Footscray residents with a taste for fresh produce are welcome to sample three edible gardens opening in the west next month.
Open Gardens Victoria are opening the gardens for a one-day event on Sunday, February 12 from 10am to 4.30pm.
Fransisco and Michael’s Food Garden will be open in West Footscray, boasting a wide variety of vegetables, including asparagus, tomatoes, eggplant, celery, kale, and golden chard, and fruits, such as
elderberries, pears, apples, apricots, passionfruit and peaches, all contained in 250 square metres of growing space.
Fransisco said he and Michael’s garden features an east-facing garden and raised vegetable beds in the front yard.
“This attracted interest from our older neighbours, many of whom are immigrants from countries such as Italy, Greece, Poland, and Vietnam,” he said.
“Through necessity, they had grown their own food too and recognised something familiar and right in what we were doing.”
A short trip will take visitors to Marcus and Jen’s garden, which features passionfruit vines and a long garden bed growing varieties of zucchini and eggplant along with citrus trees, as well as two wicking beds containing tomatoes, radishes, and a variety of bush and climbing beans developed over the past year.
Jen said the pair are also enjoying their newest project of growing shiitake and lion’s mane mushrooms on prepared logs.
The final stop on the day will be David’s garden featuring more than 50 fruiting trees, shrubs, and vines on 300 square metres.
The garden includes dwarf varieties of fruit trees and personally grafted multiple plants, including white sapotes, cherimoya, wampee, cold-hardy papayas, and guavas.
Tickets are available for $8 for adults, $5 for students or $20 for all gardens.
Details: www.opengardensvictoria.org.au
