Planting complete at Mt Ive Bush Food Garden
There’s plenty of green on the ground at Mt Ive – the result of the planting of about 500 plants in the first stage of the property’s Educational Native Bush Food Garden.
Having been funded in the 22/23 Grassroots Grants round, the project is being completed with support from Neville Bonney, Working on Country Rangers, traditional owners, Friends of the Gawler Ranges National Park (GRNP), SAAL Landscape Board and Mt Ive staff.
It was all hands on deck for the planting earlier this month.
Prior to the planting, plans for the garden were drawn up by plant enthusiast and author Neville Bonney, who was supported by Nadine Brown, an accomplished botanist who lives at the nearby Gawler Ranges National Park (GRNP).
Many hundreds of tonnes of soil and aggregate were brought in to develop the topography of the country and establish paths. This work was undertaken by Mt Ive staff, the Working on Country Rangers from GRNP and Ranger in Charge Lindsay Brown and Nadine Brown. Fencing was constructed to manage grazing pressure and irrigation installed.
GRNP staff propagated plants to be used in the native garden at Mt Ive and the remainder were purchased using grant funds.
Work on the project, which received $5563, has been completed with collaboration between Gawler Ranges Aboriginal Corporation, Department for Environment and Water, SA Arid Lands Landscape Board and Mt Ive.
Once complete, the garden will offer an enjoyable and educational space for visitors to the area.