Gallery: Tranquil garden for Beachmere

A new community garden that aims to inspire people to grow their own healthy food in an urban environment will call Beachmere home.

Members of the Beachmere Community Garden Inc are excited about the opening of the garden, with the focus of the group and the garden about education and inclusion.

Located next to the Beachmere Hub, the garden is the result of many years of planning, fundraising and attracting support from government, local businesses and community groups.

Beachmere Community Garden Chairman David Fraser says the idea for the garden came from discussions between a few residents who are avid gardeners.

“Some of us had experience with community gardens before, so we worked on what the garden should look like and what we should include,” David says.

Those residents first spoke to City of Moreton Bay Cr Mark Booth (Div 2) in 2020 and based on his advice, they started to work towards their vision. The first step was for them to form an incorporated group.

Since then, the committed group of volunteers has worked tirelessly to fundraise, spread word within the community, work on construction, and help with other garden projects in the wider community.

Visitors to Beachmere Community Garden will be greeted by the impressive ironbark arbour, which was constructed with the support of construction company Fulton Hogan.

The concrete pathways, which allow access for people with disabilities and the elderly, were provided by Moreton Bay City Council, and the fence by Bribie Island Community Nursery.

The garden has received support from all levels of government and many local businesses.

A variety of edible plants suited to the area are thriving in the garden’s plots.

“Visitors will find a wide array of plants best suited to surviving the Beachmere conditions, which can be tricky,” David says.

“Our soil in Beachmere is basically sand, south easterly winds can be fierce, and dry westerlies in winter limit what can be grown throughout the year.”

The Community Garden will also display various growing techniques and advise locals about the best plants for their home gardens, how to manage and care for them, and where to get them - mostly from local nurseries.

The sensory garden is another aspect of the group’s strong focus on accessibility and inclusivity for all ages and abilities.

The beautiful artwork on the Beachmere water tower, opposite the garden, has been carried through to the garden itself, and the black cockatoo munching on banksia cone is a unique and stunning feature.

To see more pictures, click through the gallery below.