About Bedford Park Community Garden

Bedford Park Community Garden is a place of learning, living, growth and community. A green place in the heart of the Eastern suburbs designed to generate, foster and promote all things sustainable. With a quarter of an acre of green fertile land right behind the main building of the community centre and nestled in some gorgeous remnant bush we have something for everyone.

Central Ringwood Community Center, already a fantastic hub, has drawn together a group of like minded people to spearhead this amazing space. Conceived in 2015, the team have developed and grown this area into a vibrant space full of fresh air, fresh greens and fresh ideas. After nearly five years of planning and community consultation the garden itself is starting to come into its own; and what a garden it is. We have herbs, veg, fruit and lots of space to add your own. We offer classes from a range of local sustainability gurus, from bees to kombucha, DIY home cleaners and beauty products to a full 80hr Permaculture Design course... and so much more. We have worked closely with a range of local community groups and love fostering these connections so give us a buzz if you are looking for a glorious outdoor space, a speaker or just some sustainability info. 
It's also a popular spot for birthday parties. Contact the Centre to book ph:98702602

Our community garden is your community garden. We want to see you wandering this green space, taking in the sights or picknicing. Talk to some of our members, grab some fresh produce or better yet, join us at one of our Wednesday Wonderers working bees or workshops and get your hands dirty. Our annual Sustainability Fair is not to be missed, our makers market is always a popular event and our permaculture course sells out well in advance so make sure to keep in touch, visit often, enjoy and get involved.

“You can spend your whole life traveling around the world searching for the Garden of Eden, or you can create it in your backyard.”

― Khang Kijarro Nguyen

BECOME A MEMBER

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The future of Bedford Park Community Garden

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Introduction to Habitat Gardening with Olwyn Smiley from The Back Yard Vegetable

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Click to WATCH Habitat Gardening Video 
Select links below for the presentation resources
Habitat Gardening presentation notes

Identifying Butterflies

Conservation 

Get Involved
The Community Garden is surrounded by Significant Remnant Bushland as well as High-quality Revegetation bushland. Consider joining our "Friend of Bedford Park" volunteer team to help care for these beautiful spaces and learn more about Bushland conservation and Indigenous flora and fauna of Maroondah. 
email admin@crccinc.org.au for more information. 
If you have a local reserve consider joining your local Friend Of groups, or consider supporting the new Bedford Park Friends of Group. Details of these can be found HERE

 

 

 

If you're keen to get involved in local conservation efforts, you can also visit CRISP nursery, or contact the incredible Bushland Team for a site visit and some advice. 


Council Support Available for Native Planting
Did you know, you can book in to have a member of the Maroondah Bushland crew to visit your home to provide information on planting native gardens? Where to plant, which species will grow best, how to support native wildlife, and all you need to know to get started on your habitat oasis, no matter how big or small the space is! 
Email Derek at derek.ashton@maroondah.vic.gov.au to find out more. 

Local Indigenous Nursery
C.R.I.S.P Indigenous Nursery is your local go to place for native plants. They have also created a comprehensive Indigenous Garden GuideYou can also collect Habitat and Indigenous Gardening Booklets for a gold coin donation from CRISP
Contact CRISP

Website: https://www.crispnursery.org.au/index.html
Tel: (03) 9879 3911
email:crisp@melbpc.org.au

Kids in Nature

Natural environments and outdoor play are beneficial to children in many ways. Playing outdoors is important for developing capacities for creativity, symbolic and imaginative play, problem-solving, responsibility, respect, intellectual development as well as providing the opportunity to develop a connection to the land and environment that they are part of and which sustains them. 
Kids and their families are encouraged to explore and engage with the garden. Harvest, cultivate, and play. 


Nature Play Resources
Here are some great Nature play resources:
Family Nature play ideas during a pandemic
Nature Play in Maroondah


Permaculture Design 

This 80-hour course covers a wide range of topics and includes site visits and some practical exercises. Throughout the course, you will learn the design components to produce a high-quality Permaculture Design for an area of your choosing which will be presented to the class at the end of the course.

Permaculture is so much more than gardening. It is a holistic approach to sustainable living. It’s an intentional design process that works with nature allowing for energy efficiency and abundance of yield. Over the 8 weeks of this course, you will cover an extensive list of topics guided by the recognised Permaculture Elder Pete the Permie and his team of tutors.

Eastern Region Food CoOp (ERFCO)

Collections are the last Saturday of February, May, July and November from 3pm-4pm. Order your dry goods, organic veggie boxes, option to buy straw and toilet paper.
Sign up 

 

See the Bedford Park Garden Facebook page for more details:  www.facebook.com/BedfordParkCommunityGarden

You can also book the garden for your function. Kids sure love it out there and we have marquees you can hire and you get access to bathroom facilities at the Centre.

For all bookings please phone 9870 2602 

"Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share"
Permaculture embraces ecological principles such as choosing plants for wildlife as well as people. Planting Indigenous species supports flora and fauna and as these plants are perennial, also means leaving the soil in place (instead of tilling and fertilizing it every year) which helps soil-borne fungi and invertebrates.

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Hey Community Composters.
We are back open for food waste contributions and have a fancy new system. It's designed to help keep our compost happy, and the smell levels low..so our patrons happy too. It will also track just how much food waste will be diverted from landfill.

If you would like to become a Community Composter, there's a simple registration form, and there will soon be a QR code at the compost bin where you'll track you contributions.

Happy composting everyone.

Community Composting Registration