THERE’S nothing quite like sitting in your back garden with a glass of wine or a cuppa.
If you plant the correct range of flowers, trees and shrubs, you’ll not only have a relaxing green oasis, but a large variety of birdlife to watch as they flit across the garden.
As part of the new Garden & Sound Sessions, Melville council is holding tours of some of the best private gardens in the suburb with everything from edible produce to leafy sanctuaries and dramatic landscaping. Co-curated by gardening coach and writer Casey Lister, each session includes a garden tour, special guest talk/ discussion, live music, and drinks and nibbles on arrival.
The debut event will be held at Lorraine Harrison’s garden in Alfred Cove – a green idyll with lots of tropical and rare fruit trees, cottage herbs, vegetables and other intriguing edibles.
• Casey Lister (left) with Lorraine Harrison in her delightful Alfred Cove garden. photos by Natasja Kremers
Harrison has squeezed a hell of a lot into her 550sqm suburban block and throughout the year you might find choko vines hanging like baubles from wooden arbours, banana trees swaying in the breeze, more than 13 different varieties of fig trees, and raised garden beds with seasonal veg.
A member of the Rare Fruit Club, Harrison grows a massive range including bananas, raspberries, avocados, dragonfruit and blueberries.
She will give a talk about her experiences, inspiration and tips for creating your own food forest in a small suburban space.
They’ll also be live music from Buenos Aires performer Jere Sosa, who plays jazz, latin and acoustic-folk guitar.
“I’m excited to meet gardeners who are really passionate about the place they’ve built,” Lister says.
“I think being in nature touches on something that’s really innate in us that we have kind of forgotten.
“You can learn so much from speaking to people in their own gardens. I come away with fascinating new discoveries every time, so I hope people leave feeling really motivated and inspired to try new things in their own space.”
Other sessions lined up include Alex George’s “native forest” in Kardinya.
“Melville is brimming with incredible backyards, productive gardens and delightful green spaces that showcase the creativity and hard work, the garden owners have put into their respective patches,” says Anjea Travers, Melville Council’s events officer.
“We’re really looking forward to getting a glimpse into these backyard masterpieces and sharing the experience with the wider community.”
The first Garden & Sound Sessions at Lorraine’s garden in Alfred Cove will be held tomorrow (Sunday October 1) from 10am-12pm. Spaces are limited with tickets at melvillecity.com.au/gardensessions.