By Tyler Wright
Over 100 residents and families around the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges have registered with Yarra Ranges Council’s Healing in our Gardens program, creating a safe space to bond with neighbours and experience nature after the 2021 storm event.
Yarra Ranges Council’s community recovery officer Deb Sargentson facilitated a guided tour of Olinda’s Cloudehill Gardens with owner Jeremy Francis on Wednesday 12 October, to introduce some residents to the landscape for the very first time, and answer questions about the plants within it.
“When you’re working at any point in your garden spending time in the garden, it can be a real place healing and respite,” Ms Sargentson said.
“For some of us, we’ve had major losses, major losses…and the loss of the garden is just one too many, so the ability to start spending time in the garden, start maybe re-imagining or start healing some of your favourite plants; a place you’ve nurtured for so long, is really, really incredible.”
The Healing in our Gardens launched on Saturday 3 September and has already provided residents with lessons on propagating plants and learning the practice of listening to the environment deeply, also known as dadirri in the Ngan’gikurunggurr and Ngen’giwumirri languages.
“We’re connecting with landcare groups, connecting with Indigenous groups, the traditional owners of this land which is incredibly important, and we’ve had a number of events with amazing elders and traditional owners…very, very powerful…enabling us to reconnect in a much deeper way with country and heal,” Ms Sargentson said.
Kalorama resident Janice Reynolds attended the tour of Cloudehill Gardens and said programs like this help the community bond after the storms, rather than become isolated.
“Most of us didn’t have electricity for weeks and weeks and weeks, so that’s no heating, no water,” Ms Reynolds said.
“In the hills we have water tanks, so that means you can’t use a toilet, you can’t clean, so it was quite traumatic.”
Ms Reynolds said what was wonderful was the community gathering at Kalorama Park after the storm to wash their clothes and be fed.
She also said programs like Healing in Our Gardens gives residents a reason to get out of bed in the morning, meet others and work together.
“Up on the mountain, we’re a village… we’re a tribe, and that was very, very evident during storms, and it’s always evident when there is trauma, fires, storms, etc…so it’s great to keep those bonds strong.”
Ms Sargentson said she hopes Healing in our Gardens, which is set to run until June 2023, will be able to support between 300 and 400 residents and families.
“We have everyone from young families right through to 85 year olds. Our events need to be inclusive, so we’re going to be providing specific events for residents who are living with a disability, to carers and also events for residents who may need a quieter space, so there’ll be a range of programs that are going to be run and we’re open to any community groups or local nurseries or businesses who want to partner with us in this program,” Ms Sargentson said.
With residents who have experienced property damage through the storm encouraged to participate, as well as those with friends and neighbours heavily impacted, Ms Sargentson said there is no ‘you have to have this happen’ requirement to be involved.
“It’s about lifting the weights off and helping community groups and residents to connect, to restore hope, and to heal and renew in and through their gardens and our beautiful environment,” Ms Sargentson said.
“Our environment’s starting to heal, the forest is starting to heal, the areas are starting to look cleaner and clearer, but there’s a long way to go…
“And these events are fun, too.”
