The vision and future design of Montrose’s much-loved People’s Garden will be based on the stories, memories and uses shared by the community until 3 September.
Yarra Ranges Council and the Montrose Township Group are inviting anyone with a story to share that can add to the history of the garden, or a suggestion for improvements, to do so by the start of next month.
In 1967, legendary gardener Kevin Heinze and his wife Jill bought land in Montrose and cultivated the gardens. The couple eventually moved into their home in 1968.
Shortly after, Kevin began presenting the show Sow What, a gardening television program that spanned 21 years.
He and the People’s Garden became renowned both in Melbourne and Australia, seeing many come to visit the private space in Montrose.
In 2005, the family decided to donate the land to the council, so it could become open space for the community and be maintained in perpetuity.
People’s Garden Working Party, a subgroup of the Township Group, coordinator Sally Smith said many people would have memories of that time or Kevin and Jill themselves, and that’s what they hope to draw on to revitalise the garden.
“As part of the landscape development plan, together with the council, we’re wanting to preserve the history of the garden, and that’s the reason why (we’re collecting) stories people have about what they feel in the garden, how they use the garden, what memories they have of perhaps Kevin and Jill Heinze themselves,” she said.
“A lot of people have had personal relationships with Kevin in Montrose, depending on their age, so there are a lot of stories that we’re wanting to collect to really give us the feel of how people in Montrose use the garden.”
Sally said local historian Eddie Tichelaar is also on board to collect the historical aspects, “to increase our historical knowledge of the garden and keep that alive in Montrose and add to our own archives”.
The hope is to use the submissions and suggestions from the community consultation period to inform the landscape development plan.
“This information will help us with our plans to revitalise the space, make improvements and repairs, and figure out how to incorporate storytelling into the space,” Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child said.
“We’ll then create a detailed landscape design plan with this information, ensuring the future of the garden is as bright as its history.”
Sally said, however, that the uniqueness of the garden with its “incredible species” and ties to a respected horticulturalist would remain the foundation of the future vision.
“We’re looking to increase the canopy of the tree scape and subsequently, under the lower flora ground of the plant life, whilst making sure that all the pathways are maintained,” she said.
“Hopefully adding in some changes that people can use and or continue to use over the years, whether it’s park benches or whatever people are suggesting.
“We’re not looking to make big changes. We never have been. We want to increase what’s there by using and perhaps propagating from what’s there.”
There are several ways people can add to the discussion or make a submission.
Submissions can be entered directly via: shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/kevin-heinze-peoples-garden-montrose
Sally said that for people who might not be able to access a computer, they can instead attend the next Wednesday Weeders session on 27 August between 10am and 11.30am to speak with members of the Working Party.
Montrose Library also has a collection box, with pens and paper provided for handwritten submissions, or emailed submissions can also be sent to montrosetownshipgroup@gmail.com
“People seem to have a real ownership of the garden, because it’s a space that they use in lots of different ways, and so we want to preserve that and hear from those people collectively, so that we can make sure the space is retained the way that we as a community want it,” Sally said.
