Peter Berthelsen teaches people with disabilities how to garden and landscape. 23459 Picture: Luke Plummer.
By Casey Neill
FERNTREE Gully’s Peter Berthelsen has won a Victorian award for sharing his love of gardening.
The green thumb has taught people with disabilities in Melbourne’s outer east how to grow and sow plants for more than 20 years.
Community Services Minister Lisa Neville presented Mr Berthelsen with a National Disability Services Victoria award for outstanding service at Melbourne’s Windsor Hotel on 1 October.
Mr Berthelsen has been in the garden and landscaping industry for more than 30 years.
“I love it,” Mr Berthelsen said.
He began his association with disability service provider Knoxbrooke in 1990 as an instructor for its gardening and lawn mowing teams.
“I wanted a change and I wanted to share the skills that I’d learnt,” he said.
At the time, he owned a successful landscaping company but wanted to do more.
“And I really quite enjoy it; I enjoy being in the company of people with a disability,” he said.
“The most important things for people are self worth, making a contribution and seeing their life is valuable.”
What began as a garden and mowing service in 1985 expanded to a wholesale nursery in Ferntree Gully six years later with Mr Berthelsen’s help.
People with disabilities were trained and paid to work in the nursery with guidance from team leaders to build their skills and confidence.
The nursery soon grew to include a five-acre property in The Patch and in 2006 was closed and relocated to its current Mt Evelyn site as Home of Garden Lovers.
Home of Garden Lovers provides plants and landscaping services.
All profits go back into the program.
Home of Garden Lovers can be contacted on 9737 0851.
