By Derek Schlennstedt
A bright and colourful new roundabout featuring snapdragons, tulips and marigold has been unveiled in Monbulk.
The Monbulk roundabout, next to mitre 10, is looking resplendent following the completion of a revegetation program that has enhanced the main entrance into Monbulk, and celebrates the town’s floriculture roots.
Monbulk and District Community Working Group (MADCOW) collaborated with Year 10 Ranges TEC students who completed the revegetation project on 16 October.
The students have lead the implementation of the revegetation from beginning to end, and Year 10 Ranges TEC Teacher, Rachael Holt said it was a great opportunity for school students to own a space in their community.
“We’ve put in roughly 10 varieties of flowers and Monbulk is the flower capital of Australia, so their work is really celebrating that,” she said.
The students devoted a day every week to the roundabout and worked in teams to accomplish a aesthetically pleasing and functional design.
“We had different team leaders for different sections. The students did a lot of research and travelled around Victoria looking at designer gardens and then worked in teams to strategize what would be functional and aesthetically pleasing,” Ms holt said.
Amongst the tulips already flowering at the roundabout are geraniums, petunias, marigolds, snapdragons, and African violet.
Year 10 Ranges TEC student Leo said he looked forward to seeing the roundabout once the flowers have bloomed.
“It was quite bare before, so I’m looking forward to seeing it as the flowers start to bloom more,” Leo said.
MADCOW member Luke Schroder said the revegetation will brighten-up the roundabout, and has garnered a lot of local attention and thanked Ranges TEC for their involvement.
“The feedback I’ve seen has been pretty positive. There has certainly been a lot of talk about it over the 7-8 week period,” Mr Schroder said.
“Monbulk is meant to be the flower capital of Melbourne and we had a roundabout that was quite neglected and now it fits the ambience of the town.”
“It’s taken a lot of effort from a lot of people and a little bit of coordination, but it’s come up a treat.”
