Open gardens
A Jindivick garden featuring two vegetable gardens, fruit trees and even a truffle orchard interspersed with eye-catching artistic elements and water outlooks will be on show this weekend.
Graham Duell’s garden is one of 13 opening its gates to the public across West Gippsland as part of the Baw Baw Sustainability Network’s “Creative Harvest”.
In the absence of Gardivalia, it celebrates food gardeners and local artists, with gardens open on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Graham Duell’s garden, covering about a hectare, will certainly impress lovers of gardens, food gardens and arts.
“There are no garden mistakes, only experiments,” reads a Japanese-inspired sculpture overlooking his large dam.
His vegetable gardens match this quote, as he combines new pursuits of growing shitake mushrooms, chai seed plants and okra with more common sights of beans, rhubarb, strawberries and lettuces.
“I like mucking around trying things, seeing what will work,” Graham said.
The main garden is surrounded by innovative walls to offer wind protection. Graham built the walls utilising the floor of an old dairy, wine bottles and recycled farm items.
A second smaller garden features elevated gardenbeds, allowing for less back-breaking maintenance.
Amongst the vegetables grown on the property are chilli, spring onion, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cucumber, pumpkins, zucchini, horse radish, tomatoes, corn, potatoes and a large variety of herbs. A propagation shed is located in between. Previously part of a dairy farm, Graham moved to the property in 2003 for a “tree change” and works in his garden a couple of days each week.
“I work in fits and bursts when things are happening,” he said. “Occasionally, it’s pretty intense.”
He has planted 12,000 plants in the garden which also features several outdoor areas, water foundations and numerous sculptures.
Visitors to the garden, located at 180 RokebyJindivick Rd, can also visit Graham’s art studio and view Wendy Hitchins’ jewellery and Kay Lancashire’s wearable art.