Juniper, a Uniting Church WA agency providing community and residential aged care, is proud to announce the official opening of a brand new interactive garden space in Balcatta, created to provide an oasis of safety and tranquillity for the organisation’s many aged care residents and clients and people with disabilities.
Juniper Gardens, located on Burwood Road, is tailored to meet people’s special needs and has been carefully designed to provide accessible and stimulating outdoor activities; connections with nature, families and friends and the means to grow and harvest home-style produce.
Chief executive, Vaughan Harding, said people of all ages can enjoy the space, which also serves as an exceptional volunteering opportunity to individuals and groups from throughout the community.
“Wide pathways for wheelchairs and raised garden beds make the space very accessible and a wide range of edible and fragrant plantings have been carefully selected to provide a variety of sensory and enjoyable interactive experiences,” he said. “An outdoor kitchen, complete with barbecues and a pizza oven enables visitors to prepare and eat produce picked fresh from the garden.”
The garden, which has already been visited by clients in our Home Care programs and the residents of the adjacent Juniper St Andrew’s care facility, is flourishing with its combination of new and original plantings that are producing strawberries, figs, corn, lemons, herbs, tomatoes and much more.
The gardens also pay tribute to a rich local growing history and is located onland that was previously used by market gardeners from the 900s until widerurban development in the 60s and 70s.
The project features mature fig, pomegranate and bay leaf trees donated by the D’Ercole family, former market gardeners of long standing in the region.
The gardens were officially opened by Juniper Board Chair Fred Boshart and Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church WA. The project was supported by grants from LotteryWest and the City of Stirling.
If you have time to spare and want to help, contact Juniper’s Volunteer co-ordinator on 9240 0313 or volunteering@juniper.org.au.
Above image: Juniper Board Chair Fred Boshart and Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church WA.