Peregian Beach’s much loved community garden, Veggie Village, is set for a big year of growth, and not just for its organic fruit and vegetables.
After seven successful years, Veggie Village is expanding into the neighbouring Di Hirst oval to make room for more members, more garden plots and more activities for the Peregian community. Local architect and Veggie Village member Robyn Hewitt said the expansion is gradually getting underway with plans taking shape some two years after Council approval was granted. “This is the second phase for our beautiful food gardens,” she said. “It’s a growth spurt that will allow us to use a small section on the edge of the oval to do more for our members and our community.” Ms Hewitt said Veggie Village hangs out its welcome sign for the whole community and is used for meetings and workshops as well as members learning about organic growing. While the plans are not yet final, they’re likely to include a child-friendly play area to cater for the young families that have recently joined the village. It will be crossed by wheelchair-friendly paths for easy access, winding through a food forest of fruit trees and garden plots. A seed propagation shed will be erected there so the village can grow its own seedlings. Veggie Village is also keen to connect with its neighbours who use Di Hirst oval. It’s planning to include a seating area for watching junior cricket, and also a shaded viewing platform that looks out on the oval and out towards Mt Cooroy. Visitors to the oval this month will see the extension roughly pegged out, but it’s likely to take most of this winter for the vision of a bigger and better community garden to gradually take shape.
