Vacancy in ‘The Garden of Eden’

By Kath Gannaway
COMMUNITY gardens are a relatively new concept in Australia. A private community garden is even more revolutionary.
Barbara Flynn thought of the idea of sharing her vegie-patch-in-the-making three years ago during what she happily looks back on as “a moment of inspiration”.
Barbara owns an acre of land in Healesville and after 28 years has established a very beautiful garden.
“I had set aside an area of garden for a vegetable patch and even enclosed it with a picket fence, but it always remained the ‘proposed’ vegie patch,” she said, admitting, “It even became a bit of a joke with friends.”
Her inspired idea was to offer the plot to Mal Eden, a landscape gardener, and his wife Carol who had moved from a property with a large vegetable garden to a retirement village without one.
The deal was that Mal used his skills, labour and time and Barbara supplied the land and water.
What evolved became known as “The Garden of Eden”.
Mal, Carol and Barbara share the produce and there is always plenty left to share with their friends. Along with the vegetables there is fruit from Barbara’s orchard and eggs from the three Khaki Campbell ducks that help keep the garden free of pests.
Barbara and Mal are great advocates for the shared garden experience which they say has been enormously rewarding in many different ways.
“If someone has a corner of their garden which they would like to cultivate as a veigie patch, offer it to some able-bodies seniors with time on their hands, but no land,” Barbara suggests.
“You create not only your own small community garden, but the opportunity to enjoy the rewards of the shared experience.”
In the Garden of Eden, sadly, the namesake is handing in his garden fork and secateurs. Mal and Carol plan to travel a little, leaving Barbara with a beautifully laid out vegie patch and an opening for more garden partners.
While having a name which adapts so fittingly is optional, prospective gardeners would ideally have experience growing organic vegetables, spare time and excess energy, but no land to cultivate.
Barbara can be contacted on 5962 3208.