By Sonia Isaacs
THE Glasshouse Mountains Community Garden will celebrate its first birthday on Saturday, August 8. The event marking 12 months of transforming an unused patch of land into one of the township’s busiest community spaces.
Established behind the Glasshouse Mountains Community Hall, the volunteer-run garden has grown from an ambitious community vision into a flourishing hub where residents gather to grow fresh produce, learn new skills and build lasting connections.
What began as a handful of volunteers planning garden beds has evolved into a productive space featuring fruit trees, herbs, native plants, compost bays and a children’s maze that has become a favourite attraction at community events.
Long-time volunteers Sue Diserens and Chris Fallon said the garden’s success had been driven by grants, donations and the dedication of a core group of about eight volunteers who meet every Tuesday, supported by a wider group of residents who attend monthly working bees on the first Saturday of each month. Ms Fallon said the garden had become as much about people as plants.
Many volunteers are retirees who have embraced opportunities to learn practical skills ranging from carpentry and painting to seed propagation, preserving produce and promoting the garden through social media. Jobs are shared according to individual interests and abilities, creating an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute.
Ms Diserens said the garden had helped strengthen the Glasshouse Mountains community by creating a welcoming public space where residents could enjoy the gardens or pick fresh herbs and vegetables.
“It completes our community,” she said.
The garden has also become a magnet for community celebrations, including a Christmas gathering that attracted hundreds of residents.
The first birthday celebrations will run from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, August 8, at the Glasshouse Mountains Community Hall on Coonowrin Road.
Activities will include children’s games, guest speakers discussing bees, family races, a coffee van and a Rotary barbecue, highlighting the garden’s growing role as both a productive community garden and an important social meeting place.
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