Greens, flowers, and fun for kids bloom in Southbank

October was a busy month for the Southbank Sustainability Group both in the garden and we also organised several events, including two especially designed for the younger residents of Southbank during Children’s Week.

We continue to grow lots of leafy greens and herbs so that members of the Southbank community to help themselves.

Fruit is beginning to appear on the pear and peach trees and will be ready to eat in about three months. Mind you, we have had to contend with some unusually windy and stormy days that have meant our bean and pea crops have not been so successful this year. There is plenty of brightly coloured flowers in the garden at the moment, too, helping to attract bees to support plant propagation and biodiversity.

The City of Melbourne has provided us with a new watering system making it easier for us to keep the plants watered as the weather warms up. Please contact us at the email address if you have some time each month to help with watering. It’s a great way to get to know what is in the garden and watch the plants grow until they are ready to harvest.

It has been over a year since we launched a collaboration with the Boyd Playgroup, built around activities in the Boyd community garden. Boyd’s parenting group facilitator, Jeongho, has supported the collaboration, which is designed to provide the children in the playgroup with fun events and learning in the garden.

As part of the ongoing collaboration between Southbank Sustainability Group and the Boyd Playgroup we held two events during Children’s Week. Each year in October we celebrate Children’s Week, and this year’s theme was “Children have the right to a clean and safe environment”. Organisations such as local councils, not-for-profit organisations, schools and early childhood services organise events and activities during Children’s Week. 

The first event we held was a session called “Garden Explore” that included a scavenger hunt with the children in the playgroup hunting for various things in the garden and learning about what fruit grew on what trees.

The second event, “Friends with Honey Musical Kids Show”, presented by Helen Charles from Bees for Diversity was held on Saturday October 26 and was attended by children from the playgroup and the broader Southbank community. The children enjoyed dancing, singing and eating honey while learning about bees and the important role they play in food production. 

Newcomers to Southbank with children who are looking for ways to meet other parents, carers and grandparents with children can contact the City of Melbourne, which offers a variety of playgroups for families, providing children with opportunities to learn through play and socialising with their peers. For more information, contact City of Melbourne Parenting Services via email to [email protected]

Watch out for our final Christmas-themed workshop for 2024, to be held on December 7 and which will be advertised on our Facebook page. The workshop will teach block printing, a technique that lets you quickly personalise garments and also upcycle old fabrics to create something new like gift wrap.

We have continued to welcome new people moving into Southbank at our fortnightly meetups. Many come for coffee and stay to garden or join the watering roster or help out with our events. Anyone is welcome to drop by and join in the discussions and gardening. The next fortnightly Saturday meetup is on November 9 at 10am.

About the group:

Southbank Sustainability Group is a solutions-focused community group of Southbank residents working to bring positive change in sustainability practices. Reach us at [email protected] or facebook.com/Southbank Sustainability Group

If you are interested in getting involved with Southbank Sustainability Group, send us an email or come to one of our upcoming meetups. •