Garden bringing renewed sense of home to temporary housing

kirranicolle
Jul 21
2 min read

The garden beds have recently been revamped as part of the upgrade. Image: Supplied

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE

A Salvation Army community housing program in Victoria is getting a revamp, with a makeover of the surrounding gardens and yard space.

The program, which operates out of a privately owned house in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, has acquired new outdoor furniture, plants, and refreshed garden beds.

Staff at the program and from the Salvation Army's Homelessness East Metro team have collaborated with staff at Bunnings Warehouse, who have generously donated plants, outdoor furniture and mulch, and provided practical assistance.

Additionally, local schools have organised groups of volunteers to remove weeds and dead trees. Decisions about the garden project have been made in consultation with residents at regular meetings.

Housing Worker at the site Duan Qiong has overseen the project and said the revamp was important, as most of the six current residents of the over-55 housing program would have grown up in a residence with some sort of outdoor area and have memories of gardening with their grandparents.

The outdoor area prior to the renovation. Image: Supplied

“It gives them an outdoor setting [in which] to stay and enjoy themselves, and I reckon it’s very important to make them feel this temporary housing is homey,” she said.

“Social housing [features] lots of high-rise towers, which lack outdoor space. With this space, they can actually sit in sunlight, feel warmer, feel peace of mind and also get [their] hands dirty and play with dirt, which reminds them [of] the best time of their life.”

With phase one of the work completed on 22 May, the gardens have undergone significant improvements, including the removal of weeds, dead shrubs, and leaves, as well as the re-staining of timber around the garden beds.

The existing outdoor furniture has been replaced with a new sitting area for residents, with furniture donated by Bunnings.

Still to be completed are the removal of dead trees, the planting of new fruit trees, and the addition of a variety of flowers and shrubs. The next phase will begin in September, with more mulch set to be delivered and lemon and olive trees planted.

“After the phase one work, residents have given positive feedback,” Duan said. “Our collective actions not only improve the physical appearance of the property but also strengthen the community's resilience and sense of pride.”