variety of produce which is picked every Thursday and taken to a table in the leisure centre where it is offered for sale in return for a gold coin donation.

The veggie garden area has also had a facelift with a covered shelter, benches and table installed, conveniently located next to a refuge for native flowers and birds. A smart new sign has also been erected, made by the Residents’ Chairperson, Jim Gibbons.

Terry Oliver has been there since the inception of the veggie garden in 2010 and over the past 13 years, he and other resident volunteers have devoted hundreds of hours to developing and improving the garden – and have also formed strong friendships along the way. Fellow helpers include Stella Schultz, Neil Manning, Noeline Pullen, Keith McGill, Ray Giezekamp, Bryce Ellis and Bob Harrison.

Terry said the garden beds had recently been replanted in preparation for the Orange Blossom Festival Garden competition. “Bed plantings are always changing. Bed 1 has bok choy, silver beet and sugarloaf cabbage. Bed 2 is full of climbing snow peas and they have already reached their full height.

“Bed 3 has broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, Bed 4 has lettuce and spinach and Bed 5 has sugar snap peas. Bed 6 has been converted into a herb garden with all the popular herbs.

“The rhubarb in the large pot has been re-potted. The other rhubarb pots have been moved to the western end of the garden, re-potted and will come back bigger than ever,” he said.

Along the Southern edge, there is a line of pots with chillies, spring onions, carrots and lettuce of various types. There is also a Bay Tree growing in a pot next to the herb garden, plus several lemon, lime and orange trees.

Thank you to the veggie garden volunteers!