Garden visit to Terry's garden in South West Rocks

Thursday 3rd of February 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

There's a big day planned for early February; we're trekking down to Terry in South West Rocks and getting two for the price of one, with a visit to Kimbo's garden as well!
 
Terry has been joining us now for a couple of years and now it's our turn to see what he's been up to down South
 
Terry says:
 
Previously, I had been living in Belongil near Byron for two and a half years.
 
During that time, I had joined Byron Permaculture group with Geoff Lawton where we would meet once a month, this would include group presentations, guest speakers, garden visits, farm visits and volunteer community projects.
I loved all that kinda stuff !
 
Turn the page to the Covid thing …. And, I have an elderly mother living on her own with little support, so I moved back and started doing up a separate flat, so I could continue the transition and support.
 
South West Rocks has a beautiful environment tho, lacks culture, diversity, difference and has a high aged demographic.
 
“How am I going to survive here ? I thought after 8 years away ? Answer rebuild community connections and activate new groups and align with like minds to create life. 
 
Thank you Bellingen seed savers for throwing me a lifeline ! You are an amazing group and this stuff is soooo important for health and community.
 
I decided to start a garden, it was  straight white sand, full sun and wind exposed with little to no organic matter, zero water holding capacity.
The other factor was not knowing how long I’d stay and what can I do to enrich life: mine, my mother's and others' ?
Answer, start a garden. 
Join Seed Savers.
Start Forest Ecology Alliance. 
Start Voices  of South West Rocks Community.
 
So, 20 months later its coming together, What I have tried to combine in the garden are visual aesthetics, bush foods, native legume species, fast carbon pathways, Bokashi, wildlife corridor habitat boxes, native animal refuge areas, endemic native plant species for biodiversity, water features, herbs, and fruit and vegetables.
 
Where I would like your help is in water site reuse and management and designing the new garden area ?
What I can help with is what I found successful in helping establish things in difficult areas.

We also plan to visit Kimbo’s garden he has been operating a double block 1000 sq mts super productive village garden that supplies many locals with greens on a daily basis, which is a hub for locals to call in and chat tell stories, swap things and purchase fresh locally grown produce.
Kim has been doing this off his own drive for probably 8 -12 years and it started just by wanting to grow a few things in his back yard.
 
What he has managed to do is miraculous, it’s so productive ! It’s a work of art right in the centre of town ! And it’s a gathering spot.Right on the spot where we would watch the local fishermen mend their nets when we were kids. Kim likes to keep things low key and simple and is humble about what he does, tho the value of this unique aspect is priceless. It's identity, it's culture, it's food, it's recipes, it's remembrances, it’s health.

What I hope may come from this get together is bringing the best to all areas along our coast and connecting people who wish to share a love for growing things and along the way build a tribe and enrich a community.
 
Oh, Im also having lots of fun bringing colour and doing some beach shack Reno's to this area as we most are experiencing coastal development growth it’s important to add visual options and embed growing knowledge I feel.

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The plan is; meet up at Terry's 10am and travel to Kimbo's patch by 10.30am, back to Terry's for lunch and afterwards a look at/kayak on the lake in the arvo. Should be an action packed day!

If you are coming down with something, please do not attend the garden tour.

Coming? please click here to RSVP, to obtain the address and so we know who’s attending. Please RSVP even if you already know how to get there.

Organiser: Lisa O'Callaghan / gardenvisits@bellingenseedsavers.com or phone 0417 536 490