Greenbushes Community Garden
Welcome
The Greenbushes Community Garden has the motto Meet – Smile – Grow. The garden has only common garden beds. We also have a bountiful orchard and an extensive biodiversity area. Our garden is located in the middle of Greenbushes, near the Roadhouse, on Blackwood Road, opposite the Exchange Hotel.
We hold inclusive weekly busy bees and regular monthly events. Best way to make contact is by joining our weekly busy bee on a Thursday from 9am. Come earlier if the weather is hot. In winter we meet weekly from 10am.
Please bring a small plate of food or your own produce from home for our morning tea that ends each meeting around 10:30-11am. We encourage all volunteers to become members. Annual membership is $20.
How we started
The Greenbushes Community Garden was established in 2010, around the former laboratory building of Talison Lithium. Talison donated the building and property to the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes with the ongoing purpose of becoming the location of the community garden.
Founding members are Tracy Lansdell, Pat Scallan, Leanne Green, Lyn and Barry Perks, Maria and Dom Iacopetta. The orchard trees were planted by children of the local primary school who wrote good wishes for the trees that were placed in the ground near the tree’s roots.
Tracy Lansdell coordinated the garden with a dedicated garden crew for the first crucial years guided by a strong focus on biodiversity.
Starting in 2020, the garden underwent a transformation under a new garden crew that saw the revamp of the garden lay-out with a focus on increasing inviting, community meeting features. Using funding from the Department of Communities, the garden developed a strategic design plan that includes permaculture design principles with input from the local school, other clubs, local residents and all garden members.
The garden crew demolished garden beds that were no longer working well and created new areas better suited for engaging the local community in ‘Come and Learn Sessions’ and social events. Under the project we installed new raised garden beds and secured sponsorship for a pizza shaped garden bed
The garden’s activities and artworks have been bringing many visitors into the garden. Recently the garden added a makeover of the garden shed, by two local artists Sally Stoneman and here daughter, with clouds on blue sky and two magpies waiting at the door.
The Greenbushes Well got a makeover with recycled materials and whimsical decorations, made by local artist Mick Latimer.
