GREEN THUMBS: Jenny Indian (left) and Gil Malone (right) were thrilled to have garden guru Jane Edmanson present in Stanley.
Written by ZOE RUDDER.
STANLEY, Bruarong and Murmungee residents gathered at the Stanley Hall on Monday to hear from Australian gardening legend, Jane Edmanson.
Some 90 guests attended the event and heard Ms Edmanson, a presenter on ABC’s Gardening Australia and writer, speak about the future of gardening, growing food and sustainable gardening practices.
"We really need to consider the way our environment is changing around us and have our gardens reflect this," Ms Edmanson said.
"We have less access to water, so the older style gardens are now no longer viable.
"This does not mean we can’t have a similar style in garden design, we just need to use more appropriate native plants."
She said the conditions in the North East meant deciduous trees were viable options and offered magnificent colors and shapes.
She said the popularity of people growing their own fruit and vegetables was on the rise.
"This enables people to know what they are eating and also to eat seasonally," Ms Edmanson said.
The evening was organised by a collaboration of the North East Division of General Practice, Integrated Primary Mental Health and Beechworth Health Service, as part of local bushfire recovery activities.
"The evening was a great way to get the community together and discuss the very real issues facing us today with sustainable gardening practices," Beechworth Health Services officer Jenny Indian said.
"These are becoming increasingly important and the question of food security is now being taken seriously with many more people now growing their own fruit and vegetables, ensuring fresher and healthier produce for the dinner table."
Integrated Primary Mental Health health promotion worker Gil Malone said the mental and physical health of individuals is crucial to creating a strong and resilient community.
“The mental health benefits of gardening are widely acknowledged and it also has the capacity to bring individuals together, to share knowledge and plants."
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