Community
7 November, 2024
Gardens to open for return of school fundraiser
THE return of a popular school fundraising initiative will give people an opportunity to view some of the most beautiful gardens throughout town this weekend.
Terang College will host an open garden this Sunday, November 10 from 10am to 3pm, giving members of the community an opportunity to tour the sprawling wetlands and kitchen garden at the school’s Strong Street campus.
Terang College principal Kath Tanner said the school’s Parents Association had run open gardens in previous years, and was excited to see the popular event return.
“We’re very proud of our school grounds and we dedicate a lot of resources to maintaining them and making them look fantastic,” she said.
“We want everyone in the community to be proud of our government school here in Terang.
“We want to give people the opportunity to wander through our gardens, wetlands and our student-operated café with refreshments available – in addition, one of our parents will be making delicious homemade pizzas.
“It gives people the opportunity to see the work we’re doing in these spaces and maybe take home a pack of yo-yos as well – there’s something for everyone.”
Not only will the school garden be open, but so too will be the gardens at three prominent properties – Chris Bell’s garden in Ecklin South, Blauvelt Park in Terang and Clare and Peter Banks’ heritage property in Terang.
“One of our organisers, Claire Wines, has negotiated with some of the prestigious gardens in town to join the open garden,” Mrs Tanner said.
“So anyone can start at the school garden and then, using their ticket, go and look at three other gardens as well which offer something very unique for a leisurely Sunday afternoon.”
The wetlands and kitchen garden at Terang College has been a point of emphasis for the school in recent years due to the value in combining education with hands-on tasks, developing teamwork skills and instilling an understanding in bigger picture issues – such as where food comes from, and how it is cultivated.
The wetlands has undergone extensive clearing over the past year while the walking track has been resurfaced, which is now utilised in the school’s wetlands wanderers running group.
The school’s Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden features seasonal produce which currently includes lettuce, strawberries, herbs, tomato, corn, zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin and a prominent Indigenous garden.
“Stephanie Alexander set up a foundation in order to teach students about the importance of growing food and knowing where food comes from,” Mrs Tanner said.
“Another important facet is them working within a team to produce food from what they’ve grown and then sharing it, so part of what’s really valuable is they’ll sit around at a shared time and eat the food together.
“It’s a wholesome approach to combining nutrition and education.”
Tickets will be available from the school on the day for $15.
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