The gardens at Macedon and Mount Macedon Community House are in full bloom — and so too is the community spirit behind them.
Surrounded by ornamental and productive plantings, the Community House has become a thriving hub for local volunteers who have spent the past year transforming the grounds into a series of vibrant garden precincts. Recently, the dedicated garden crews gathered to celebrate their achievements with a shared lunch, marking 12 months of steady growth and collaboration.
Over the past year, volunteers have developed a diverse range of garden spaces, including a flourishing kitchen garden, a permaculture forest, an indigenous garden and a welcoming courtyard garden.
The initiative forms part of the Volunteer Community Gardening Program, which combines hands-on horticulture with social connection and skill-building.
Weekly gardening sessions led by qualified horticulturists are at the heart of the program.
Volunteers also take part in working bees, workshops, guest speaker events and shared morning teas and lunches.
Workshop topics over the year have ranged from seed raising and planting spring seedlings to establishing indigenous tube stock, raising murnong seedlings, adaptive crop breeding and fostering nature connection.
Participants say the experience has delivered far more than fresh produce. Volunteers report gaining valuable gardening knowledge and practical skills, along with improvements in physical and mental wellbeing. Many also highlight the strengthened sense of community connection and pride that comes from contributing to local food security.
Produce harvested from the gardens is donated to the Gisborne Foodbank, ensuring the benefits extend well beyond the Community House grounds.
The gardening crews have also helped establish new special interest groups and events. The Macedon Seed Savers group has been relaunched, and volunteers contribute to the popular Harvest Exchange held regularly in the Community House courtyard.
A partnership with the Central Victorian Adaptive Crop Breeding Project is supporting the development of locally adapted broad bean varieties, further strengthening sustainable food production in the region.
Macedon and Mount Macedon Community House is a volunteer-managed community development hub. The Volunteer Community Gardening Project has been supported by a Regional Development Victoria Tiny Towns Fund grant from the Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions. The funding has enabled the organisation to expand community engagement while enhancing the amenity, functionality and productivity of the public facility.
Community members interested in joining the Volunteer Community Gardening Program can email admin@mmmcommunityhouse.org, visit the Community House at 47 Victoria Street, Macedon on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings, or register via the Macedon and Mount Macedon Community House website.
